This year, the Lynbrook community celebrated the 96th annual Class Night tradition. On the surface, Class Night is an intense operation that consists of dances, acting, art, sports, and teamwork. The skit and its dances are what are being presented to the audience, but when one looks around, he/she is met with the endless weeks of hard work, stained sweatpants, and a whole lot of paint. Art is one of the most integral parts of the whole Class Night process as it ensures everything else that goes along with the theme is able to flow.
The freshmen illustrated their choice of Batman on their banner with characters such as Robin and Harley Quinn. The sophomores chose The Goonies, painting scenes as well as iconic imagery from the film on their banner, including the treasure chest and “Sloth.” On their banner, the juniors portrayed characters like Princess Lea and Yoda. Lastly, the seniors made the car featured in Back to the Future a major focal point of their banner alongside prominent characters and scenes. These banners were intricately planned; Class Night art starts long before the night of performance, amounting to weeks of hard work that come to fruition on Deco Day. The day before Class Night itself, Deco Day is crunch time for all the art to get done.
Sophomore advisor, LHS alumnus, and physical education teacher Brian Donaldson offered words on experience as a former student and current educator: “The most meaningful part of Class Night is the memories you make with your friends. I still talk about things that happened when I was a student with my friends.” Due to it being his second year as an advisor with the Class of 2026, Donaldson noted, “It is fun to see kids in a setting we don’t get to see in the classroom.” Despite not taking part in it during his high school days, Donaldson has always admired the talent, dedication, and risk-taking that comes with the Class Night art process and Deco Day.
Sophomore Class Night Co-Chairperson Kaden Rogers witnessed how artists during Deco Day are able to experience things they may not normally experience in the classroom. As a chairperson, Rogers felt it was his job to oversee everything and ensure that all was running smoothly. He also noted the importance of accountability throughout this whole process and taking pride in keeping people on task. This came into play especially when the night before Deco Day. Rogers said, “A door that [the sophomore class] planned on using suddenly went missing.” So Rogers, with the help of other sophomores, had to build a new door frame from scratch. With artists entering the day expecting to work on the banner and being surprised by missing props, the sophomore’s Class Night experience this year was a testimony to Deco Day’s hectic and non-linear nature.
Sophomore Addison DiFiore spoke on what she learned from the process: “[The importance of] working under pressure or in a time crunch” and overall creativity. DiFiore looks back on the experience fondly for its fun moments with friends and seeing the sophomore banner in its complete state.
Class Night is always a challenge for freshmen — a statement that freshman art chairperson Olivia Ramirez can confirm. She said, “Getting everything done on time was definitely stressful, but when Deco Day was over and the next step was the performances, I was proud of myself, my grade, and everything we accomplished.” Kailey Dunne, a senior who participated in Deco Day, noted how this experience was even more special due to it being her last one ever. “Being able to participate in Deco Day and seeing everything that went into it gave me a new appreciation for everyone who [did] it all four years. It was definitely intense, but it was such a fun experience.”
Like every year, the lucky ones who were chosen for Deco Day were faced with countless challenges. It is a chaotic but productive day behind one of the most (if not the most) regarded traditions in Lynbrook, but the joy students and advisors feel after everything is complete makes all the hard work worth it.
