Update: Fifth Quarter was canceled the afternoon of Feb. 10, due to time conflicts. The Feather apologizes for the inconvenience.

Once a year, senior athletes become nostalgic as their last home game draws near. That’s why in a bittersweet ceremony, Senior Night recognizes and congratulates seniors for the participation and contributions they’ve made to their sport within their high school careers.

In order to further celebrate these athletes’ careers, a Fifth Quarter will be held after the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball games against Caruthers Blue Raiders, Feb. 10. For this event, students from grades 7-12 and alumni are invited to enjoy pizza and drinks in the FC Gym, starting at 9:30 p.m. There will be a $5 cover charge.

Senior Night has been taking place for all campus sports teams for over 20 years. For some, however, watching seniors’ receive recognition does not make their departure any easier to accept.

Leadership Adviser Robert Foshee acknowledges that there are both memories and legacies that the current senior class will leave behind, especially from the perspective of a teacher.

“It is great that we have Senior Night because it is a way to honor them and remember the time they have spent at Fresno Christian,” Foshee said. “As a teacher, it is joyful because I have watched them grow and mature for four years of their life but it is also sad because they are leaving.”

Being a senior herself, Darlene Idsinga, ’12, looks forward to watching Senior Night because it gives her the opportunity to see her friends play for the last time.

“The game tomorrow will be awesome because I am finally a senior and I get to see my fellow classmates honored,” Idsinga said. “This is a sentimental game for me because its probably the last high school home game I will attend while being a student here.”

After getting to know the senior class over the years, Briana Graff, ’13, recognizes their athletic accomplishments.

“I have had a great year this year getting to know the seniors,” Graff said. “It is cool to to see them start a new chapter as they get older but it is also sad because I will miss them.”

Though the seniors will be missed by many, senior night is a good way to show appreciation of their participation at our school.

“The Senior Night games are always really fun because alumni, family, teachers and students usually come out in support of the teams and the game draws out a pretty large crowd,” Foshee said. “It is awesome to be a part of such a supporting student body, it shows we are truly a family in Christ.”

PODCAST: Tranquillity postgame, Caruthers rematch: Feb. 10 , 2012–

The girls’ varsity game will begin at 6 p.m. and the boys’ varsity game will begin at 8 p.m. The festivities for the seniors will take place before each game. Celebration of Senior Night draws larger crowds than the usual home game, so fans are encouraged to come early to find seats. Fans may also want to be at the games because the 2010 and 2011 Valley championship banners will be unveiled for girls and boys basketball.

For more information, read the Feb. 7 article, BRIEF: Athletic senior nights approach (PODCAST).