Tien Tong moved across the long line for Raging Bull, surrounded by the faces of seniors from CPS schools that she had never seen before. The park’s tallest coaster, standing at 202 feet, towered above her, but what stood out most were the students from all across the city, packed into the Six Flags amusement park.
The overnight event on May 3rd brought together Lane Tech seniors along with thousands of students from other CPS high schools. The park remained open until 4am, with students moving between various attractions and food stands throughout the night.
For Tong, riding the Wrath of Rakshasa was the moment she anticipated most. “The line was just really bad, but in general, I would say that ride was the most exhilarating because it was the longest one,” she said. “I’ve been anticipating going on that ride for the longest time.”
Tong said that being around students from so many different CPS schools felt unfamiliar. “I felt so uncomfortable and not going to lie,” Tong said. “Their vibe, it felt kind of hostile a little bit at times, like, someone would bump into me and they would glare at me.” She added that she did not meet new people but noticed classmates from schools she’d previously attended. “That was a weird interaction, I would say, because I haven’t seen or heard of them in so long, and it’s the way that they grew and stuff is pretty interesting.”
Other Lane seniors described different moments that stood out from the night. Senior Sophia Andres said she remembered “eating funnel cake with my friends” and going on Maxx Force. “I was terrified,” Andres said. “I was screaming the entire time, but it was over really fast.”
As the night went on, some students said the experience shifted once the early crowds began to disperse. Senior Julia Pentangelo said the change was immediate. “Once the lines died down, it was super fun running around going on all of the rides,” said Pentangelo. “The workers even let us go on them multiple times!”
For others, the most memorable part came from seeing familiar faces in an unfamiliar setting. Senior Adam Parsons said the event brought together people he hadn’t expected to run into. “It was so fun to see all my friends from other schools,” Parsons said. “It was like a giant crossover episode.”
Students expressed that senior events such as Grad Night can help bring CPS students together, especially when opportunities to interact across schools are limited. “There’s not really a lot of events like that,” Andres said. “I think it’s really good that, you know, we had this opportunity to see everyone from different schools.”
As the night came to an end and the park began to close, challenges rose for many students trying to find their designated buses. Tong said the confusion curated a sense of community among students. “A lot of people getting lost was a big issue,” she said. “Everyone was stressed out, So that, I would say, that part brought everyone together too, because we all got lost together.”
Beyond the rides themselves, the night prompted seniors to reflect on what comes next. Andres said she felt “really excited about graduating and prom and stuff, I’m ready for it to be over.”
Tong said the night caused retrospective thinking on her four years at Lane. “It made me kind of sad,” she said. “I feel like I didn’t do enough in the past four years and doing these experiences with other people made me realize that I should have connected with them way earlier in the start of my high school career.” She added that she is “anticipating more for the future now,” even though “the change is scary, but good at the same time.”
