On December 14, seniors at Pattonville High School came together to celebrate the first senior event of the year. The staff and administrators at PHS provided a free fireworks show for any seniors who could come. The event helped to relieve some stress students have been feeling due to Covid-19 and any other difficulties they had been working through.
Counselor Ms. Alysia Patterson came up with the idea for a senior show. “2020 has been a historic year and while there have been many painful losses, it has given us an opportunity to create outside of the box. Seniors have accomplished a lot and they need to be recognized.”
The evening consisted of students checking in with a staff member to verify their senior status when they arrived. They then were provided a free snack of a bag of chips and a water, to follow with a free senior T-shirt.
The students then made their way to the back parking lot to wait until the scheduled show would begin. When the event began students were giving a display of vibrant colors followed by loud booms as fireworks exploded overhead. The display was something the students could do to spend time with friends in a safe environment and just enjoy much needed social time.
Senior Graeme Robinson attended the event with a friend. “I haven’t seen a fireworks display in a bit and I knew some friends who would be there so I went with a friend. Everything is just happening faster and I don’t like the distance between people.”
Robinson was able to see some friends as well as ease the sense of disconnection. The event finished with the senior class cheering and clapping for the show.
The event helped to show the senior class that even though they may be going through things and the senior year they believed that they would have isn’t looking very promising, there is still a lot to look forward to. As Mrs. Patterson said “Like the soaring lights displayed in the sky, our seniors still have very bright futures!”