By Alexus Cleavenger

The time soon approaches where seniors will vacate their throne at the top of the school. Juniors, get your crowns and crafty shirts prepared to declare “SENIOR.” You have done your waiting and now is the moment to step into the limelight.

Senior Step-up Day is on Monday, following the Senior Countdown on Friday, May 19th, which signals the final day for current seniors on campus. On May 22nd, all juniors will arrive to school anxiously awaiting to be crowned a senior.

“I think that I will feel overwhelmed and shocked because it is all going by so fast, but of course I’m going to be super excited,” junior Anteon Rush said.

The special day when juniors are promoted to be seniors is an important tradition to our young school, which often has difficulty creating traditions with longevity or resilience. Students were initially afraid that with the uniform policy implemented in 2016, they would be unable to wear their ‘senior’ shirts proudly.

“Senior Step-up Day signifies a new year, a clean slate, more chances, and new experiences for the whole school,” junior Gianna Bellantonio said. “It is not just a day for us to being out of dress code”.

Thankfully, permission was granted and the tradition lives on, much to the gratitude of the upcoming senior class.

“Without Senior Step-up Day, juniors [would] not realize that they are about to start a very important stage in their life until the following school year, and it might be too late,” Rush said.

The iconic ‘senior’ shirt is an integral part of the tradition, with students personalizing a t-shirt to represent their personalities. Fabric patterns range from kitten prints to florals, demonstrating the individuality and diversity on campus.

“It’s a tradition,” junior Lauren Thomas said. “I’ve been looking forward to it since my sister was a senior, and I helped make her shirt.”

Other upcoming seniors created their shirts as an outlet for their school pride.

“I made the front of my shirt based on some of my favorite things and I love being creative,” junior Ashley Crider said. “I did the back with all my Titan pride and excitement for senior year. It was worth it because it came out better than I expected and I can’t wait to wear it.”

This day holds personal meaning for juniors, whether it be looking at the past with nostalgia or the future with hope.

“To me, Senior Step-up Day is that last step from your childhood into adulthood before we graduate, go off to college, and into our careers,” junior Trevor Knowles said.