Although we are just over a month into the school year, numerous Senior Nights have already occurred. Raider fans, if you consider yourself loyal to your teams, you better act fast and start showing up. Just this last week, the Pembroke Hill girls tennis team was the first to celebrate their Senior Night. Honoring seniors Sarah Stockman, Emma Harris, Emma Friedman, Rhiannon Hockey, Sophia Herman, Quynh and Audrey Solberg, and of course, Ellesmere Torrance. The only downfall of the tennis Senior Night was that not enough Raiders were able to attend. With fall sports practices ending well after 5:30 for all teams, a 4:00 start time just isn’t doable. However, tennis girls were able to make the most of it, show out, and look fierce as they not only crushed the photoshoot but also the matches on the court.
Tonight, we saw the second Senior Night where both boys swim and volleyball got to honor their own class of 2025. The ceremony started off alright, as senior swimmers Sebastian Alcazar, Sean Hong, Johnny Honnold, and Johnathan Koziborod were recognized. The crowd was bigger than the swimmers were expecting, but still not incredible: “It was awesome that some of our classmates showed up to cheer us on,” said Alcazar. But the other seniors couldn’t help but notice that nobody even stood up to cheer for them (isn’t that sad?). Not all of it was gloomy, though. After the ceremony, all of the swimmers were surprised with some Pembroke Hill embroidered Dopp Kits (toiletry bags, for those of you wondering). They will definitely be used for years to come.
The four swimmers got to walk out with people they love and respect, making for a sentimental senior celebration. But… as noticed by students, staff, and parents, the crowd was flat. Personally, I found sitting for the Senior Night to be kind of odd. The lack of bodies in the audience though didn’t help. Senior Blythe Shelley who serves as president of the Pembroke Hill Pep Club had a few words to say about it herself; “I think Senior Night is a special moment to honor our seniors who put in all of the work they possibly can for their sport. It was really special tonight for volleyball because Danica was the only senior after five girls quit this year and that just shows you where her love for the sport and the team is and comes from. [In regards to the crowd] the crowd was good enough although after all of the messages Auggie [Bash, Co-President] and I sent into the GroupMe I hoped there would be more than just like 20 people.” So, from the president herself… Seniors expect more from the student body in terms of attendance. The ceremony is one thing- but you still have to cheer on the players!! Hopefully from now on, Senior Nights can be held on Fridays. Regardless of numbers- seniors who were honored tonight should feel more than loved. Danica O’Toole, the lone senior of volleyball, was surprised at school when her whole team wore custom shirts that read, “I [heart] Danica.” If that isn’t enough to show you how much teams are family- I don’t know what is. So ya- Senior Nights are fun, sentimental, and they might even make you cry. Don’t be lame and skip them, do it for the PHS.
