The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. This is what is written facing the stadium where East seniors watched the sunrise on August 23, 2024. This is the second year the event has been held since it was started by the class of 2024. The tradition has become a common way of starting senior years across the country, with many students sharing their experiences on social media such as TikTok.
At 5:45 a.m., many were dressed in pajamas or sweats and carried blankets. Various groups gathered and sat on blankets in the dewy morning, some students bringing decorated poster board frames to get the perfect photo on their phones or digital cameras.
While there was never a visible sunrise, students still enjoyed sitting together and chatting before the event ended around 6:30 a.m.
The event was organized by senior class council members, who admitted it didn’t take much to put on such a memorable event. “[It] was probably the least set-up we’ve had to do for any event ever,” said senior class president Valerie Barrett.
However, Barrett still emphasized its importance. “We’ve worked so hard over the past four years to make it to senior year, so I’d say we deserve some celebratory special treatment,” she said. “It’s really just another part of making your senior year one to remember.”
For many seniors, the nostalgia and memories gained were worth waking up in the morning. “These are the people we came in with, [and] these are the people we’re leaving with,” said senior Charlotte Schumaier.
For any future classes interested in keeping up the tradition, senior Ellen Jahoda shared some advice: “Bring a blanket,” she said. “Bring two blankets because someone is gonna ask you if you have an extra blanket.”
At the end of the year, there will be a senior sunset after the senior barbecue on the last day of school to bring the tradition full circle.
Below is a gallery of seniors posing with X-Ray’s Senior Sunrise poster board.
