Traditions happen every day. Whether it be as small as listening to a certain podcast every morning, or ordering the same thing every time you go to your favorite restaurant, or as important as a cultural celebration, traditions shape our lives in ways that we don’t even realize; they’re present in both the mundane routines, and in the big events.
At dawn on Aug. 28, the Class of 2026 gathered on the football field to commemorate their fourth and final year of high school with the first senior event of the year: Senior Sunrise.
Senior Sunrise is a classic tradition all across the country, and it gives students an opportunity to spend time with their friends and start the year off on a good note. Events like this aren’t just important for seniors, though. For underclassmen, it’s a kind of incentive for the hard work it takes to get to senior year. “It gives us something to look forward to,” Connor Velleca said.
And when students finally make it to their senior year, it’s surreal for them to look back and see how much they’ve changed. It’s hard to notice how different situations and experiences can change the way one interacts with the world, but when given the opportunity–like Senior Sunrise–it’s easy to look back and see how one has grown and changed through their formative high school years.
“I’ve changed so much since I was a freshman,” Danny O’Day said. “I feel like a well-rounded individual. I’ve become a better person.” He explained that he used to be someone that he wasn’t proud of, but after four years of growing up, he’s happy with who he’s become.
Many other seniors felt the same; they had grown in so many positive ways from the time they first crossed the bridge, “I’ve matured since I was a freshman, and if I could tell my younger self something, I would say to put yourself out there,” Abby Chandonnet said.
As a symbol, Senior Sunrise represents the new chapter that seniors are about to embark on, because even though they still have a year left, many students are realizing that they don’t have much time left. Senior Sunrise, along with the rest of the senior traditions, gives students a chance to spend all their lasts with the people that have made their high school experience enjoyable.
“[Senior Sunrise] brings us together for the last year and our last moments that we’re spending together,” Chandonnet said. “I feel like I’ve made more friends and gotten closer with people, just because it’s our last year.”
Though Senior Sunrise is only one event out of many that can often feel repetitive, it has a deeper importance that makes it timeless. Seniors are only seniors once, and it’s important to give them the time to really take it all in. Now, when they open their backpacks and see their gold crowns, or when they look through all their photos later tonight, they’ll remember where they are and how hard they’ve worked to get there.
