By Julia Trost, Staff Writer
During the first in-person Senior Awards Night in two years, seniors and their families gathered at the stadium on Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 pm to celebrate the accomplishments of the seniors. Students sat in chairs on the track, administrators and teachers remained on the turf, and parents cheered from the stands. Students frequently used their hands to shade the beaming sun, which turned into a beautiful sunset by the end of the awards ceremony.
Undoubtedly, there was a feeling of suspense leading up to the awards. All nominations and types of awards were kept secret from the student body. Parents received letters if their student was receiving an award, but were not told the type of the award and were urged to keep the letter a secret. Additionally, students reported being called down to the offices in the days leading up to the awards so Ms. Lidgard, Mr. Penn, Ms. Hearns, and Mr. Scible could learn how to pronounce their names.
Sharvari Tirodkar explained, “I, along with a bunch of my peers, got called down to the front office to teach them how to pronounce my name. I appreciated the fact that they took the effort to make sure they pronounced my name right because that’s really important. I think it also contributed to the suspense and excitement of the night.”
To begin the night, there were several keynote student speakers. Harlene Kaur opened, wishing the Class of 2022 congratulations and good luck in the future. Then, Ryan Mathew inspired seniors to take advantage of what is in front of them and to focus on their futures. Lastly, Chloe McGeehan talked about the three “uns” that her mother taught her, influencing the Class of 2022 to persevere.
Ms. Lidgard, Mr. Penn, Ms. Hearns, and Mr. Scible announced community, department, and career academy awards. Teachers who were involved in each of the programs presented the awards to students. Specific types of awards ranged from ROTC and Boosters scholarships to Outstanding Student in the Science Department. Most students received certificates and some received plaques in their recognition.
Vishva Iyer noted, “It was a really nice event to celebrate the Class of 2022. I won an award for completing the teaching academy and another award given by the CTE department. It was great to see everyone.”
While the majority of graduation activities will require seniors to remain in alphabetical order, many students were excited that the Senior Awards Night allowed seniors to sit wherever they wanted.
Alana Cowan exclaimed, “I was so excited to sit with my friends.”
Overall, the event ran smoothly and both participants and parents were pleased with the result. Senior Awards Night is the first of many seniors events to come.
Mia Choi commented, “It’s really nice to have a celebration of seniors after a long pandemic. I’m really happy that we were able to do this on our last full day of high school.”