Senior year is notorious for the many traditions that come with it.

From senior sunrise in August to senior celebration in May, the year is jam-packed with fun activities to help them make the most of their last year of high school.

Student Council is responsible for putting on many of the activities — especially the senior class and executive officers.

“We do a lot to plan these events, and our primary job is just making sure that everything can run smoothly and is approved by the Derby administration,” senior Aleah Jones said.

Some recent traditions include the staff vs. senior basketball game on May 7. Stuco puts on the game, which is usually one of the funniest, most memorable events.

“I’m excited to be a part of it… it’s a tradition that I’ve known about since my freshman year and looked forward to,” senior Lucas Kreutzer said.

So, what’s still to come for our 2025 seniors?

Senior celebration is by far the most planned event. Parents and educators work all year to fundraise for this one-night celebration of those who are graduating.

The night includes games, prizes, food and an environment that welcomes all seniors to commemorate their last four years of hard work.

“Being the organizer of such a well-known event is quite the undertaking. It requires a lot of hard work, perseverance and dedication to putting something like Senior Celebration together,” coordinator Courtney Caliguiro said.

Just because some of these traditions have been happening for years doesn’t mean all of them have to be. A new idea this year was following the fall’s senior sunrise with a spring senior sunset. 

“We started the year with a sunrise, and we’re ending it together with a sunset. I’m really excited, and I hope that it can continue to last for years to come,” Jones said.

One of the last and biggest traditions for the seniors is ringing the bell. Everyone touches the bell as freshmen as they walk into the school, being told that as seniors, they’ll be able to actually ring it.

“It just represents you going full circle through high school, and you get to think about how you’ve changed … how you’ve grown since the beginning of the school year,” senior class president Caleb Rogers said.