By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
HIGHTSTOWN — Being class president this past year gave Adam Sherif a new perspective on the different aspects of Hightstown High School.
“High school has been more than just the six hours that we’re in the classroom; it’s also about the activities and events you attend that make it special,” he said. “This past year the senior class prided itself on each of the following accomplishments due to their uniqueness compared to previous years.”
During “Senior Night,” high school seniors were invited into the school after hours to swim, watch a movie, paint, participate in karaoke, play sports, and eat.
“This was the first time ever this has been done as well as the first event of the year that I planned,” Adam said.
Then there were the “Hightstown Hunger Games.”
“This is by far the most memorable and the one I’m most proud of for several reasons,” Adam said. “Twenty-four students were chosen to battle in the halls of Hightstown modeled after the popular movie series titled ‘The Hunger Games.’ The event saw over 800 attendees and raised over $2,500.”
At “Cosmic Bounce Night” students were invited to attend a proceeds night held at Bounce U.
For the first time in over 10 years, the Hightstown High School senior class was able to spend a night on the senior trip. Over 170 seniors went to Pocono Valley Resort for the trip and participated in activities such as zip-lining, high ropes courses, swimming, and many more.
Guests of the 2015 senior prom were welcomed to the high school turf to mingle with friends, family and teachers before the prom. Guests were announced as they arrived and had the opportunity to be photographed in front of professional backdrops.
Senior prom was the conclusion of a year of activities. This year’s theme was “Arabian Nights” and the highlight of the night was the belly dancer who welcomed the guests, according to Adam.
On top of all the events, the seniors won the following spirit contests — “Lip Sync Contest,” “Hallway Decorating,” “Twin Day,” “Fanatic Day,” “Color Wars” (three times), “Hightstown Hunger Games,” “Penny Wars,” “Pajama Day,” “Frozen Friday” and ultimately “Ramboozle,” which is the completion of a year-long class vs. class competition.
“The highlight of the year for me was definitely the ‘Hightstown Hunger Games’ because of the excitement and attention it bought to the school in the middle of the year,” Adam said. “The trailer and intro videos had received views of up to 2,000, over 150 applied to participate, and even received attention from the bordering high schools. All in all, the event raised over $2,500 and saw over 800 guests. In order to make sure the videos could be seen by all students, I posted all the videos to YouTube (@adamsherif) to be shared on all social media.”
In the future, Adam hopes to continue his studies in business and eventually enter a career as a finance major.
“To me, as well as many, Hightstown High School has provided opportunities for students to grow and further understand their interests outside the classroom,” Adam said. “More personally for myself, it allowed me to develop the leadership skills in which I was once lacking.”
