The 2025–2026 Senior Season opened with a bang on September 12 at Carl Schurz Park, where over 50 MSE seniors gathered to watch the sun rise over the East River. Though there was a debate over where the views would be most beautiful, they settled on a grassy lawn and watched the city wake up. Snacks were eaten, hot chocolate was drunk, and pictures were taken with a “Seniors 2026” handmade frame. This tradition, celebrated by highschoolers across the country, was brought to life at MSE thanks to our senior class presidents, Maya Grauer (’26) and Annabelle Prastowo (’26). With Senior Sunrise marking the start of a packed year of events, I sat down with the presidents to get the inside scoop on what’s ahead.
Freshmen Fridays: Though it may feel like an eon ago, we were all freshmen once. For some of us, it was easy to find our people right away. But others, with tons of extracurriculars and a packed schedule, may not have found that sense of community quite as easily. Annabelle reflects on her experience: “As an incoming freshman, knowing no one and having a lot of extracurriculars outside of school made it really hard to meet new friends. Building community within the school for all grades, but specifically freshmen, is really important to me.” Although this isn’t technically a senior event, our presidents along with the leadership team would very much appreciate upperclassmen participation. Keep your eyes peeled for our lovely presidents leading a community building activity on the quad on Fridays during both lunch periods!
Homecoming: As promised in their campaign our presidents are dedicated to planning a hoco! A Google Form was sent out gauging interest in the dance… make sure to fill it out if you want to be on the dance floor this fall or winter! Though nothing is confirmed, I’ll let you guys in on the plans. The dance would follow a sports game, the type of which has yet to be decided. Girls’ basketball? Boys’ soccer? Let leadership know! Everyone is welcome! Hoco would be open to all grades and staff. In our presidents’ ideal world, the dance and cheer teams would perform and Ms. Brown’s jazz band would strike the stage. The awesomeness of this dance depends on you! Express your interest to our presidents and they will make your wildest dreams come true (as long as you promise to not bring drugs or alcohol)!
Biweekly Newsletter: Our leadership team wants to keep students updated throughout the 2025–26 school year! Keep an eye on your HSMSE inbox for a biweekly (once every two weeks) update! You’ll be let in on upcoming events, spirit days, and more!
Halloween C-Day: ’Tis the season! The complaints of a lack of school spirit have been heard! MSE’s leadership team is busy planning the best spirit week yet! Keep your eyes peeled and your throwback Thursday outfits ready. The week leading up to Halloween C-day will be exciting as well, with costume contests and prizes on the quad!
Senior Trip: Majority wins! Our senior trip is going to remain at the same destination as previous years, Villa Roma. A form was sent out at the end of last year and responses came back in favor of maintaining the location! Ms. Hudson hosted a meeting earlier this year that went over senior dues and other important information! If you have any questions, reach out to our presidents. The senior trip is such an amazing time to bond with classmates you haven’t had the chance to connect with prior. Get excited—it’s going to be a blast!
Prom: Prom is prom! Maya confirmed that prom is on at Terrace on the Park in Queens as per tradition! All seniors are encouraged to attend! Hopefully the anxiety of the first semester will have lifted and we’ll all be ready to kick off their shoes by June! As always, we’ll keep you updated if anything changes. 😉
Merch: a Google form was sent out by Ms. Hudson for talented HSMSE artists to submit their designs for senior merch. The final design will be voted upon by the grade and then merch will be distributed before the senior trip.
One thing is clear—there’s a lot to be excited about this year. The class of 2026 holds a special place in The Echo history, having started high school the same year The Echo was founded. If you have any questions or concerns, Presidents Annabelle and Maya have suggested you reach out to your grade’s presidents or come visit leadership in B7 during third period. Expect updates on Senior Season and leadership’s activities in every issue in this column!
Maya Grauer and Annabelle Prastowo, Senior Class Presidents