Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2009, Page 114

Description:	A Walk to RememberFor the class of 2009, graduation was more than just a ticket out of high school;it was a chance for the student body to come together, through tears andlaughter, and honor the memories that they shared.Most years ended with a graduationthat was just another ceremony inwhich a few students gave a run-of-the-mill speech, school officials declaredtheir pride for the class (and the Panthers), and family members constandychecked their watches as almost 500seniors strutted across the stage to receive diplomas. But the class of 2009experienced a ceremony that wouldbe more appropriate to be called commencement. This year, there were several events that were important enoughto make the students of BloomingtonSouth put their personal lives on holdand appreciate the big picture. Thisyear has been very unusual. I think thisis the best way to leave high school,and its a very good year to be a senior, senior Jordan Harris said.Tears were first shed on August 16,2008 when the South lost one of itsmost inspiring and passionate educators, Ms. Elena Veach. On November4, 2008, South students who worked onelection campaigns cried from the joyof victory or sorrow of defeat, as theresults of the election were announced.Then again on March 28, 2009, thebasketball team supplied more tearsas South finally won a state championship, though it came to no surprise. Finally on May 30, 2009, the senior classcried as their high school experienceended and the thoughts, We did it!or Its about time, siphoned throughAssembly Hall. Among all these tears,the seniors, along with the rest of theschool, began to let their true colorsshow. Ive opened up a lot more andmet a lot more people than if thingshadnt happened this way, Harris saidon the way the years events stirred upthe school.There were also once-in-a-lifetimeexperiences this year that could not beexperienced by the whole school. Harris was one of the lucky students thatwas a member of orchestra this year:for the 65th anniversary of D-Day (theinvasion of five beaches on the northern French shore in World War II), theorchestra traveled to France to play atan international music invitational at anAmerican cemetery. Im excited aboutgraduating, but were going to France afew days later. My best memories fromhigh school are probably the orchestratrips.There was no way to predict the futureof South, or the effect this year wouldhave on it. But there were students tobear witness to it, experience the effects, and keep Souths legacy alive.They say that people band together inthe midst of a crisis, but students heredemonstrated it doesnt take a crisisto unite the school. There was a lotmore school spirit, Harris commented, but this statement was hardly to berestricted to the basketball state championship, or any other sports victory.Reminders were constandy droppedthis year that students may be in different grades, have different beliefs, notshare a common goal in life, or evenget along. Some would relish the opportunity to come back to high school,others would prefer to move on andaccept the experience for what it wasand accept the decisions they made. Iwouldnt go back to high school, but ifI did I wouldnt be so hard on myself,Harris said. In the end, as commencement approaches, the realization thatthey were one student body appeared.Some things struck that entire studentbody, and through the laughter andtears, it picked itself up, dusted itselfoff, and prepared its seniors to walkacross the stage at Assembly Hall.-MARGARET MCGILLIVRAYA Yearin ReviewSignificantevents, both nationallyand locally, madestudents senior yearunforgettable.August2008 SummerOlympics, held in Beijing, China, lead to 36U.S. gold medals.OctoberNational Honor Society holdsits first blood drive of 2009in which students as young as16-years-old could donate.SeptemberHurricane Ike hitsthe U.S., creatingmany local poweroutages.NovemberMany 18-year-oldBloomington South seniorshad the opportunity to votefor the first time in thehistoric election.114 \| STUDENT LIFE \| graduation
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/8136
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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