Early Friday morning, in the early morning glow just before the sun came up, members of the Class of 2019 gathered at Angelo Novi Stadium on the Riverbank High School campus preparing to celebrate Senior Sunrise.

As they arrived, most were in tie-dyed T-shirts, with groups of students sporting similar colors/designs. But most were either wrapped up in blankets or jackets to fight the chilly air.

One glitch in the morning came when students and their parents first arrived.

The gates to the parking lot next to the stadium were locked, forcing most to park out on Patterson Road and to walk in to the stadium. In all, though, most arrived in time for the sunrise at 6:30 a.m., and the opportunity to pose for a class photo for the yearbook, just as the sky lit up.

As they gathered in the grandstands, the multi-colored nature of the students did have one bit of organization, beyond the small groups of similar shirts.

In addition to the tie-dyed patterns, one bunch had large letters on the front of their shirts, and after a bit of confusion on what it was to spell, they finally settled on two rows of the bleachers. As yearbook photographers clicked away, the T-shirts spelled out “Senior Season,” to insure there would be no doubt what the photo was recording.

The Senior Sunrise is a long-standing tradition at Riverbank High, symbolizing the beginning of the last year of high school. Usually in the spring, near the end of the school year, they gather again to celebrate Senior Sunset, often in the same bleachers.

After the photos, the students meandered over to tables stationed near the snack bar to enjoy breakfast, with pastries, fruit and beverages all available.