At 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 24, sleepy-eyed seniors wrapped in blankets gathered on the Oak Park High School football field to watch the sunrise. 

Paired with free coffee and donuts provided by ASB, Senior Sunrise marked the first senior event for the Class of 2022.

“The purpose to bring back Senior Sunrise was to really allow our class to kind of have those moments to bond, especially since we lost a lot last year due to COVID,” ASB president and senior Amaan Nabeel said. “We’re going to keep trying to bring those senior events, to help them bond and kind of enjoy their last year of high school.”

According to Nabeel, the idea to renew the tradition of Senior Sunrise came from Agoura High School.

“We saw a lot of schools doing it nearby, and we thought, why don’t we do that for Oak Park students,” Nabeel said. “Funny thing, Oak Park used to do Senior Sunrises but then they kind of stopped five to six years ago, and then we decided why not bring it back.”

According to Kids Health, the sleep hormone melatonin is released later at night for teenagers, resulting in teens’ natural wake cycles to be later in the morning. Despite this biological predisposition, many students participated in Senior Sunrise and enjoyed their time with friends.

“I’m tired … but I’m excited to be here,” senior Emily Rosenthal said.