Nest Fest is back. After two years of cancellations by the pandemic, Nest Fest returns just in time to send off the Class of 2022. The much-anticipated annual tradition was held on Friday, June 3rd. Activities, sponsored by the Student Government as well as several CRLS clubs, were dispersed in a few different locations around school grounds: most notably the library, in front of the Arts Building, and the front entrance. In past years, the festival was held on the tennis courts, but Nest Fest has been significantly altered to accommodate new regulations.

The festivities generated quite the crowd around the school’s entrances where students could spend their tickets to acquire a wide array of food, including but not limited to burgers freshly made by CRLS culinary students, popcorn and drinks provided by the Student Government, and fruits sponsored by Club Med. Activities such as face painting, spin the wheel, cornhole, and fishing were set up around the courtyard for students to enjoy. On the steps of the Fitzgerald Theater, the CRLS Big Band Jazz Ensemble played live music for students passing by. In the library, students were able to play video games on Xbox 360, PS4, and Wii consoles. Several students took advantage of this opportunity to play games such as Halo Maden and Wii Sports Resort. The celebrations took place during periods three and, for seniors only, four as well. Despite the light rain, there was still a large turnout across all three lunches.

One of the culinary staff conveyed their excitement at the chance to cook for others in the community and the change in scenery from their normal class activities to the Register Forum. However, the student body displayed some mixed impressions. Roberto Ravicz ’23 told the Register Forum that it was “very chaotic but still fun.” Another student, Robert Lermusiaux ’24, simply stated to the Register Forum, “the activities were decently enjoyable and I had a good time.” Overall sentiments of the Nest Fest were positive and most seemed to have enjoyed the event, depending on their level of engagement.

The Student Government set up this event to honor the hard-working senior class after their many trials and tribulations during pandemic schooling. Graduating senior Luke Wendelin ’22 summarized his appreciation for the event. “The Nest Fest was a lot of fun, it was a perfect send-off from CRLS and a good time to say goodbyes to the people I will miss. I enjoyed the variety of options that were available from hamburgers to fishing to basketball, although my favorite options were soccer and face painting. It was a well-needed time to laugh, have fun, and spend time with my peers one last time.”

The festival was a great success in almost every aspect. There is room to improve for next year, as the Student Government will have their work cut out for them in making the bid-off for seniors bigger and even better.

This piece also appears in our June 2022 print edition.