Keely Cabatuan | Photo Editor
May 23, 2025
Senior year always carries a certain weight: the late night cramming, the countdowns, the quiet “lasts” no one talks about. For the Class of 2025 at San Clemente High School, it was all starting to feel real. However, instead of letting that sadness take over, they chose to make one more memory. With fun water fights, sun soaked laughter, and carefree moments, they reminded each other what made it all worth it: the friendships, the fun, and the feeling of being exactly where they belonged, together.
It started early one morning, when a group of seniors rolled out a huge plastic tarp on the grass behind the front office, right near the ASB windows. With buckets of water, bottles of dish soap, and a speaker blasting summer tunes, they turned the school lawn into a giant slip ‘n slide. It wasn’t just a prank, it was a party and a sendoff, a shared memory in the making.
“It wasn’t about messing things up,” said senior Anna Bates. “It was just about making something fun, something we’d always remember.”
And they will. Dozens of students showed up, some ready to slide, others just there to cheer and laugh. Water balloons flew, people slipped and tumbled in soapy water, and more than a few got completely drenched. Even staff members couldn’t help but grin. Some watched from a safe distance, chuckling, while a few ended up in the splash zone, earning laughs and cheers from the crowd.
“It was one of those moments where you just stop and think, ‘this is what high school is all about,’” said Charlie Goulet, a senior who took it all in from the sidelines.
What made it even better? The seniors didn’t just show up, cause chaos, and leave. They came early to set it up. They made sure everyone stayed safe. And when the fun was over, some stayed behind to clean up, picking up trash, rolling up the tarp, and making sure the campus looked just like it had that morning. No damage. No drama. Just memories.
After the water dried, the celebration moved to Lost Winds beach for their unofficial Senior Skip Day, a tradition as old as any final exam. There, under the sun, with volleyballs, snacks, music, and the Pacific Ocean stretching out in front of them, the Class of 2025 spent one of their last big days together just being themselves. Laughing. Reminiscing. Taking photos they’ll look back on years from now, wondering where the time went.
Even though the beach day wasn’t school sponsored, administrators noted how proud they were of the class, not just for their creativity, but for the respect and care they showed the campus and each other.
In the end, this wasn’t about a prank. It was about a class that grew up side by side, who decided that their final chapter should be one filled with joy, laughter, and one last splash.
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