As the school year comes to a close, seniors prepare to leave this chapter behind. One of the last traditions for seniors at MCHS is senior sunset and senior picnic. However, this year some changes are happening with these events.

Previously, MCHS has hosted a senior picnic and senior sunset on the seniors’ last day of school. These events are to celebrate the graduating class, with senior sunset used specifically to provide a storybook start and end to the year. This year, these are being combined into one event.

“We will be at McCracken Field from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., weather permitting, on seniors’ last day,” says MCHS Activities

Director Mitch Stengel. “We will have a movie screen, games, sports and more – this really allows a space for seniors to be with their friends one of the last times ever on campus! We’ll reflect on the year, and send seniors off ‘into the sunset!’”

A lot goes into planning these kinds of events, and this was not only done by staff members. Students in Senior Advisory were also helping with the planning.

“First, we have to plan the day for when students don’t have athletics and stuff,” says Senior Advisory member Sawyer Thielson. “Then we have to go into where it’s going to be and what activities there are going to be.”

The main reason for this change is the concern of pulling students out of too many classes. Even on the last day, being present is important.

“Over the course of the final three weeks of senior year,” says Stengel, “students are taken out of their classes more than we’d like.

By consolidating the senior picnic, which had only lasted for around three to five years before this, we are able to keep our seniors in classes more than we’ve been before!”

Though this is a fun event, the main purpose is to celebrate the graduating seniors. Keeping them in classes instead of just having them leave allows for this celebration to happen.