Senior Sunrise

By Abigail Delic

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Rise and shine St. Mikes, as on September 12th, our annual Grade 12 Senior Sunrise brightened the entire school. Senior Sunrise has been an yearly tradition at St. Michaels C.S.S for years, where the entire graduating class gathers at the school to watch the sunrise together. The grade 12 representatives on STM Student Council are usually responsible for planning, coordinating and photographing the event. This year saw an amazing turnout, with Grade 12 student rep, Adam Abela reporting that “Our senior sunrise on September 12th ran smoothly, with over 100+ students that attended.” 

Although it is a fun event, it is often questioned why this tradition is so beloved in the hearts of our seniors. Why were 100 students so eager to wake up at 5am, drive in the dark and stand in the cold for 15 minutes, waiting for the sun to rise. 

That is because Senior Sunrise goes so much deeper than the sunrise itself. When asked what Senior Sunrise meant to him, Abela further elaborated that “Senior sunrise is important to the grade, because it resembles the start of the near ending of our long educational chapter, it's meant to help the grade become more united, gather photos, memories, and to enjoy these last little bits of high school that we have left.”

When asked to share her opinion on why she enjoyed sunrise, Student Senate representative Lola Tomassini commented "Senior Sunrise marked the beginning of the end. By having this event, we were able to come together in celebration of our final year of high school. When the sun finally rose, the feeling of being a senior officially sunk in." 

That is what senior sunrise is really about; a million tiny moments that remind the graduating class what all of the work and stress is for. Senior sunrise is the sleepy car ride with your friends, the blanket you share and the twinkling stars that are slowly replaced by a brilliant sunrise. High school is ten months out of the year filled with stress and work and resumes. But it is also filled with the tiny moments, so small they often go unappreciated.

This is your call to spend these next 10 months working towards the sunrise whilst allowing yourself to appreciate the coolness of the wind, softness of the rain and faint glimmer of the stars.