Seniors Slay the Day
By Olivia Voth
Friday, April 21 proved to be a very busy day for the seniors of Owasso High School. There were three separate events going on, and students were out of class from first hour all the way until sixth hour. Regardless, it was a lovely time filled with sentimental camaraderie and nostalgia.
The first event of the morning was the Senior Awards Assembly, where about 466 students were honored in front of their friends and family. Several scholarships were awarded for band, theater, sports, cheerleading and academics. Mr. and Miss OHS were also announced, awarding Declan Burris and Kendall Welborn the title, and several academic awards at the state and national level were presented as well.
Outstanding seniors of every class subject and activity were awarded additionally, elected by teachers of each department dating back to freshman year. Following this, GPA based awards and attendance awards were displayed, along with the announcement of distinguished graduation honors, valedictorian and salutatorian.
After the awards assembly, seniors were dismissed to a picnic in the stadium. The students formed a “23” on the football field for a picture of the entire graduating class. There were bouncy houses, corn hole, nine square, spike ball and other activities and games. Some of the warehouse workers came to grill burgers for the students and the National Guard provided a wide variety of drinks for the students. The combination of perfect weather and nostalgic music, including songs from the “High School Musical” soundtrack, added a dash of companionship and friendship to the already warm and fuzzy atmosphere.
Photo of 2023 Senior Board at the Senior Picnic taken by Kendall Welborn
Once the picnic was over, students crowded back into the PAC to welcome the hypnotist. Twenty students were called onto the stage and unconsciously performed several tasks such as horse racing, dance performances, race car driving and getting pulled over by the cops. Multiple audience members ended up getting hypnotized as well. The Owasso seniors flung onto the edges of their seats, laughing hysterically at the spectacle.
The staff of Owasso worked their hardest to provide an awesome day for the class of 2023, and it certainly paid off. Overall, the three events reminded the seniors that the remaining time they have at Owasso High School is precious and that the memories they’ve gathered over the years will follow them wherever they go next in their timelines.