After a year off due to the pandemic, Holiday Ball has returned. The student council and administration are commemorating this return with a week of activities leading up to the dance. It is called a “December to Remember”.

Each day this week had a different theme or dress up. On Monday, students wore ‘groutfits’, (all gray outfits) to school. On Tuesday, everyone dressed head to toe in their best tropical wear or as if they were about to spend a day on the beach. Wednesday, students, faculty, and staff repped their favorite jersey to school. To finish the week off on a bang, Thursday was Christmas pajamas or comfy clothing day. “My favorite dress up day was the PJ day because I got to express myself…I wore plaid pajama pants, my fuzzy headband, and my favorite sweatshirt,” senior Sydney Drees said.

To start off the excitement of the week, on Monday in homeroom, the student council put on a virtual coronation for our “Grand Knights.” The Grand Knights were voted for by the students and are a senior boy and girl who are the most school spirited. Every homeroom zoomed in and watched a group of student council representatives walk around the school to crown the Grand Knights. This year’s Grand Knights were Emerson Foley and Elizabeth Dietzen. While the school was glad we got to see the coronation, many would have preferred it to be in person. “I would rather have seen it in person, it was kinda blurry,” sophomore Gus Ronland said.

“A December to Remember,” included many different exciting activities. One was the selling of candy grams at lunch. Candy grams were sold by the student council during all three lunches all four days this week. A candy gram raises money. All candy grams bought throughout the week will be delivered next week to their recipient. The second was the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt began on monday and the prize was a $50 spirit shop gift card. The winner was senior Ashtyn Lowenberg. The third was the door decorating competition. Every homeroom competes to see who has the most festive, creative doors. The competition started on Monday and concluded on Thursday morning. The winner will be announced next week in the homeroom. “I was pretty surprised when I found the medallion, but it was fun looking,” senior Ashtyn Lowenberg said.

On Wednesday, the BSM community participated in the Immaculate Conception mass. This is also the first time that the Eucharistic ministers were able to pass out the Holy Communion. This has been a long tradition at BSM for seniors to pass out the Holy Communion. Unfortunately, due to Covid, the seniors last year did not get to participate in this tradition. Also due to a rise in cases, the senior class did not get to start this tradition until this week’s Immaculate Conception Mass. Mass occurred after the first period and was very beautiful with many heart touching musicians and messages. “It was really fun and special to see older classmates and familiar faces giving me communion because usually it is just BSM teachers and staff,” sophomore Karsyn Elliot said.

On Thursday, during all lunches, there was a bonfire with the opportunity to make a s’more to send off all Red Knights into a fun and festive weekend with the Holiday Ball coming up on Saturday. “I loved making the s’mores with my friends at lunch,” sophomore Riley Murphy said.