It is generally agreed that if you wake up before 6:00 am as a high schooler, then you’re not mentally all there. But for some reason, senior year hits, and we all collectively buy into the insanity. So why? Is it worth it?

After asking Mrs. Nickel, I learned that Senior Sunrise was started at Rocky by the class of 2021. When COVID-19 restrictions prevented many events from happening, seniors sought a way to be together while still following social distancing guidelines. So they started their own senior sunrise.

Rocky didn’t start senior sunrise, though. It can’t be traced back to one particular school that started it, but many of the high schools around the United States plan sunrise events for their seniors, and it seems to have started about six years ago and then grew in response to COVID restrictions. One high school in Delaware reports that its first senior sunrise was in 2019.

Across the states, people come together to play games, hang out with their friends, and eat breakfast together.

Senior Sunrise is a social event first and foremost. That is why people show up.

Violet Lobo expects to see the sunrise, but her main purpose for going to Senior Sunrise is to “connect with people in [her] group and have a final hurrah.”

Other seniors have the same mindset. Jordan Meyer said that she is looking forward to “being able to hang out with my friends.” Though Jordan also appreciates the traditional aspect of the morning.

I interviewed a few people at the sunrise meet-up, and here is what people said their favorite thing about the morning was:

Walker Armstrong: “The burritos were scrumptious!”

Willa Web: “Having fun connecting with others!”

Sam Hawkins: “The sunrise was pretty cool and the donuts were good.”

Brady Hill: “The sunrise was the best part.

Cooper White: “My favorite part was seeing the sunrise and seeing my friends at six in the morning.”

Dylan Bowles: “The burritos were really good.”

Mathus Cheung: “I liked taking the pictures!”

Ellie Martin: “Everyone being together!”

Rose Kensora: “Everyone being together and the donuts!”

Anna Solano-Lopez: “Taking pictures!”

Jack Jackel: “I got to sit on my friend’s car and watch the sunrise, and that was pretty cool.”

The senior class asked themselves, “Why would I get up that early?” and based on the great attendance for the sunrise, I would guess that they decided that the early morning was worth it to get together with their friends and kick off the “sunrise” of their senior year!