On Friday, May 19, Sequoia High School seniors celebrated the end of their high school career by skipping classes and going to the beach. 

“This day is definitely one of the highlights of this year for me because it’s so nice to see everyone all together having fun,” senior Hayley Houston said.

Although Senior Ditch Day was not officially sanctioned by the school, participating seniors were not penalized for participating. This tradition marks the start of the end of high school for the senior class and is part of the many traditions that surround graduation, such as senior sunrise and grad night.

“I think that Senior Ditch Day is a great way to celebrate all of our accomplishments and let out all of the stress of the past years altogether,” Senior Class President Kylia Stout said.

Kylia Stout was one of the people in charge of organizing the location of the day as well as the date. 

“We had to make sure most people were done with their IB exams and that it was not during senior finals, which is why we decided to do that Friday, as there were only the IB psychology exams early in the morning. That way, most people were able to attend,” Stout said. 

Much of the Sequoia staff viewed Ditch Day in the same way as the seniors participating in it, acknowledging that most seniors have put in a lot of effort throughout their four years at Sequoia.

“Does it take away from learning? If you’re crunching the numbers, having one less day at school is taking away learning. But you also gain in the social experience that goes along with that kind of rite of passage,” history teacher David Hartford said.