After one last summer as a high school student, seniors face Oak Park High School for a final time. It’s the year that everyone waits for. Along with the grueling college applications and creeping senioritis, some traditions make the year truly memorable.
From entering school with a “senior backpack” to waking up extra early to attend senior sunrise, the Class of 2026 is ready to embrace these timeless traditions.
“I think senior year is really just about figuring out what your next step is going to be, so I’m really excited for my last year at home and being in high school, but also looking forward to the opportunities that college and my future have in store for me,” senior Marissa Kalan said. “I’m really excited for all the senior activities, like Senior Sunrise, senior week, graduation and prom.”
The year started before students set foot on campus, especially for rising seniors. Whether it is bought at Walmart, Target or Amazon, it is paramount to enter school with the perfect senior backpack. A personalized accessory, the senior backpack pays homage to a childhood character. Senior Katya Clark embraced her sense of childlike wonder when she chose to purchase a classic Lilo and Stitch backpack.
“I love senior backpacks because I feel like I finally have a good excuse to act like a child, especially when I’m about to become an adult,” Clark said.
Where most seniors pull up to OPHS in their cars, some take the extra step to decorate their back window. In creative fonts, students can write messages advertising their final step before graduating from high school. Kalan worked with her friends to create a masterpiece.
“My friends and I decorated our cars for a fun bonding for our friend group and to show the world that we are seniors,” Kalan said.
The iconic senior scrapbook condenses the year’s memories into custom pages that are personalized to each student’s year. Students choose to do this the old-fashioned way with the use of scissors, construction paper, washi tape and hours of dedication.
“I am really excited to create my senior scrapbook as the year goes on,” senior Gabby Paul said. “Each page encapsulates the memory, but also the feeling of the moment. I’ve already spent hours documenting my senior summer.”
Senior Sunrise, an ASB-planned event, takes place early in the morning. This experience draws a parallel between the rising senior and the rising sun.
“Senior Sunrise is basically a variation of trauma bonding at 4 a.m., but honestly, it’s so fun and I love seeing all of my friends,” Clark said.
There are four OPHS rallies each year, but the last one is dedicated to the seniors. It is the Class of 2026’s turn to rise to the occasion. Senior Mahad Mahmood, an essential member in planning the rallies, reflects on how special they are.
“16 was such a daunting number when I first joined the Rally Committee—now, I realize I only have four rallies left,” Mahmood said. “It’s sad, but at the same time, I know that these last four are going to be the best four.”
Senior year signifies the end of a chapter, one that encapsulates childlike wonder, the awkward stages during middle school and the transition to adulthood. Although change can be scary, OPHS’s Class of 2026 continues to live every day to the fullest.
“I used to think that I had forever before leaving high school. Now, it’s less than a year away,” Mahmood said. “But if there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that you don’t realize how valuable something really is until it’s gone. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know one thing—I’m not going to let the moment slip away.”
