It’s like a movie. 

Cheerleaders perform in front of the crowd. Students gather in the stands, joking with friends and mingling with long-lost peers. The school’s student niches combine into one, echoing tears and laughter, all under the cinematic glow of the field lights.  

Student life has come back at full-force this fall, reintroducing last year’s cancelled activities, giving seniors some post-COVID closure to their high school career. 

“I am very grateful I was able to have these experiences for my senior year due to everything that has been going on recently,” senior cheerleader Olivia Szedlar said. “It has definitely made me take in the moment more.” 

The reintroduction of spirit events like football games and the homecoming dance heighten the emotions seniors face as they make their last high school memories, according to Szedlar. 

Senior Riley Reed, who has attended many spirit events like the senior sunrise, homecoming dance, and football games, agrees. 

“I really enjoyed all three of these events and had a lot of fun with my friends,” Reed said. “The homecoming football game is just something you can’t miss as a senior and I’m glad I was able to experience it.”

According to Reed, the return of these events gives seniors the opportunity to make their final high school memories before college, and for many, it becomes a very emotional time. 

“Doing these events with the people I have grown up with and realizing this is the last time we will all be together is a lot to take in…” Reed said, “…but I’m just trying to make the most of it.”

Senior cross-country runner Ryan Luitjohan also appreciates the return of these events for his senior year. 

“I think that being with the rest of your friends supporting our school teams is really the meaning of school spirit,” Luitjohan said. “…as a senior, you kind of realize that there aren’t many opportunities left for you to feel a part of something like that again.”

And as fall activities begin to wrap up, emotions run high for many of the seniors, especially those finishing up their sports seasons. 

“The [cross-country] team is super close and the people I have been running with for 3-4 years now have become my family,” Luitjohan said. “So after each meet, you try not to think about it too much. But the season is going by fast, and especially with these last two meets left, you start to get that feeling that it really is coming to an end.”

But the return of school-spirit events came just in time to give seniors a final goodbye to the high school experience. 

“I definitely love having my normal season back and getting to travel a bit more and face some bigger competition,” Luitjohan said. “But as far as some of the other stuff [football games and homecoming dance], I think it’s one of those things where you don’t realize how much you missed it until you have it back. So it’s definitely been nice having a normal year again, especially as a senior.”