A Classic Senior Tradition: Last Day Senior Tailgate
- Oscar Pinto
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Columbus seniors celebrate their last day of school with a campuswide cookout.
by Oscar Pinto
Before the crack of dawn, at 4 a.m., seniors begin loading their cars with speakers, grills, food, games and even inflatable pools, all to make their final day of high school one to remember.
"When you’re a senior, there are a lot of things that you get to accomplish but the senior tailgate feels like a milestone," senior Nicholas Dovales said.
The Columbus parking lot opens at 5 a.m., and as part of a long-standing tradition, seniors gather to grill food, play music and spend time together. This year, students cooked steaks, burgers and even pancakes.
“I grilled 17 pounds of skirt steak and 45 sausages; they were all gone within the first hour. They made it delicious,” said senior Lucas Gonzalez.
Some students brought inflatable pools in the beds of pickup trucks, sitting in them while listening to music and watching their classmates grill. The event has become a staple of Columbus culture, reflecting the brotherhood and energy that define the school.
“The senior tailgate is such an important tradition because it’s the last school day for seniors, where we all come out together at the crack of dawn to celebrate our four years,” said senior Brandon Pineyro.
One standout moment was a U-Haul truck transformed into a DJ booth, where students played house music and celebrated together during one of their final shared experiences.
“The DJ set was really fun, and I think it’s one of my favorite Columbus moments,” said senior Andres Parra.
The cookout gained attention beyond campus when it was featured on the Only in Dade Instagram account, earning nearly 30,000 likes and more than 14,000 shares.
“The senior cookout is important because it began and still is an event completely planned and organized by the seniors...It has proven every year so far to be a successful way to start the seniors’ last day of school,” said Dean of Students Mr. Linfors.
"And for me at least, it was kind of the moment where it hit me that it was over. It reminds you of the fun times and amazing people you met," Dovales said.
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