As a proud alumna of Central Catholic, I decided to compile a list of my favorite things from high school in honor of homecoming week. I am so thankful for every experience Central Catholic has blessed me with. I would like to wish alumni as well as current students a big HAPPY HOMECOMING WEEK!

1. School Mass

Whether your time at Central Catholic was spent with Father Jay, Father Danny, or Father Clyde, I think alumni, as well as current students (even the hard headed ones), can agree that for the most part, our student body enjoys and benefits greatly from mass. There is nothing like receiving Communion while hearing your best friend sing Oceans every Thursday morning. We’ve been blessed with a very talented choir over the years. Of course, I have to give a shout out the quartet of senior football players, who even add their little rock and head bob in unison for Lamb of God.

2. Late Start

Whether you use it to sleep in like the Pierre Partians do or jump on the opportunity to enjoy Meche’s immaculate donuts, absolutely everyone appreciates Late Start Fridays especially after a Thursday night win for our football boys.

3. iPads

I didn’t realize how lucky we were to have our own personal iPads with all our textbooks on them until I had to flip through my college textbooks instead of just typing in a keyword to find what I was looking for. Although we often snuck in a game of Angry Birds and scrolled on Pinterest in between lectures, having iPads (or computers if you’re a few generations older than me) really did make a positive difference in our education.

4. Bobby

You can usually find him slipping us a piece of gum or roaming the halls looking through windows for a teacher with her back turned, so he can make funny faces at the class. Although, it isn’t just Bobby, who uses his unique God-given talents to make students’ lives just a little bit better. Every teacher, who walks the halls of Central Catholic, have poured their heart and soul into their students whether it was through enthusiastically nerdy puns in history, real life heart to hearts in religion, or cracking jokes to make algebra just a little more bearable. We definitely didn’t show it, but every student at Central Catholic has already or will come to the realization that our teachers wanted the absolute best for us and did everything in their power to help us reach our potential. To all teachers reading this article because we don’t say it enough: Thank you for making a bigger impact in our lives than you could ever imagine!

5. Deacon Vic

Let’s all be honest, this man is the glue that holds Central Catholic together. Yeah, some students (and sneaky teachers) probably fell asleep in his assemblies once or twice, but normally if you stay awake his messages are exactly what needs to be said. Deacon works day and night to keep our beloved school as exceptional as it is now, and for that, I think we should all appreciate him a little more. (Thank you also, Mrs. Diane, for keeping Deacon in line.)

6. HOMECOMING WEEK

Enough sappiness, let’s get back to the fun stuff! This is the one week of the year that classes make unbreakable bonds. We may have gone home every night smelling like the disgusting mixture upperclassmen chased us down to pour on every inch of our bodies, but the memories made were worth every second in the shower peeling dried mustard out of our hair. To this day, if I brought up those late night walks (and sprints) in Lakeside, it would make for hours of reminiscent storytelling among my classmates.

7. Pep Rallies

If you aren’t familiar with the festivities that occur during a typical Central Catholic pep rally, please do yourself a favor and watch the video below. Not only did the students put on some of the absolute best football pep rallies, but I also have to hand it to the teachers for our academic pep rallies. I mean, who doesn’t love watching their teachers dress up and make absolute fools out of themselves to reward us for our academic success?

8. Sports

We have been blessed at Central Catholic to be very successful in many of our sports and not to mention the enduring relationships we’ve made along the way with our teammates and coaches. I must mention our three most recent state championships in girl’s basketball, softball, and baseball not to brag, but to acknowledge the tremendous amount of pride I have for Central Catholic to be able to claim these titles. I also have to acknowledge those who support our athletics, whether it was by cooking for everyone after a football game or shuttling a load of fans to the Ponchartrain Center. If you’ve ever been to a Central Catholic sporting event, the atmosphere speaks for itself. I also think it’s noteworthy to mention the fact that before or after every sporting event we gather for a prayer, which is yet another aspect of Central Catholic that I have come to appreciate now that I am in college.

9. Class Retreats

This is the one day of the year peers grow closer to each other in seven hours than in a whole nine weeks. Almost every person in my class, whether they were excited or reluctant to attend, walked away with a fire lit inside at the end of the day. I can’t put into words what happens at class retreats, but for students or alumni reading an explanation isn’t necessary for them to remember the feelings that these amazing experiences bring out.

10. Family

Central Catholic is one big happy family. It’s a family you’ll be part of for the rest of your life. It’s a family whose love knows no limits. It’s a family, who is there to happily applaud your greatest accomplishments as well as carry you through your weakest hours. I am forever grateful for my Central Catholic family.