![Junior Diya Arun stares out a window. For Arun, the winter season brings out the holiday blues. “ I think [the winter] has a negative effect on my mental health because I feel like the cold weather and people around me are also sadder [and] that affects me,” Arun said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_8047-1200x800.jpg)
![French teacher Marieme Toure serves a plate of the Senegalese food she prepared for her AP French Language and Culture class, to senior Faiza Syed. “I never had Senegalese food before,” Syed said. “I thought it was so cool that she was able to bring a part of her culture [and] background to us.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_0798-1200x906.jpeg)
![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
On Friday, Dec. 19, seniors joined their friends and peers in the library for the winter senior breakfast event, put together with the help of administrators and parent volunteers. Excitement and joy filled the atmosphere as the Class of 2025 filed into the school to celebrate their four years of accomplishment as students.
Senior Rediet Bekele believes the breakfast provided a chance for peers to interact and create new friendships. “We’re going to graduate next year and we’re not going to see [each other] after, and I feel like I’m going to miss my friendships here,” Bekele said. “We should all have bonding time. Even now sometimes we don’t get to see [many of our peers] because they have different classes than us.”
The menu for this breakfast was an assortment of sweet treats: donuts, apple and orange juice, coffee, hot chocolate, and gingerbread cookies. Students were able to decorate their own gingerbread cookies with a variety of different icing and sprinkles to choose from.
Senior Blessing Amuga was pleased with the setup for this event. “This time [the breakfast was better because] there were many activities,” Amuga said.
In the midst of the festivities, students were provided with the opportunity to vote on one of four designs on the front and two designs on the back for their senior class shirt design. They were able to submit their designs by Dec. 18 for a chance to be selected as the winning design.
The seniors enjoyed their breakfast, many of whom said it was the best yet. After sharing the moment with their peers, many believe that this was time well spent with friends and other classmates.
