Today, Clausen Hall was filled with seniors that had appointments to take their senior pictures. Numerous seniors were fitted with their suits and their over the shoulder half-dresses. Many girls were touching up their hair, fixing their makeup and some guys were making sure that their hair was perfectly spiked. Sadaf Atayee was combing her hair to make sure that no stray hair ruined her picture. Others were really anxious about how their smiles and poses were going to turn out.

Most seniors made preparations the morning of their picture and the night before. “I just tried to work on my smile because I have braces. I’m just really nervous,” said Sandra Lee. Many girls straightened their hair and put on subtle makeup to make sure that their photos were to their satisfaction.

Everyone was striving for perfection as the Lifetouch employees were positioning the seniors’ heads, chins and shoulders. The perfect angle will guarantee the right balance of elegance and beauty for the girls. Although it may have seemed awkward for some to tilt their heads at an unusual angle, it was necessary for the still shots to come out great.

Senior girls had to wait by the stand to get their receipts and get fitted with black velvet “V-neck” tops, which gave the illusion of a full length dress. The guys had a suit jacket to wear during the photo shoot and were told to sit up straight and roll back their shoulders. Although they were more casual while taking their photos, there was still tension in Clausen Hall.

The Lifetouch photographers were very helpful with ensuring 100% satisfaction with school pictures. They had the best interest of the student and even put on music to make the seniors more comfortable and less anxious. They took about six or seven still shots before consulting the student to choose his or her favorite. All seniors had the opportunity to see the touch screen display and, in a couple of weeks, will get to pick the photo that will appear in the yearbook.

The emotions also ran high in Clausen Hall. Some felt a little sad because they will soon leave AHS in the summer and the photos were just another reminder. Some were surprisingly somewhat relieved because this event also reminded them of graduation in the near future. Others were slightly dismayed for other reasons. Kate Nguyen said that taking her last high school picture “is kind of sad, I’m not going to lie. I like school pictures, they’re fun!”