Seniors host surprise cookout in gym parking lot

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Jupiter High seniors pulling into their parking spots on Friday morning were greeted by a strange sight: a blue tent surrounded by a large crowd. Under this tent, students grilled bacon and pancakes, while others passed food out to their fellow seniors.

Thomas Howell, a senior, dressed in a chef’s outfit for the event.

“It’s Thanksgiving break; why not have a little bit of fun?” Howell said.

Thomas Howell cooks up bacon in his chef outfit

Howell and his friends had played with the idea for a while, but the plans began in earnest a few weeks ago.

“We all made a list of who brings what, and it came together pretty well,” Howell said. “It was mainly kids in my shop class. Cameron [Gurdak] was a big part of it. He brought his truck, and he brought a couple grills, and supplied most of the bacon.”

The tailgate team consisted of Howell, Cameron Gurdak, Parker Cameron, Alec Merigilano, Austin Levitt, Ian Bellan and John Hetu.

“It was definitely a group effort from Misner’s class, period five,” Gurdak said.

Seniors ate, laughed and talked in the parking lot around the tent.

“[It was] beautiful to see everyone come together before Thanksgiving,” Andrew Aljouny, a senior who attended, said.

The event did not disappoint when it came to the quality of the food.

“Amazing, top-notch,” Jackson Bashaw, another senior attendee, said, describing the freshly-cooked bacon.

According to Michael Deleonardo, a long-time Jupiter High teacher, this was not the first time Jupiter students have taken it upon themselves to throw a cookout.

“There was a big tailgate, cookout, breakfast thing for St. Patrick’s Day, many years ago, and there’s been at least one other of those,” Deleonardo said. “There was an impromptu smaller version cookout at lunch one day at the old school [too], so we’re talking 1998.”

Cameron Gurdak and Parker Cameron

For Gurdak, the cookout has been in the making for four years.

“I had a friend who was a senior when I was in eighth grade and I remember just him and his brother put a grill in the back of a truck and they cooked them, and [I thought], I want to do that one day,” Gurdak said. “That’s when seniors were in the Daniel’s Way lot.”

Principal Colleen Iannitti came to the event, and reportedly spoke with some of the “staff.”

“I thought she was coming out to get us in trouble at first, but then I saw she was smiling, and we were all just having a good time,” Howell said. “It was cool that she was there.”

All three members of the team War Cry spoke to, Howell, Gurdak and Cameron, expressed interest in another surprise cookout.

“We’re thinking lunch, do some burgers and hot dogs,” Gurdak said. “Obviously, we’re gonna run it through [Dr. Iannitti] next time. We didn’t expect it to be this big. We expected 10 to 15 people.”

Howell is grateful to be a part of this previously unknown Jupiter High tradition.

“I hope we can bring it back to life, because it was really fun,” Howell said. I think people were happy and it was a good way to start the day.”