Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2016, Page 123

Description:	promJunior Advisory Board members spentweeks working diligently on prom setsbefore the big night. Junior NaomiBrown was an integral part of thetransformation of the atrium.* It was a fun experienceto see all the hard workwe did turn intosomething so special topeople, ftI dont think theyre really doing anythingfor the school at all. No one really looks atthem.- freshman Torin Kray-MawhorrI havent really noticed them becauseyou cant just stop in the hall and look atthem.- sophomore Montana AddisonCOAST_)U stepsSouths Optimist Newspaper and Sounds of South choirtraveled to opposite coasts for enriching experiencesregarding their fields. SOS ventured to Manhattan whileOptimist journeyed to Los Angeles for the JEA/NSPAJournalism Convention.Walking down Los Angeles boulevards, spending an evening atGriffith Observatory and staying in a four star hotel doesnt seemlike an average field trip. Taking a ferry to the Statue of Liberty,singing along to songs at an infamous diner and sashaying thestreets of downtown New York City are more than a step up fromthe amateur school adventures one might be used to.Sounds of South began their journey long before theirdeparture. Students worked hard to ensure their spot on a muchanticipated vacation. Junior Prince Butler anticipated the trip formost of the school year fundraising for the trip. We spend amajority of the summer and the first couple of weeks of classraising money and selling advertisements, Butler said. Studentswere able to plan their own itinerary around the main eventsorganized by Mrs. Gwen Upchurch. For senior Jennifer Huntoon,the NYC cuisine was a highlight. We went to a place calledEllens Stardust Diner, Huntoon said. All of the waiters sangsongs, so being a group of singers, we sang along and madedinner really fun.On the opposite coast, Souths newspaper, the Optimist,ventured to Los Angeles for four days to attend the JournalismEducation Association/National Scholastic Press Associationconference. Junior Shelby Newland and sophomore ElizabethRickert attended workshops and lectures on higher qualityjournalism, hoping to improve their publication. It was really funto talk to other students and see their publications, Newlandsaid. We came away with many new ideas.For Rickert, a highlight was the California sightseeing. Wewent to Griffith Observatory and got to watch the sunset from oneof the balconies, Rickert said. Other stops outside of theconference included the Museum of Contemporary Art of LosAngeles and the Dodgers Stadium. The trip was not without itshiccups, namely a hotel mix up. We had to drag our luggagethrough the streets, Newland said. When we finally got to thehotel, there was scaffolding all around it and we were worried itwasnt going to be open.Unforgettable memories were made on opposite sides ofthe country. Huntoon attributed it to her long history with thegroup. An experience like this could [have] only happen[ed] withthe people Ive been in class with for four years, Huntoon said.- ELLIE PEMBERTON
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/9759
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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