Photo credit: Maya Hernández

Seniors laugh as they shoot water across the courtyard, during the annual fountain jump. “I [the fountain jump] is really the culmination of your Archer experience,” senior Ella Gray said. “Especially because you’re always around the fountain, at some point, and now you get to be in it.”

Barefoot, smiling and scream-singing along to Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten,” the class of 2024 gathered in the courtyard Friday, May 17 for the annual fountain jump that marks the end of their last week of classes. Music blasted from speakers, middle school students peered out of hallway windows and the Archer community waited in anticipation for a chaotic downpour of fountain water from the seniors’ water guns. 

Senior Ella Gray has been at Archer since sixth grade. She concluded her last academic day with the fountain jump — something she said has always seemed like a blast — and bittersweet feelings.

“I’ve been watching it every single year and [thinking], ‘Oh my god, it’s one year closer till I get to do it,'” Gray said. “And now it is 28 minutes until we actually get to do it, and it’s really surreal.”

The tradition began around for 16 years ago, when a graduating class of seniors spontaneously jumped into the fountain, on the last day of school. The class of 2024 never experienced an eighth grade recognition ceremony due to COVID-19. For this reason, Gray said this celebration felt particularly special.

“Getting to do the fountain jump, getting to have this farewell ceremony and obviously, graduation — this whole culminating upcoming week, [is all] really exciting because we didn’t really have those opportunities when we were graduating [from] middle school,” Gray said. 

The senior festivities do not end with a splash in the fountain; senior Ella Chang said she is looking forward to next week, when the class of 2024 will kick off their senior week on Monday and have different celebratory events on each day. 

“I’m definitely looking forward to the senior dessert night, hearing everyone’s speeches, hanging out with family and friends and culmination on Friday,” Chang said.

Chang said leaving Archer, a place where most seniors have been for four or more years, brought up sentimental and stirring feelings for her. Chang reflected on her final year of high school and her lessons learned at Archer.

“I think Archer has definitely taught me a lot,” Chang said. “Not only about academics but becoming a stronger person in general. I think it’s definitely my time to culminate.” 

Senior Teddy Bratman said the ending of the year caused them to have mixed emotions. They said their last four years at Archer have been great and finishing the year with the jumping in fountain, a centerpiece of campus, was a great way to end their time at Archer.

“We’ve worked so hard, and this is the last [academic day] — this is like we’re done with work,” Bratman said. “We’re ready to move on to our next chapter.”