As orange and pink crept into the sky on May 13, the seniors gathered in the Warrior Bowl to celebrate Senior Sunset. Picnic blankets covered the grass as friends took polaroid pictures and lined up behind the Kona Ice Truck, a sweet treat from StuCo.
“It was so cute seeing everyone take all the photos and just be carefree and not stressed about exams or leaving school,” Ayushi Merchant ‘24 said.
From Senior Sunrise to Senior Sunset, seniors are celebrated through events during the school year for the hard work and dedication they put into the last twelve years. During these events, seniors connect with a variety of people — whether they be acquaintances or close friends — for what could potentially be the last time.
“My goal at the beginning of the school year was to do as many senior things as possible,” Merchant said. “It really allowed me to just enjoy the last year with people.”
As the sunlight dimmed, StuCo began to pass around letters that the seniors had written to themselves at Senior Sunrise, a twin event that occurred at the beginning of the year. Reading their letters encouraged the seniors to mull over their past experiences and memories of the year.
“I enjoyed reading the letter I wrote during Senior Sunrise and reflecting on the fact that I made it here despite how much work I had to do and all the stress of senior year,” Selena Molinari ‘24 said.
With most of the senior class heading off to college next year, Senior Sunset carried mixed feelings of happiness, longing, and anticipation.
“I will miss the structured aspect of high school the most,” Molinari said. “Going to college can be really daunting, and I’ll miss the normalcy of high school a lot.”
Rayghen Peak • May 21, 2024 at 11:54 am
Senior Sunset sounds so bittersweet, and fun! I can’t wait to be able to experience this.
K'Lynn • May 21, 2024 at 11:48 am
I really liked the fact that the seniors wrote notes to their future senior self, I also really like the lead of this!
Zoya • May 21, 2024 at 11:37 am
I really liked the lead of the first paragraph, the descriptions gave me a real life experience. The article is well written with amazing descriptions and precise content.
Nancy Lu • May 21, 2024 at 11:36 am
This article is written very well, it leaves a bittersweet and nostalgic feeling in your heart. I love how the senior sunrise at the beginning of the year marked the start of the final stretch of the journey, and how the sunset marked the end. I think that it’s such a sweet idea to write a letter to yourself at the beginning of the year. Reading the letters must be like watching over a younger version of yourself. Reading this article also makes me think of all the wonderful memories I’ve had with some seniors that will leave.
London • May 21, 2024 at 11:33 am
I loved how the seniors wrote letters to themselves, because it there can look back.
Ayesha Shahzad • May 21, 2024 at 11:30 am
It was nice to read the quotes that showed how students had enjoyed their senior year/ last year of high school here at Westwood. The recall of the twin event of senior Sunrise shows the importance of the duo event. (Senior Sunrise & Senior Sunset)
Nikhil • May 21, 2024 at 11:28 am
I like this story a lot, the descriptive lead was really well written and painted this really nice picture of what it must be like to wave goodbye to home and embark on a new journey, and in general, the descriptive language was really nice to read, and I felt like it fit the overall vibe of the story really well.
Tianwen • May 20, 2024 at 9:30 am
This is a beautifully written article. I love the description in the first paragraph. I can literally imagine the scene of people sitting on their blankets in the Warrior Bowl.
Emmanuelle Volfson • May 20, 2024 at 9:17 am
This is a very sweet and touching story about the end of the school year for seniors and the Senior Sunrise. This story is neatly written and it is about a very happy and an uplifting topic.
Katelyn • May 20, 2024 at 9:12 am
This article is kind of bittersweet because it’s sad that seniors are about to leave Westwood, but also excitingg to start a new chapter in their life. I love how StuCo provided some fun activities for this event, and I like the polaroid picture idea.
elisabeth • May 20, 2024 at 9:12 am
I love that Senior Sunset has a twin event. and I think it is amazing that they write to their future selves.
Lucy G • May 20, 2024 at 9:11 am
I love how thoughtful this piece is. This story made me feel sad, happy, and calm. Overall a bunch of mixed feelings. I am nervous about the emotions that will come when I reach my senior year and this story made me realize the emotions that these seniors are going through.
Sophia C. • May 20, 2024 at 9:09 am
I really liked the vocabulary used in this article.