The Bittersweet Start: Seniors’ Last First Day in High School

Seniors embrace a sentimental journey with book bags and crowns.

Tira Halton, Senior Writer and Marketing Manager

September 12, 2023

Features

Before the bell rings for class, students show off their senior crowns. Audrey Pena, 12, Valentina Briatore, 12, and Daniella Romano, 12 chose a variety of colors and patterns to symbolize special accolades or moments. “This crown represents me because I went with a pink and blue theme going along with my SGA campaign and I wanted to wear my favorite colors that represent who I am.” Said Audrey Pena.

On August 21st, 2023, the Class of ‘24 entered Riviera at 8:00 a.m. sharp with all the excitement of senior year. With that, they carried princesses, superheroes, and majestic creatures reminiscing their past years of school on their backpacks, while proudly wearing their personalized crowns decorated with glitter, pom-poms, jewels, and fun letters to show that they run the school.

The Class of ‘24 received their crowns from the graduating class of 2023 to pass on the power and responsibility that comes with being a senior and leading the school as the oldest students.

Each senior designed a crown that was custom to their personality, we asked them what theme they were going for when creating theirs. “My favorite animals are corgis and capybaras so I felt the need to put them on my senior crown because they accurately represent who I am. I decorated it with a bunch of stickers because I bought them and never used them and also they are really cute.” Said Alexander Serrano. The seniors chose specific themes to reflect who they were as a person and Riviera bulldog. Ariana Agurrie told us, “The crown represents me because it is bright, colorful, and happy which is how I would describe my personality.”

Before the start of their last first day, Ariana Aguirre, 12, Valeria Sena, 12, Audrey Pena, 12, Valentina Briatore, 12, Luciana Ossa, 12, Daniella Romano, 12, and Valentina Acevedo show off their crowns. For many students, these traditions endure for countless reasons, even if they’re unsure of their origins. Ariana Aguirre states, “I think we wear senior crowns to represent the senior and it has always been a tradition.” (Diego Cuellar)

Many students of the senior class came up with numerous ideas about why the crowns are a tradition. “I think it’s to show our pride as the oldest students in school and as cliché as it sounds it cements our position as “kings of school,” said Alexander Serrano. “I think we wear senior crowns to show that seniors run the school and we are the oldest,” said Audrey Pena.

In addition to the crowns, senior class students around the nation participate in the trend of purchasing children’s backpacks. The tradition allows students to look back and remember the days when they were just little kids in kindergarten and pre-school. Through these backpacks, students are able to make a connection between their younger and older selves by buying backpacks with the characters that represent them best. “My backpack relates to my childhood because I played with Barbies all throughout my childhood, and I also loved anything from the Barbie movie franchise,” said Patricia Ricci.

Even though the first week of school was overwhelming and chaotic, the students of the Class of 2024 found joy and happiness in soaking in their last first days of high school.

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About the Contributor

Tira Halton, Senior Writer and Marketing Manager

Tira Halton is a senior writer for the Riviera Press and is currently a senior. This is her second year on staff, and she’s excited to continue doing what she enjoys–writing about topics she’s passionate about, practicing her skills to prepare for her college major in journalism, and just having fun. “It’s nice to come to a class where you're gonna have a good time,” she said. Outside of being a talented writer, she values her friends and taking time to relax, go to the beach, and tan. As a senior, she plans to write about exciting upcoming events for her grade.