This week at Old Rochester Regional High School, the senior class was abuzz with excitement over their Superlative Night on January 28. The members of the class of 2016 wore their best attire to watch their peers receive their awards or to receive them themselves. Principal Michael Devoll and Athletic Director Bill Tilden donned black suits and led the show as co-hosts.
Superlative Night began with a game of Know Your School, in which five seniors were selected to compete to determine who was the champion at school-related trivia. The prize? A parking spot directly in front of the school, right under the flag pole in the front of the lobby. A coveted spot – especially in the dead of winter when the snow and ice make the walk from the parking lot into the school that much more unbearable.
The lucky seniors selected were Aibhlin Fitzpatrick, Zenobia Nells, Nicholas Kondracki, James Estudante, and Will Santos. Evan Santos kept score.
Every person got a whiteboard on which to write their answers. A projector played a slideshow on the screen behind the players with questions and answers. Questions ranged from easy: name a new staff member who started this year, to more difficult: name as many teachers who graduated from ORR as possible. The winners, Fitzpatrick and Will Santos, were ecstatic to receive the parking spot.
Then began the actual superlatives. Every category had a minimum of one boy and one girl in the running to win. Devoll read off the boy contestants, and Tilden read the girls. After the winners were announced, they were invited on stage to give a speech if they wished. The superlatives and their winners are as follows:
Most Spirited: Brett Noone and Natasha Shorrock; Most Likely to Succeed: Evan Roznoy and Jane Kassabian; Most Athletic: The Santos Twins (Will and Evan) and Zoe Smith; Largest Appetite: Nick Kondracki and Aibhlin Fitzpatrick; Teacher’s Pet: Matthew Fortin and Rachel Scheub; Most Likely to Move Away: Marco Li and Catherine Feldkamp; Most Changed: Frederick Miller and Tayla Campbell; Class Hippie: Emil Assing and Emily Josephson; Best Smile: Evan Bishop and Kristina Sauerbrey; Best Laugh: Adrian “Paul” Kavanagh and Angela Conde; Class Angel: Wiley Gibson and Bailey Sweet; Celebrity Look-Alike: Frederick Miller and Kayley Silvia; Most Accident-Prone: Seth Gomes and Emily Faulkner; Hall Wanderer: Darien Dumond and Tanya Medeiros; Most Unique: Shawn Perreira and Abigail Field.
Then came intermission, when pictures were taken and snacks purchased. On stage, the band Skinny Moth and the Prospect, comprised of seniors Holly Frink, Eli Kovacevich, Shane Fitzgerald and Jeffrey Murdock, entertained the audience, and they even included the hit song Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars, to which many people sang along.
After the short intermission, the show was back on and the superlatives began again, but this time with a twist. It was the teacher superlatives, when the seniors voted on the best teacher for each category.
The winners, as selected by the senior class: Most Talented: Dr. Colin Everett; Most Inspirational: Ms. Kathleen Brunelle; Best Dressed: Mr. Michael Beson; Most School Spirit: Mr. Steve Carvalho; Best Coach/Club Advisor: Mr. William Tilden; Most Humorous; Mr. Michael Nailor.
And finally, the night ended with the second half of the senior superlatives, awarded as follows:
Best Eyes: Shane Harkins and Kristina Sauerbrey; Class Flirt: Corey Dias and Alexandria Powers; Most Gullible: Matthew Fortin and Eryn Horan; Most Musically Inclined: Shane Fitzgerald and Zenobia Nelles; Unsung Hero: Joshua Winsper and Bailey Sweet; Gym Warriors: Joshua Winsper and Elexis Alfonso; Highway Menace: Andrew Homen and Courtney Dextradeur; Most Artistic: Emil Assing and Abigail Field; Most Sarcastic: Jacob Chavier and Autumn Carter; Best Hair: Jeffrey Murdock and Kristina Sauerbrey; Drama Court: Rikard Bodin and Alexandra Melloni; Cutest Couple: Edward Krawczyk and Nicole Mattson; Class Clown: Evan Portelance and Haily Saccone; Best All Around: The Santos Twins (who were jokingly called “The Santi” for the night) and Jane Kassabian.
All in all, the night was a success, with the best turn out anybody could remember. The auditorium was packed, the seniors raised money to help pay for prom, and everybody enjoyed themselves!
By Sienna Wurl