By Mikenna Doyle
April 4, 2022
It’s 8:45 P.M. The sound of scampering feet has finally vanished, the lights are turned off, and the janitor is locking up the last set of doors. The desks are all set in their places, and the cafeteria is swept and cleaned, but, while the festivities seem to be over, the real fun is about to start. Suddenly, a furry and iconic stuffed mammal and her daughter awake from their 100 year hibernation. “Ah, what a glorious 100 years it has been,” Celie the raccoon shouts, as this wakeup call echoes through the halls.
“Ugh! I don’t want to get up! What’s the point? We just have tonight and then 100 more years until the next time we wake up!” says Hedy the raccoon. Celie, Hedy’s mother, just gives a disapproving look. These two special animals live in their home above a trophy case, and while they had been moved many times these past 100 years, their one permanent home had always been Resurrection College Prep.
“This is true; however, it is a special day. How many other days will you get to be awake to celebrate the 100th year of Res?” Hedy gives in and shakes her head in agreement. Maybe this party wouldn’t be as bad as she thought it would be. “I may be 100 years old, but I do know how to party! Let’s get this party started!” Celie shouts, and with that, these two raccoons leap off of the cabinet to party.
First, they visit the Little Theater where they find fun costumes and dress up for this momentous occasion! After doing so, they visit the office where they use the copier to take pictures of their beautiful outfits. Right next to the office is the gym, where they find many fun games to play, like dodgeball, soccer, basketball, pickleball, and their personal favorite kickball. The two raccoons also find a computer, so they play some good music loudly while they dance. Their mischief in the gym makes them hungry, so they go over to the cafeteria to get some famous RES cookies. While relaxing, Hedy asks her mother, “So do you think the girls will notice or care that we are throwing a party here?”
After giving some careful thought, Celie says, “I think they won’t mind too much, as long as we don’t eat all of the RES cookies!” Continuing on, the two race down a hallway, and when they stop, they've reached a math room. Stepping inside, they eat candy and type random buttons on the teacher’s calculators! As they keep going, they find a religion room, where they find material to make rosaries, so they make a few and leave an extra one on the teacher’s desk.
The history hallway is next, and so when they get to one of the classrooms, Celie teaches Hedy about the history of Resurrection. “So why RES? How did we get here, and why is it so important to the students?” Hedy asks with curiosity in her voice and a twinkle in her eyes.
“You see, dear, RES means something different to everyone. Some would say it is legacy that keeps them here. Just like you, some people are daughters of alum or granddaughters of alum or even great great grand nieces of alum! Others would say the great education and the amount of knowledge they gain by the time they leave as a senior is what keeps them here. Some would say athletics, or the clubs, or even the teachers are the parts of RES that keep them here!” Celie says, with her seemingly infinite knowledge.
Next, the two raccoons go upstairs to the world language hallway where they taste candies from different countries and try speaking different languages. Walking down another hall, they pass science labs where they play with some fun physics experiments to learn about the effects of gravity with marble launchers. The next place they go to is the English hallway where they read some Romeo and Juliet and write their own poems. Checking on the time, Celie notices that it is almost 6:00 A.M., their time limit for being awake. Hedy and Celie start to head back to the office, but not before stopping in the library. In the library, the duo decide to do a scavenger hunt but only succeed in disorganizing the books and making a mess. Shortly afterwards, they quickly stop into the RES Boutique where Celie gets a comfy pair of sweatpants and a fun tie dye shirt and Hedy gets a big, warm hoodie. Climbing up the cabinet, Hedy stops and says “I don’t want to go back! We will miss 100 more years until we can be awake again!”
Celie stops too but responds, “You are right. Resurrection is such a great place and it is our home. However, if RES has taught us anything, it is that you should never forget how far you have come, but more importantly, how far you will go. From the founders of our school to the students in 100 years, RES will always be our home and the home of thousands of students. Our spirit will live on in RES and every year, the graduating senior class will carry on our spirit and RES as they change the world.” With this the raccoons transform into their stuffed selves, and everyday from that night on, Res will become stronger and continue on Celie and Hedy’s legacy.