February 7, 6:00AM, Lick-Wilmerding High School – The senior class of 2025 and their facstaff supervisors boarded their buses to Disneyland, feeling a mixture of sleep deprivation and bubbly anticipation for the magical journey ahead. The buses were packed with backpacks, duffels, snacks and several large boxes containing household items and other necessities, which were donated to the Anaheim Ketchum-Downtown YMCA, a non-profit organization distributing donations to Los Angeles families displaced by the fires.
Raquel Oliva-Gomez, the LWHS Dean of Students, spent several months planning the senior retreat with her team and with the senior grade representatives, Leah Lashinsky ’25, Olivia Richardson Feldman ’25 and Mayen Thorsen ’25. They aimed to plan a retreat that was meaningful both civically and socially, combining education and fun.
They fulfilled their first goal by securing a presentation with LWHS alum Sam Mihara ’51. Mihara, a survivor of a Japanese Internment Camp during World War ll, shared his story with the senior class through photos of his childhood. The class representatives offered him gradewide letters of gratitude following his speech.
“I got to shake his hand, which was really great. I was so impressed by him and his talk,” Lashinsky said. Oliva-Gomez was similarly moved by Mihara’s speech. “His last question that he likes to leave folks with is, ‘Do you think that imprisonment camps can happen again?’” Oliva-Gomez said, “I didn’t know how to respond.” Several seniors asked Mihara how to navigate the current political oppression they felt, and he answered by urging them to use history to educate others on how the government should and should not treat people.
The next day, senior and facstaff early-birds went to Disneyland for the rope drop, participating in the beloved tradition of entering the park right as the rides open. Later, the rest of the class entered the park to explore to their hearts’ desires.
“[We told] the students, you have permission to be teenagers. Go off. Have fun. Scream on a rollercoaster,” Oliva-Gomez said. She noted the importance of rest and joy when the academic year can be so stressful and challenging, especially for high school seniors.
photo courtesy of Vidigami
So, the seniors went off on their adventures – from escaping from Kylo Ren in the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride to launching a short but unsuccessful scavenger hunt for a sighting of Selena Gomez. The roller coasters were a fan favorite, from Space Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (previously Splash Mountain). “I was riding on the Matterhorn right when the fireworks went off,” Nico Strait ’25 said. “Right as we turned a corner, we saw the whole park, and the huge firework finale.”
In contrast to the joyous experiences at Disneyland, students and facstaff found some aspects of the park to be surprisingly problematic, like the Enchanted Tiki Room. This restaurant, according to the Pacific Island Times, follows “American tiki culture,” the white interpretation and cultural appropriation of Polynesian culture and other island cultures within Oceania. “I actually can’t stand that [room],” Oliva-Gomez said. With her cultural ties to Hawaii, she found the stereotypes ignorant and misleading. “And every time I do go, if I am with somebody…I call that out.”
Although the rides at Disneyland were thrilling, many seniors simply enjoyed spending time with their peers. “[I loved] standing in line with my friends and doing some silly rap battles,” Alexa Endo ’25 said. Outside of the responsibilities of school and home life, the students were rejuvenated and immersed themselves in rock-sugar and recreation. “You’d randomly run into some [student] you don’t talk to very often getting a turkey leg,” Lashinsky said. “It was so fun and cute…I definitely am feeling bonded to our grade at this point.”
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