On Aug. 23 at 7 a.m., Senior Sunrise took place in center court. The seniors enjoyed many activities as part of the annual tradition. Spikeball and cornhole games were played on the grass and a photo booth was set up for students to take pictures. Additionally, students who attended were provided with breakfast, which consisted of bagels, donuts, hot chocolate and more. The event allows seniors to bond as they start their last year in high school.
“[Senior Sunrise] is a way to celebrate the start of the senior year,” said co-chair of Senior Sunrise Ashley Stubbins. “A chance for seniors to be with friends, to have some time outside of the classroom, to connect and just enjoy being together. There’s also Senior Sunset at the end of the year, so everything comes full circle.”
Many students enjoyed having the chance to interact with their classmates outside of a class setting.
“Because we have classes and classwork and projects and stuff, we don’t have the time to connect with other people,” said senior Yaretzi Rodriguez. “These events [help] with getting to know what [people] are [up to].”
Some were surprised by the large turnout at the event.
“People [who] don’t normally show up to class events ended up showing up to [Senior Sunrise],” said Senior Class Council Vice President Juliette Szwarcberg. “It made me really happy that people are trying to connect with the class. It is also just a fun way for people to have a good time with their friends.”
Members of the Parent Teacher Student Organization began planning Senior Sunrise over the summer, as organizers had to sort out many logistics.
“[We worked on] planning the food, purchasing decorations … going to Starbucks and ordering coffee [and worked] with the school to make sure we had someone to set up tables for the morning,” Stubbins said. “And then [we worked] a little bit with the Senior [Class] Council, because they were in charge of activities … They gave us some suggestions for a few food items and decorations to add, and then just kept us updated on what they were planning to do for the event.”
On the morning of Senior Sunrise, PTSO members and volunteers arrived at 6:30 a.m. to set up.
“We had a ton of help, so it was actually really quick,” said co-chair of Senior Sunrise Kathryn Lingenfelter. “We were pretty much ready to go by the time the seniors got there at seven.”
During Senior Sunrise, students gathered around to watch a presentation by Senior Class Council, where they talked about activities being planned for seniors this year.
“We like to remind the seniors of things that are coming up to get them excited,” Szwarcberg said. “We have class fundraisers, we did something with a senior [parking] spot … [and] we’re doing a class bingo. We’re just trying to get people to be more connected with the school and [participate in] certain activities that people wouldn’t normally do.”
Senior Sunrise is the first of a series of larger events planned for seniors this year. Senior Activities Day, Senior Sunset, and Grad Night are organized by the PTSO’s Senior Activities Committee and Senior Class Council, and are all set to take place in May. The Senior Class Council will also be hosting rallies and other activities to celebrate their last year.
