Quickly approaching, the school’s winter formal, otherwise known as Tolo, has the grand theme of masquerade this year. Especially as finals week is finishing up and the anticipation of second semester starting next week, students are excited to alleviate the stress by getting dressed up for a dance. The prospect of leaving the stress of exams behind for a night to be with friends is enough to soften the blow of finals week.

With all of the exams being reviewed and prepared for, it only added to every student and teacher’s plate that just a few days ago there was an evacuation which led the school schedule off track and had them updating teachers and students throughout the next few periods after returning from the field. Because of the evacuation, some students were questioning whether or not this would affect how finals would go or if they would even happen. “This week has been really weird, honestly. With the lockdown, evacuation, and finals going on as normal, it’s felt a lot more hectic and chaotic than it does usually. I just want it to be Saturday,” Jack Swafford said.

And while many students are focused on their final exams, they still find room for excitement about the upcoming dance. Their anticipation of the long weekend, a new semester, as well as a masquerade themed dance has made an odd pairing. “The weekend is the only thing keeping me going right now. I’m going to the dance with my friends and we’re all just really done this week. It’s been too long. I can’t wait,” Geoffrey Herrick said.

Wrapping up the semester, finals week, the masquerade dance, and the craze of the evacuation has students looking forward to the fresh start that comes with a new semester. “Once my exams are done, I will never take weekends for granted ever again,” Ally Skoog said.