On Friday, August 27, more than 300 members of Battlefield’s Class of 2022 had their first “seniors only” event – Senior Sunrise. At this event, Seniors met up with their classmates in the football stadium to hangout, eat breakfast, and watch the sunrise. Donuts were provided by the After-Grad Committee, a group of parents in charge of the after-graduation party for the Class of ‘22. They are also in charge of providing food for the Senior only events like this. The Student Council organized a class picture spelling out “2022” across the bleachers, as well as a White Out, where all Seniors attending wore white to show their senior spirit! 

This event took lots of planning by the Class of 2022 student council members and school administration. Class President, Saahas Gowda, had council members use multiple forms of media to inform students. “We used Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, as well as Battlefield’s morning announcements,” Gowda explained. Seniors also had the option to sign up for text messages through Remind, an app that allows for mass text reminders to be sent out. They also received an email the day before Senior Sunrise with extra details and reminders for the upperclassmen. 

Handling the pandemic precautions, Class President Gowda informed the attendees that “per Admin request, we will use ‘podding’ and QR codes to check in and for contact-tracing [if needed].” “Podding” is where students stay in the same little groups during the event and is a term they have become quite familiar with. Masks were also optional for students, teachers, and parent chaperones for the majority of the event, since it was held outside. Once the clock hit 7:05, students were required to put their masks on for their class photo, since there was 300+ people there. 

Once inside, all attending seniors were spread across the entirety of the bleachers. The positive atmosphere and excitement were radiating throughout the stadium as seniors started making the first of many memories. Battlefield Senior, Emma Topper found, “[Her] favorite part was [gathering] together in the same spot and getting to see everyone again.” Reconnecting with almost all their classmates, after almost two years of not being able to, is the main reason the class of ‘22 SCA wanted to guarantee this event happened. “I was [so] happy that all of the seniors got to experience this!” Topper continued. The pure joy of attending a somewhat normal school event was what a lot of seniors were feeling that morning as they watched the sunrise.  

After being isolated for nearly two years, most students’ social skills were a little rough. Senior, Caitlin Tamayo, noticed “it was difficult to talk to many people, or to do anything really.” Despite this feeling, everyone enjoyed their time together and made memories for their senior year. “It was really nice to see so many seniors show up, especially since this event was optional,” Tamayo recalled. Showing school spirit is something the seniors truly value and participate in, especially since this year is as normal as it possibly can be. 

Senior Sunrise was a huge success and a great way to kick off the Class of ‘22’s senior year. With the combination of nearly half of the class attending, participating in the coordinated White Out, and the hundreds of candid photos taken, it is clear that Battlefield’s 2022 Seniors will make this year their best one yet. This was a refreshing morning for all involved, because after having nearly 2/3 of their high school years and experiences taken from them, the class of ‘22 finally got to come together to celebrate their senior year.