The North Park Student Newspaper Since 2023
Class of 2026 outraged at Grad Breakfast
GENERAL NEWS
Anushka Malik
6/11/20262 min read
On May 22nd, the graduating class of 2026 had their turn at attending the annual Grad Breakfast, held in our very own school cafeteria. This age-old tradition is a fun, nostalgia-filled event to announce the valedictorian.
The cafeteria was embellished with black-and-gold decorations and a photo drop beside the stage where students could take photos with props of graduation caps, tassels, and crowns. The tables were also decorated in black-and-gold table cloths with blue and orange flowers as the center piece. The screen projected a slideshow of silly pictures that everyone had submitted of them and their friends. The ambience was completed with hits from the 2010s blasting from the speakers and the sounds of everyone’s joyful conversations. The first order of business was to eat the breakfast itself. The table was set with a multitude of options. Waffles with syrup and/or berry toppings, egg and veggie wraps, fresh fruit, and cookies, all of which gathered mixed opinions from the graduating class. “The food was so mid, and the cookies were hard. They weren't even like the good caf cookies; they were just like hard, crunchy leftovers from yesterday's cookies. And there was no juice,” expressed graduating student Krittika Bhateja. And many were quick to agree.
After eating, the winners of the senior crowning were announced. Days prior to the event, the senior class filled out a Google form voting for who they thought had the best smile, best style, was most studious, and much more. The winners of the awards were called up to the stage, where they received a crown, a certificate, and mini Academy Awards. That wasn’t the end of the fun, though. Next, the grade 12s played a game where a select few were called up to the stage for a couple rounds of guessing the baby. Someone's baby picture, which they had anonymously submitted days prior, was displayed on the screen, and contestants raced against each other to guess which one of their peers was the baby on the screen. If no one was able to guess the picture, the crowd was allowed to help them. Winners from each round won some school merch. “They should’ve added more games," exclaimed Tenuja A. "The baby one just wasn’t enough!”
Then came the moment everyone was waiting for… The announcement for valedictorian. However, the class of 2026 was met with an announcement that the valedictorian announcement would have to wait due to unforeseen circumstances, which led to collective outrage and disappointed booing from the graduating class.