When the sun rose on Friday, September 24, over 350 members of the Class of 2022 were there to see it.

Students started to arrive in large numbers for the almost-annual Senior Sunrise event around 6:15. The music was upbeat but subdued in the beginning, but as the sun rose over the horizon, the music was turned up and students started dancing.

There was a photo booth for the seniors to preserve their memories. The line was long because everyone was excited to get their picture taken. There was also a “Senior Sunrise” stand that students could take a picture of in front of.

Although the temperatures recently have been rather warm, it was a bit chilly in the morning, so many seniors brought in blankets, wrapping themselves up or laying them out on the football field.

Hot chocolate and other goodies were donated by Dutch Bros and many students brought sweet treats to share with their friends.

While much of the time, the seniors were milling around talking to their friends, when the Cha Cha Slide came on, several of them got up and danced.

The sun started to rise at about 6:55 and most students paused to admire the orange-coated sky. Then it was time to take the class photo. The juniors helped the seniors form a “22” on the football field, the Class of 2022 screamed “22!” and held up to two-piece signs to take the picture.

This is the first event that the senior class would do as a senior class and, in the spring, they hope to watch the sun set on their last high school experience, fueled by memories of this year, and the other crazy years, they spent in high school.