It’s nearing 9 AM on a chilly March morning, and students sit in their second-hour classes, only half-listening to the announcements that ring out over the intercom. However, the class of 2024’s attention is caught when they hear an announcement inviting them to “The Grannies: A Senior Event”.

The event, scheduled to run from 7:00 to 9:00 PM on May 10th in the auditorium, is in its second year of production and is eagerly anticipated as one of the final senior bonding events of the school year.

Planning such an event is no small feat, and the Senior Class Board, sponsored by Meredith Williams and Douglas Drummond, has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to put each detail together.

Perhaps the most anticipated aspect of The Grannies is the announcement of the senior superlative winners. A plethora of seniors who are involved in a wide range of activities and sports have been nominated across 36 categories.

“We really did try to reach into the different areas within Millard North, like drama, music, tech, et cetera. [This year’s] class was really good about spreading [the nominations] out and choosing kids from a variety of different areas,” Williams said.

Although many seniors have their sights set on superlatives, there are a few other forms of entertainment to be expected at The Grannies.

“We’ll get right into giving the awards, and we hope to intersperse some entertainment acts, as well as showing the senior video,” Williams said. “Then, at the end of the night, we’ll do the senior sunset photo, and we’ll have cookies and beverages as well.”

For seniors who are concerned about the conflict between the Grannies and the Big Band Dance, Williams has clarified that there is no need for alarm.

“We’ll be in the auditorium and the Big Band Dance is in the gym, so we figure kids will probably come over from the Big Band Dance as they like,” Williams said.

Among the Senior Class Board members working to make the event a reality is senior Lily Erb, who has taken on a production role, dealing with both the script and the slideshow that will be used throughout the event.

“We took the script that they had from the senior soirée last year, and we reworked it to match the theme for this year,” Erb said. “We also had to make the slides presentation and make sure all the names were spelled right.”

For Erb, a student highly involved in opportunities offered at MN, including the International Baccalaureate program, time is not abundant. Setting aside time to devote strictly to the Grannies has been an important part of her planning process.

“I’ve tried to dabble in both Senior Class Board and all the IB stuff I’ve had to deal with, especially with exams coming up, so multitasking has been one of my biggest challenges,” Erb said.

While Erb manages the production of the event, other Senior Class Board members perform tasks that may go unnoticed at first glance. Senior Kaitlyn Gall, for example, has been put in charge of acquiring refreshments to be served at the event.

“I’ve been focusing on finding the best price for food and beverages, because we’re going to do cookies and some treats with water, so we have to make sure to stay within our budget,” Gall said.

After being involved in Junior Class Board last school year, Gall decided to continue in Senior Class Board because of her love for event planning.

“Getting to plan events and figure out decorations and all the little details is just super fun for me,” Gall said.

Not only does involvement in Senior Class Board allow students like Gall to pursue their passions, but it also allows them to bring their class together.

“It’s kind of [the senior class’s] final moments to hang out with each other and really showcase all that they have done in their four years at Millard North,” Williams said. “It’s an opportunity to reflect on all that they’ve become and then look forward to where they could go.”

To those interested in event planning and bonding opportunities alike, both students and staff say “join”.

“To incoming seniors, consider Senior Class Board,” Erb said. “We always need more male voices in there.”