On Sept. 9, Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School seniors gathered on Perry Tyson Field at SPFHS for the annual “Senior Sunrise” event.

Seniors began showing up around 5:45 A.M. and packed the field with blankets and energizing drinks. Students spent time socializing and taking pictures with friends, and afterwards, many either went home before school or went out to local establishments to get an early morning breakfast before heading to SPFHS for first block.

“[The sunrise] was so fun; I had been looking forward to it all year,” senior Sonya Shah said. “I had a great time with my friends and thought it was a very special way to start our senior year.”

Senior sunrise, which is accompanied by its opposite—senior sunset—at the end of the school year, is very meaningful in the eyes of senior year.

“[Senior Sunrise] is meant to show that we are all in this together, and by everyone gathering and sharing this moment, it makes you think less about yourself and more about everyone around you,” senior class president Jackson Lorenzetti said.

The sunrise acted as a strong start to the year and allows for SPFHS seniors to venture into their last year of high school with a new view on their education and what they hope to get out of this year.

“Like all other seniors, I look forward to Prom the most,” Lorenzetti said. “I truly believe we will make the best prom this school has seen yet.”

As seniors get started in one of the more crucial years of their high school career, the sunrise acted as a calming respite from their difficult schedules and upcoming college applications, and allowed them to get a glance into all the fun activities they will be participating in this year.