Photo by Nyah Ruff
Senior year is marked as one of the most important years, meant to define your final chapter of high school, as it is often marked by traditions. From senior sunrise to senior pranks, students have grown up hearing about what “their year” will look like. But for many seniors at Hastings Senior High, several of those expectations never became reality.
At the beginning of the year, there was a shared excitement amongst the senior class about organizing class-wide events, such as senior assassin, senior sunrise, senior pranks, or senior ditch day. However, as the months passed, that excitement was met with disappointment.
“I really thought we would do more as a whole class, ” senior Lydia Choate said. “… like a senior picnic or even just something where everyone shows up. It just didn’t live up to my expectations for senior year.”
While some traditions still take place, such as senior night, they can often feel less unified than expected. Students say that with busy schedules, sports, jobs, and the lack of planning, it is hard to bring everyone together.
“Everyone has their own thing going on, it’s not like the movies where the whole class is always together. You kind of have to make your own moments,” Senior Duron Wuol said.
One tradition that managed to survive was senior assassin. The student-led games are played outside of school hours and off campus. The game involves attempting to “eliminate” people with water guns, all while having to avoid being eliminated themselves.
“Other than cheer, it has probably been the most involved I’ve been all year, ” Senior Yami Guerrero said. “Everyone’s checking each other’s location, making plans, and watching out for each other. It’s really fun and chaotic.”
Despite its popularity, even senior assassin showed the contrast between what seniors imagine and what actually happens. Some students expect more school-supported events for seniors.
“We have fun, but a lot of it depends on us to make that happen,” Choate said. “I just wish that there were more organized things that everyone could be involved in.”
In the end, senior year may not have turned out exactly how movies and TV shows portrayed it, but some simply believe it is defined by what they make of it, even if it is planned or unplanned.
“It might not be the best, but there are still moments that we’re going to remember,” Wuol said.
