‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’

So broods the melodramatic Charles Dickens as he sets the stage for his famous 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities. And while Willis Hall might not be on the eve of history’s bloodiest revolution, the phrase does aptly capture the sentiment of the spring semester, particularly the tail-end months of April and May.
When spring descends on Colonial Avenue, when the bushes spelling N-C-S dot the side of Tennis Hill in all their green glory and when pollen (and wasps, mosquitos and general unpleasentries) return for the worse, students find themselves enamored with the exciting odds and ends of campus. 
Whether it’s top-ranked tennis, soccer, lacrosse, track and golf teams, or the Mamma Mia fever sweeping campus after the spring musical and leading up to prom, North Cross now looks to end the year with a bang. 
It isn’t all gilded glory though. Students across the board cite frequent stressors, including AP Exams, end of year projects, the intensification of classwork and athletics and, perhaps most notably for seniors, college. 
For Shree Patel ‘28, it’s a mixed bag. “My favorite thing about the spring semester has been warming up outside,” she said. “[But] my least favorite has definitely been exams coming up—especially AP exams. I’m looking forward to summer.”
Patel taps into a very real push-pull factor that all students face. In the first week alone, students across ten AP classes will flock to exam rooms—some of them for the first time. Many students, therefore, would agree with Patel in her affinity for warm weather but ultimate desire for the chaos to end. 
“I want to relax,” Joaquin Lamas ‘27 said. “No more school, and golf with my friends.” 
He isn’t alone among students craving a less hectic pace. The consistent barrage of events, schedule changes and celebrations are charming but a bit overwhelming for many students. For instance, in the span of a month, it is possible for a student to have taken the SAT, hosted an Argentinian exchange student, helped with International Day, performed in the spring musical, toured trustees and participated in multiple athletic competitions—all while maintaining good academic standing.
It’s a lot, but it doesn’t refute the joy and thrill of this time of year. 
“So many events happen back to back, especially when you’re trying something new because your time is quickly ending,” Maggie Bibby ‘26 says. “For example, after I had finished my final theatre production, 10 hours later, I was on a bus to Williamsburg. The weekend after that, it’s time for prom.”
Bibby, who played Rosie in Mamma Mia! has committed to Virginia Tech after a long year of senior speech prep, Model UN meetings and volleyball.
“It seems like it never stops,” Bibby said. “But you still find joy in it because you know there’s little time left.”

With the end of the year fast approaching, those words are truer than ever. Whether it’s truly the best of times or the worst of times is up to speculation, but one thing remains constant: Raiders find a way to push through the madness.