On Friday, Oct. 9, seniors filled the first couple of rows of what was once called ‘The Pirate’s Cove’ for the first time since before the AWHS campus closed during COVID-19. Along with the Archie Williams school name change, this specific set of bleachers at the east end of the main gym was renamed ‘The Falcon’s Nest’.

In the past, seniors sat in the Falcon’s Nest during rallies and at big indoor sports events. However, there have been no rallies in the past year due to COVID-19, resulting in the Falcon’s Nest not being used in over a year. When the Falcon’s Nest opened after over one year for the senior night volleyball game, seniors became very enthusiastic about cheering from their rightful place in the Falcons Nest. 

“It [The Falcon’s Nest] was something that I always wanted as a freshman and was concerned I would never get to experience. It was a great time having everyone in the senior section for a game,” said AWHS senior Jake Dixon. “It was almost like a right of passage to being a senior, given how they used to have it for seniors on the first day of school rally. (It) almost feels like we’re having a real senior year.”

The theme for the game was “Pink Out,” as advertised on the girls’ varsity volleyball team’s Instagram page. Volleyball fans arrived in pink clothes from head to toe, including covering their hair in pink hairspray and their faces in pink face paint. 

After AWHS senior Sarah Wulff scored the winning point in the senior night game, the student section uproared in excitement, with students pouring out onto the court to celebrate with the team. 

“It was one of the first times I felt like our grade was bonded together in one group. There was so much support for our fellow Falcons, it was awesome to be a part of,” said AWHS senior Drew Samway.

It was an exciting night for the senior student body, and an emotional night for the varsity girls in their last home game before their pre-playoff season ends. Although it is currently undetermined if the Falcon’s Nest will remain open for indoor sports games or rallies throughout the rest of the year, this glimpse into the possibility of a “normal year” puts hope in the eyes of the senior class.