Last Thursday, on the eve of graduation, the Bromfield senior class came together for a heartfelt farewell to their school with Class Day, an annual event at which the graduating students sing, put on skits, and play comical videos for their teachers and peers.
The underclassmen filed into Cronin Auditorium right after lunch to get their seats for the show. The lights dimmed and a video featuring senior class members taking turns lip synching the words to Imagine Dragons’ “On Top of the World” came onto the screen.
The senior video has been a Class Day tradition for many years. Each year, the seniors choose a song and film their classmates singing with the various Bromfield groups they belong to. Many of the sports teams and clubs were represented as they all joined together in song.
‘Superstition’ cues senior entry
Once the video ended, Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” started to play behind the screen. As the screen was lifted, this year’s Class Day band was revealed: Caleb Green and Sam Jones on guitar, Alan Mintz on bass, Danny Hayward on drums, Eric McAlpine on saxophone, David Etzel on trombone, and Tom Hill on the piano. Then Ryan O’Leary strolled onto the stage and began singing the soulful tune.
The auditorium was suddenly filled with cheers as the senior class ran into the auditorium together and crowded in front of the stage, dancing and singing along.
After the band’s performance, the seniors took their seats, and Hayward and Hill took center stage. Hayward would be the host for the afternoon’s entertainment and he and Hill launched into a hilarious song that the duo wrote about their classmates. Danny cleverly delivered line after line that poked fun at his classmates in a playful way that never felt mean.
A highlight of the show was a skit in which the senior class enacted how they believe the teachers behave when they are not in school. The skit took place in a fictional bar run by social studies teacher Steve Besold. The students portrayed many of the teachers in an exaggerated way that brought many laughs to the crowd.
‘Hauntingly accurate’ teacher skits
Spanish teacher Jen Fraser was amazed at how well the students knew the teachers. She said, “Teacher skits are always hauntingly accurate. You don’t realize over the years how much you tell them about yourself, and then it all comes back to you at Class Day.”
Class Day was not all about laughs, though. In the second half of the show, Jake Valladares came onto the stage and performed an original classical-style piano piece that was breathtaking. Of his composition Jake said, “Most baroque and classical pieces have just one tonal center, but I found that constricting so I decided to experiment with changing the key and time signatures around.” The audience rose to its feet when Jake took his bow.
As with all Class Days, this year’s event concluded with a slide show spanning the years from when the seniors were babies until prom and beyond. The presentation was touching as the seniors grew up in front of our eyes.
While the slide show ran, the Class Day band returned to play “Hey Jude” by the Beatles. The joyous song complemented the mood of the presentation. Math teacher Russell Wass said, “Paul McCartney would’ve given the band two thumbs up.” After the montage ended and the screen was lifted one last time, the entire senior class got on stage and sang the refrain together. It was a beautiful way to end the show.
Class Day might never have come together without the work of Bromfield senior Alexia Lipman, who organized a planning committee for the show. The result was one of the most well-coordinated Class Days in the history of the event.
Jen Fraser, who has seen many Class Days in her time teaching at Bromfield, said, “Some years there are long pauses in between the acts, and there is too much down time. This year was very well organized and executed.”
Lipman began the planning process by creating a Facebook group to find out who wanted to help. She then set up meetings, and the students figured out the format of the show. “It may have started as an individual effort,” Lipman said, “but as Class Day approached, it became something more collaborative.”
Among the many people who helped with the show, Caleb Green organized the musical numbers; Danny Hayward and Tom Hill wrote the skits; Jenn Symula created the slide show; and Alexia and Janny Zou made the opening video.
Class Day is a special day that brings the whole senior class together. It is the graduating students’ chance to add one final exclamation point to their legacy at Bromfield.
