One Last Hurrah for the Class of 2010

The sunny weather on Friday made for a great afternoon of fun for many families who came out to Glen Cove High School's annual Carnival. The school's senior class hosted the event in an effort to raise funds for clubs and organizations. 

The carnival, which was held in the school's parking lot, also gave students an opportunity to have fun with friends and classmates before final exams begin next week. 

Each club represented a different game at the fair. Mock Trial's was called Bowling for Criminals. Others included miniature basketball, picture opportunities with face-in-hole boards and tossing games. One hit attraction was the dunking booth, which featured the school's principal as one of the dunk targets.

As the DECA club's advisor, Deborah Pearsall ran its booth at the fair. Her daughter, Jessica, is graduating fourth in the senior class and will be attending Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. 

"I'm proud of her," said Pearsall, whose son is also a graduate of the school. 

While volunteers in the larger clubs, such as DECA, worked in shifts, members of the smaller ones stuck it out for the entire afternoon. 

"We just came to have some fun," said junior, Esteban, of the two-member Newspaper Club. His classmates Elmer, Andres and Gabriel said they were also happy to be there. 

The lively mood of the fair was contagious. Kids jumped through the moon-bounce obstacle course and participated in the inflatable jousting with a friend. Several youngsters sported faces with cat whiskers while others opted for a small animal on their cheek from the face painters on-hand. 

Many of the attendees were children from local elementary schools. It was a common sight to see parents holding small, plastic bags of live goldfish, one of the wide assortment of prizes. Other prizes included small stuffed animals, balloons, water guns and other toys. 

And making the fun happen was a collaborative effort. 

Parents and volunteers made hamburgers and hot dogs while a few students took the role as DJs for the afternoon playing songs such as Usher's "OMG" and House of Pain's "Jump Around." 

"I have a lot of friends at Glen Cove [High School]," said resident Gina Ferares. "The funding from this carnival helps them for future years, so I'm all for it." 

Although the event marked the beginning of summer for the high school students, it was the beginning of the end for those graduating. 

"I will miss high school," said Elmer of the Newspaper Club. He has spent eight years in Glen Cove schools and will be attending college in the fall. 

Another senior, Katherine Perez, said students were crying earlier that day in the lobby. 

"It's like a bittersweet feeling," she said. "You don't want to leave, but you have to."

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