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Senior Sunrise

Kim Nguyen and Esther Pack

September 10, 2023

Senior Sunrise on Aug. 17 gave the class of 2024 an exciting start to their final year of high school. Seniors began gathering on the grass beside the football field at five in the morning, enjoying doughnuts and a clear view of the early morning sky.

The event officially started at 5:45 a.m., much earlier than the usual school start time. Many seniors drove themselves and their friends: “I woke up at five, and I went and got coffee with my friend Frankie and we had Starbucks together” Senior Jadyn Tunnell explained. Others started the fun before heading to school. “All of my friends and I had a sleepover the night before so we all drove over together,” Cassidy Clark recalled.

As students arrived, they settled onto the grass field. Tunnell reminisced about the memories made: “I liked taking pictures with everyone and commemorating the day. All my friends were on a picnic blanket together and we were mostly just talking about random stuff, mostly about how tired we were.” The sunrise gave many students the opportunity to connect with other students who were previously unaware of each other. “I liked getting to meet seniors I haven’t seen before. There were a bunch of people that I didn’t even know went to this school,” she continued.

The event was a success, with countless seniors showing up to wait for the sunrise. During this time, they expressed their appreciation for the celebrations of their last year of high school with friends. “I love the concept of Senior Sunrise because it represents the beginning of the year; the sun is rising. It makes sense that the beginning of the year has a sunrise, [and] the ending has a sunset,” Clark shared.

At approximately six in the morning, the rising sun painted the hills and field orange. The speakers played “mirrorball” by Taylor Swift. After students wrapped up and headed off the field, some reflected on their thoughts for the beginning of senior year. “It doesn’t really feel like it’s the end [of high school] yet, so I’m just trying to make the most of every moment,” Alyssa Nott expressed.

Thinking about the last year of high school, senior and ASB E-Board President, Esi Otoo, discussed her excitement for the year ahead: “I’m excited for all my last dances, my last football games, my last basketball games and planning all the upcoming senior events.”

By the time the sun had fully risen, seniors walked back to the parking lot and loaded into their cars. Some went to breakfast after the event, extending the moment. “I went to Noah’s Bagels with my friends after Senior Sunrise,” senior Jeremiah Chun recalled. “I think it was a memorable moment with my friends I really enjoyed and can look back on.”

Seniors, remember to savor every moment of your last year in high school!

About the Contributors

Kim Nguyen, Staff Writer

Kim Nguyen is a senior staff writer at The Paw Print. She enjoys sitting at the front at the EIC's spot and trying to fish for interviews. Otherwise, she likes to read, write, draw, and play video games during her spare time. She's using her time in Journalism as an opportunity to prepare for a Creative Writing degree at CSU Long Beach. She hopes there will be enough stories in the News section this year, although the Features section is always reliable. Kim wishes The Paw Print smooth sailings for her last year!

Esther Pack, Lead Photographer + Social Media Manager

Esther, a senior at West Ranch, is back for her second year of being in The Paw Print. She is the lead photographer and social media manager this year, which she is very excited about (This does not mean she will take all the photos for every story written…). She is interested in design and hopes to learn new skills and to be able to create more! She loves music so you’ll often find her creating playlists whenever a minor inconvenience occurs in her life or at concerts singing her heart out. Some artists/bands she has seen include Joji, Wave to Earth, Rocco, Dominic Fike, and Beabadoobee. She is seeing Daniel Caesar, Joji (again), and Coldplay this year as well. Currently, her favorite artists are Mac Miller, Daniel Caesar, Montell Fish, and Dominic Fike. Hopefully this is the year she changes her routine, so she can stop having tangled hair and being five minutes late to journalism everyday. She hopes to use her photography skills to capture many more moments of West Ranch students this year, as well as to enjoy her last year of being in The Paw Print and of high school.