On Oct. 14, members of the Class of 2023 redecorated the senior center for the first time in three years, a tradition halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project gave seniors an opportunity to personalize the space, which they use to socialize and study during breaks and free periods.

Each senior was assigned a brick on the wall to decorate with any design they chose. The illustrations on these bricks varied from person to person. Some people wrote their names in different fonts, while others painted clouds and other pictures. 

The decoration process was organized by Art Club heads and seniors Mia Palk and Nour Burik. 

Although the decoration process took a great deal of preparation — including discussing plans with the administration, staying past school hours to tape the wall and eventually cleaning up — Palk loved seeing the senior center become “a more inviting and warm space.”

Many seniors enjoyed decorating the wall with their own designs.

“Each senior was designated a brick, showing how each one of us contributed to the support and structure of the school,” senior Lily Campbell said. “I like how each [brick] is designed differently but equal in worth,” she added.

Echoing this sentiment, seniors David Panner and Isabel Gurney enjoyed the creative freedom of designing and painting their bricks.

The decorated senior center has also connected members of the Class of 2023, making the space more inviting to seniors who, prior to this school year, had never used it before.

“I think the wall was a really nice way to bring all the seniors together and contribute to the sense of community that the senior center already provides,” senior Zoe Verma said.

Students, teachers and other passersby can also look through the glass and see the decorated wall.

“It is so interesting to look at the wall and notice how [each senior’s] individuality shines through,” sophomore Samantha Glover said. “I think the wall is such a unique and special addition to the room, [and] anyone who passes by can tell that a group of students made it — that kind of adds to the magic of it,” she continued.

“Looking at the wall makes me excited to paint my own brick in senior year. I already have a few ideas,” sophomore Ari Gedan said.