A Banner as Unique and Special as the Class of 2025

One of Marlborough’s longest standing traditions is that of class banners which has endured across generations. It dates back to 1890 when 10th graders first created a pennant to represent their class, and ever since,sophomores spend their year brainstorming and designing their own unique banner. On February 28, the Class of 2025 unveiled their class banner to the community during an All-School Meeting.

Over the years, the class banners have taken many forms, evolving considerably from the early days of modest pennants made of felt or cloth. Some classes have even opted for grandiose designs such as neon signs, full-size surfboards, and a sizable model of the Hollywood Sign. To help them frame their own creative process, the Class of 2025 invited Natalie Makous Cuadra ’09 and Cindi Kusuda–Marlborough’s Associate Director of Alumnae Engagement and the school’s Archivist and Graphic Designer, respectively–to their Class Meeting to discuss this historic tradition and the logistics of displaying and storing the banners over the centuries to come. 10th grade Class President, Jade C. ’25, shared that this presentation was both helpful and intimidating. She reflects, “We felt that the options were endless, making the experience more exciting, but equally more daunting. How could we ever come up with a banner as unique and special as our class?”

In the end, the class opted for a banner made of felt in a classic triangle shape, created entirely out of their three class colors: forest green, navy blue, and blush pink. The design depicts a starry night with a large willow tree in the center, rooted in a lush carpet of grass. This imagery was dreamt up by the Banner Committee under the guidance of the 10th Grade Class Dean, Anna Robinson. Nola D.R. ’25 and Morgan C. ’25 first brought the ideas to life digitally so the class could approve the design before it was stitched together in felt and thread by Sienna G. ’25. 

The blades of grass represent the class’ interconnectedness; each blade is connected, just as the Class of 2025 has built a strong sense of community among themselves. The willow tree stretches into the starry sky, highlighting how the class stays grounded while always growing, adapting, and dreaming big. Their 25 stars and moon symbolize the big dreams and aspirations that the class continually strives for at Marlborough and beyond.

The nature scene was also inspired by the class’ commitment to being environmentally conscientious and fierce conservationists. To celebrate the culmination of this tradition, they raised money to be donated to City Plants, an organization that plants trees in Los Angeles. To conclude their Banner Presentation, Jade tied all the imagery together by proudly summing up her classmates: “The Class of 2025 is determined to leave the world a better place than we entered it, no matter the costs or adversities.”