Senior night is a strong tradition withheld by many schools across the country to honor the graduating class who have put in time and effort into their sport. However, this year it looked so different for everyone. 

“It was different because we didn’t have a long season,” senior marching band member Adan Spencer said. “Our section and band as a whole was not emotionally connected so it just didn’t feel the same.”

For many seniors, their seasons were cut short so they didn’t get the opportunity to connect with everyone for one last year. 

The band this year was not able to travel to away games and participate in competitions, so their senior night was just them and their families.

“We marched onto the field, played a couple songs with OWU and a couple by ourselves,” Spencer said. “The seniors then went to the back of the field and walked down the 50 with our families.” 

Getting the whole night centered around the seniors was interesting, Spencer said, because everyone “recognizes and appreciates you.” It was something new for them that they had not done before.  

“I felt honored and appreciated during our senior night,” senior cross country runner Jordan Rutherford said. “The crowd was only people who supported us so it felt more personal.”

During a typical school year, most of the fall sports seniors and their families walk down the 50-yard line of the football field before a Friday night football game. This year however, there could not be large crowds at games, so all the sports organized a senior night on their own, making it more personal to the seniors. 

“It made me feel really happy that the school still prioritizes honoring us,” Rutherford said.

Despite senior night looking very different like most of the seniors plans this year, being able to have some sort of recognition has meant a lot to the senior athletes and their families.