By Kayla Cheung

The Class of 2022 is in a unique position in that they are the first junior class to be exiting the Coronavirus pandemic with some of their junior activities, like their Class Ring Ceremony. Today was the first time, in over a year, that Miami Lakes Educational Center held a ring ceremony.  

“A school that doesn’t have activities has no soul. ‘Activities’ is that soul that goes through and ties everything together,” said Mr. Moffi, a Junior Ring Ceremony attendee. 

The Class of 2022’s officers, as well as their sponsor and the administration, put their best foot forward to make sure that the rising seniors got what their preceding class never did.

Students sat on the benches, scattered around the courtyard in front of F-Caf, and awaiting eagerly for the Ring Ceremony to commence. The atmosphere was imminently eerie inside the depopulated campus, but the convention was among the first in-person events to unfold for the junior class since last year. To most students who have accustomed themselves to distance learning, the once spirited home for Jaguars fell akin to a foreign ground. 

Eventually, though, the junior class officers guided all awaiting students to enter the cafeteria and set about their newly gained status as upperclassmen. 

The soon-to-be seniors sat talking amongst themselves in a fashion that MLEC has not seen in quite some time from their upperclassmen. They moved to the auditorium in a single-filed lines, heading off to their designated seats personalized with name tags.

They went through speech after speech, thanking parents, faculty, and staff, while also capturing the tradition of class rings as they have been used throughout history. Through these speeches, the Class of 2022’s officers conveyed the resilience of their class and foreshadowed the adventurous year that could follow this difficult and isolating one. 

“It was a lot of fun, considering that we didn’t think we would have any activities this year in the first place. I’m really grateful to the people who worked hard to make this happen,” said Kelly Sanchez, a junior MLEC student who had attended the Ring Ceremony this morning. 

Students took their turns coming onto the stage and stepping down the red carpet. A giant ring framed the pathway as attendees took turns posing for photos with a ring in one hand — and a white flower in the other. 

One day, today will represent a moment that cemented itself in the history of MLEC as one of many newly-altered traditions, and a day that will live on in the hearts of students as they transition into their senior year and move forward into becoming alumni.