When 5 A.M. alarms buzzed loudly on the morning of Thursday, August 17, Pines Charter’s newest batch of seniors energetically got up and got ready to go to school—a rare occurrence amongst most high school students. Only the biggest, most important events have the power to draw kids out of bed before even the smallest glimmer of sunlight hits the sky. On this Thursday, the occasion was the classic senior landmark: Senior Sunrise.
By 6:45 A.M., numerous clusters of PPCHS seniors settled down on the school football field. As vibrant oranges of the sunrise began to fill the sky, students settled down onto beach towels and took in their surroundings in a new light. With some using the space to kick a soccer ball around and others using polaroid cameras to keep souvenirs of the momentous day, the Class of 2024 was seen as one, united in their second home. As senior class President, Anaya Andre, describes, “Watching everyone walk onto the field after a long summer was so beautiful. Senior Sunrise was the first official event unifying the Class of 2024 as seniors.”
The senior class Student Council arranged all of the morning’s activities, also providing a variety of breakfast foods to enjoy. From croissants and bagels to donuts and muffins, the treats not only encouraged students to have a sit-down meal together, but it also provided them energy for the long hours still ahead of them.
Under the blazing heat of the sun, the seniors got to work on leaving their physical mark on Charter—through their parking spots. Every student added their own touch to their block’s design, and as Anaya observed, “Everyone put so much effort into making their spots represent them and their senior year!”
At the end of the event, the PPCHS student parking lot had an assortment of designs. Some were thoroughly detailed and had a deeper meaning to them, like senior Mia Olmedo’s. Staying overtime to paint Tame Impala’s Currents album cover on her parking spot, Mia found a strong connection to her design. “Music is important to me, and ‘Let It Happen’ is a song that’s carried me, so I wanted to have the song’s cover on my spot,” she explains. Others chose to have a more simplistic, even funny side to their design. Emily Brown, who painted “NO PARKING” in bold black letters on her parking block, was one of these students. Her artistic decision was based on the simple fact that “Last year there were times when [she’d] get to school and see that someone had parked in [her] spot, so [she] wanted to prevent that.” Whether deeply-rooted or not, plain or patterned, bare or busy, or stenciled or free-handed, the parking spots of the Class of 2024 let the entirety of PPCHS know the legacy they’re leaving.
