The force was definitely with the Class of 2025 as they exceeded expectations, journeyed through the galaxy, and obtained their prize. Since their freshmen year, the students in the Class of 2025 have been ambitious when it comes to Class Night. After reaching second place as sophomores, the juniors strove to attain a victory this year with their theme: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. With a final score of 212 points, they won first place in every category. Their remarkable talent and hard work were palpable through the skit, dance, instrumental acts, and art.
The Junior efforts began with the art, which represented Star Wars: Return of the Jedi with creative accuracy. Art chairpersons, Rachel Stein and Valerie Tuosto, along with other dedicated art students, spent days perfecting each aspect of the set, banner, and box. “The work done for this year’s Class Night took place over a few short weeks. Day after day, we were working on our hands and knees in places from here in Lynbrook to Lido Beach,” Tuosto explained. “We spent a lot of time on the banner and had art meetings almost every day,” AP Art student Carolina Villadiego recalled. The box was adorned with LED lights, glowing lightsabers, and a rotating Death Star, and the banner was decorated with the characters portrayed in the skit. “We worked as a team, taking turns painting certain parts of the banner to make it perfect,” Villadiego added. Their hard work paid off, achieving first place for each art category. Although a small group of artists, Tuosto was grateful for their dedication: “They were extremely committed to making our grade shine, and so incredibly talented.”
Their second year working together as Class Night chairpersons, Liam Mylan and Peyton Leighley went above and beyond to perfect the performance. Although challenging, the pair’s tireless efforts truly shone through in the end. Mylan reflected upon his experience, embracing both the challenges and rewards: “As chair, you have to assume many responsibilities and delegate tasks to people. Additionally, you must oversee all aspects of Class Night to make sure everything is organized.” Class Night chairperson is a role that prioritizes leadership, and as a high school student, this is often the most difficult aspect of holding this position. “The biggest challenge that I faced was trying to make everyone happy with decisions made,” Mylan said. “It’s super hard to please everyone, but I think that the overall outcome this year made every junior happy,” he added.
Although led by the chairpersons, several students contributed to the juniors’ victory. Leighley was grateful for their tremendous efforts: “I couldn’t have done it without Liam Mylan, Shannon Mansfield, Adriana Ciociano, Sydney Coble, and our Art Chairs Rachel Stein and Valerie Tuosto.” The skit was written and choreographed by Mansfield. A dedicated music student, her efforts truly secured the juniors’ victory. “She definitely stood out to me the most since she was able to craft a script that was funny and familiar to the audience,” Mylan added. The junior class advisors, art teachers Vincent Lentini and Michael Kunz, motivated the students to do their best, bringing energy and order to every rehearsal. “Without them, none of our work would’ve gotten done. Each of them played a memorable role in the juniors’ victory,” Leighley added. The skit began with the signature opening crawl from the Star Wars franchise. The flowing words set the scene and allowed the audience to understand the exposition of the story. A modern twist on the original film, the skit contained the characters beloved to Star Wars fans. Mansfield, who starred as Princess Leia, made sure the skit reflected the most important aspects of the film. “Star Wars has such a huge and passionate fan base that there was bound to be plenty in the audience. I knew one of the most important things was pleasing those fans,” she explained. Luke Skywalker (played by Liam Mylan), Princess Leia, Chewbacca (played by Cooper Schoor), R2-D2 (played by Brian Gilmartin), C-3PO (played by Bennett Votano), and Han Solo (played by Damon Lanzello) started their journey by crossing paths with the “droids.” These high-intelligence robots were brought to life with the girls’ dance, each member marching onstage dressed in silver and gold. As the cast continued their journey, they encountered male Ewoks, the furry inhabitants of a forest moon. The boys’ dance included lifts and tricks that were enjoyed by the audience. The couple’s dance was alien themed, and, after locating Darth Vader (played by Jack Ceglie), members of the kick line team, dressed as stormtroopers, performed the final dance.
The skit included heartwarming themes of friendship and kindness. With help from Yoda’s (played by Eric Neofytidis) wisdom, dueling groups come together, eliminating the resentment once present towards each other. Closing the performance, Mansfield, accompanied by Schoor on the guitar, sang “Father and Son” by Yusuf/Cat Stevens, with the remaining characters happily dancing in the background. Looking back on the outcome of the skit, Mansfield was ecstatic with its success: “I am just so proud of us and how everything turned out. Although I wrote the script, I had input from my other grade members. There was so much that went into this Class Night, and I’m grateful that everything worked out in the end.”
A long-anticipated victory, the Class of 2025 made it to the top in the best way possible. Beginning their journey by attaining third place their freshman year, followed by second place sophomore year, the juniors were never short of talent. By sweeping every category, the efforts of the chairpersons, cast members, dancers, and stage crew shone through, and once again, impressed judges and audience members alike.
