By Katie Bena and Julia Trost, staff writers
#SeniorWeek2022 represents a hashtag that will repeatedly appear in the social media posts of River Hill seniors this summer from June 4 to June 12. Senior Week takes place in Ocean City, Maryland each year after graduation. During Senior Week, seniors relax on the beach, hang out with friends, walk on the boardwalk, take pictures, and enjoy delicious food.
Many students begin to search for houses towards the start of their senior years, as reservations are booked fast. Desirable houses include those that are near the beach. Most seniors also want to be near their friends who are staying in other houses. Additionally, some owners who rent their beach houses out to buyers refuse to rent out space to seniors, adding to the hardships associated with the process of reserving a house.
Sidney Carlson explains, “You get freedom because you don’t have any parental figures watching over but that puts a lot of pressure on the housing, but getting deposits has been a problem.”
Other Howard County high schools across Maryland, such as Atholton High School, will be participating in senior week at the same time as River Hill students. This means that students who have friends at other schools can finally reunite with their peers, contributing to the overall sense of excitement during senior week.
Although Senior Week comes with many joys, it also poses danger. Seniors will be swimming and surfing in the ocean, where poisonous jellyfish and sharks have been spotted. The ocean hosts many hazards; the possibility for riptides and strong currents may endanger swimmers. On and off of the beach, seniors will be responsible for making their own decisions and choices, as they do not have any parental or adult supervision.
Several students at River Hill see Senior Week as a transition to the next phase of their lives. Senior Alyssa Cuyun shared, “I’m very excited to end my senior year at the beach with close friends to take my mind off school. It’ll be a ton of fun to leave home and school for a while before we leave for college and most of our friends from home in the fall.”
Isabella Marrero added, “I’m looking forward to the last hurrah with the seniors that I’ve been with for the past four years. I’m excited to just spend time at the beach and be able to be independent for that one week before we go to college.”
Ryan Jee exclaimed, “I am so excited for senior week! There’s no better way to celebrate graduating high school than going to the beach. I’m so happy I get to spend time with my childhood friends and friends I’ve made this year. We’re going to have a blast!”
Spencer Stephan is excited to “spend time with his friends and have fun.”
As school is coming to an end, many seniors are looking forward to attending senior week after graduation. Soaking in the sun at the beach with some of their lifelong friends, seniors are ready to celebrate what they have overcome and accomplished during the last four years. Senior week represents the closing of an old chapter and the start of a new one.