By Samuel Delucia ’18

With their comprehensive exams completed, and all their assignments turned in, the senior class had one last event as students before becoming alumni, an event fondly known as the Senior Celebration Cruise.   Accompanied by their fashionable dates, the senior classmen were smartly clad in formal jackets as they set out to celebrate the end of four years of arduous study.

In the afternoon, the handsome ensemble boarded three comfortable Coach buses at Chaminade High School and departed for the Chelsea Pier Marina # 36 in Manhattan.  The entire company boarded the yacht Cornucopia Majesty at 8:30 PM.  Mr. Casey Giordano ’93, who has been organizing this excursion for the last five years, planned the evening to coincide with the first Friday after senior comprehensive examinations.  This year’s function fell on Friday, May 20, 2016.  

Mr. Giordano said that students described this year’s celebration cruise as “overwhelmingly positive,” and that “on the bus ride back, the students said it was fun, beautiful, and better than expected.”  Mr. Giordano brilliantly designed the event to be both cost-effective and socially conscious.  As to the former, the prom was less expensive than the average prom by doing away with the need for tuxedos and limousines.  Regarding the latter, attendees brought baby items to donate to the Sisters of Life, who run homes for mothers in need. “It was a win across the board,” said Mr. Giordano.

Once aboard the ship, waiters bustled around with hors d’oeuvres, pampering the guests prior to the main meal, a buffet of chicken, pasta, and steaks.  There were three stories to the yacht, with DJ’s on the roof and first level.  The dance floors on both decks were in constant use the entire night as couples danced to the sounds of contemporary music.  The bartenders on each level kept beverages flowing to keep the dancers energized.  

Afterwards, the party collected on the roof to take pictures as the ship passed the Statue of Liberty, and to admire the breathtaking views of the New York City skyline.  The evening’s culinary delights concluded with much-welcomed ice cream, and the dancing ended with the song “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran.

The spectacular occasion surpassed the students’ high expectations.  One of the students, Kyle Elmendorf ’16, said, “The night was a lot of fun.  It was great to spend the evening with my girlfriend as well as with my closest friends.  The food, dancing, and views of the city on the top of the boat were terrific.”   

Senior, Kyle Agostini said, “The cruise was great, both the food and the music.  But the best part was that the event emphasized what I am going to miss most about Chaminade, the people.”

The Senior Celebration Cruise is a fitting end to the four-year voyage of our senior classmen.  They worked hard and earned this evening to reminisce with their friends about the good times they have shared together, and create more memories that will last a lifetime.  As they close the chapter on the their high school careers, and move on to new schools and new friends, this sendoff will provide a bright memory upon which they can look back, and fondly remember the good times they had at Chaminade High School.