By: Lucy Cronin

   All throughout Howard County, high school seniors have spent months scheduling and preparing for the highly anticipated senior week. This annual celebration is one of Howard County’s most thriving student traditions, a trip to Ocean City, Maryland where graduates of the year meet as a way to start off their summers and spend one last week together before going their separate ways. This celebration is highly anticipated for many students and has been going on for over 60 years. This creates a need to prepare far in advance; most students make housing and travel arrangements in the fall or even earlier. 

   Traditionally, senior week for Howard County students takes place during the first week of June. Despite this, graduations are repeatedly set during senior week. This year, Marriotts Ridge is one of the schools affected, with graduation being set for June 2nd. Some students are angered by this, and questions have been raised as to why the county chooses to ignore and interrupt this known tradition. Although Howard County Public Schools Superintendent, William Barnes, and his committee have the final say on the graduation schedule, the choice is not entirely up to them. 

   All graduations take place at Merriweather Post Pavilion each year, a popular summer concert venue in Columbia, Maryland. Due to this, Howard County high school graduations are only able to be held on days Merriweather doesn’t have any events scheduled, severely limiting the times available for graduations. Despite the large time period students are given earlier in the year as to when graduation could be, by the time Merriweather’s concert schedule is finalized, that list has shrunk to be only a few days long. 

   There have been efforts to move graduation locations to new venues, as many believe it is unfair that multiple schools have to split their time between the events, but no official changes have been made. Even though the graduation date is finalized, students remain vocal with their complaints and concerns about the events overlapping.

   “I think that it’s extremely upsetting. We only get one senior week and one graduation and we’re forced to split our time between them. This is a tradition that has gone on for over 70 years so they should put in an effort to let us know graduation dates further in advance,” senior Salma Tabana expressed.

   Students are handling the news in a variety of ways, some shortening their trips, others planning to wake up as early as three o’clock to drive from Ocean City to Merriweather the morning of. 

   “It’s definitely unfair, and it really is gonna put a damper on senior week for the whole county. I’m waking up at four in the morning to drive back the morning of, then coming back later in the day. It sucks that people are gonna have to spend so much money on gas, and it could be dangerous for all those teenage drivers to go there and back in the same day,” senior Grayson Nealis shared.

   Despite the concerns of some, many students are looking forward to the day, excited for the amount of celebration and joy set to take place. 

   “It’s going to be like a party. Graduation’s already a fun day, and now we get to go to Ocean City after and be with all of our friends. Driving back with everyone is going to be a nice time to bond and enjoy our accomplishments and just all be together. I even know some people joking about getting a party bus to take them back and forth. I’m definitely looking forward to it,” senior Santino Pinos explained.

   No matter what students’ plans are for senior week and graduation, June 2nd will be an action packed day full of celebration and recognition for the class of 2026 and their achievements.