A Night of Celebration by Brianna Morgan
Tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m., Senior Awards Night will begin in the large gym. All seniors participating in the awards ceremony should arrive at the school by 6 p.m. and report to th
e auditorium to line up and get ready. Around 275 seniors have been invited to come to the ceremony and have been encouraged to bring their families along to celebrate the night with them.
“[The ceremony] was started over 20 years ago because there were so many accolades, scholarships and rewards that couldn’t be recognized at graduation,” Guidance Counselor Lisa Woodrum said. “Instead of just printing them all out on the graduation program, this has a certain familial setting where administrators, teachers, and counselors can personally speak about each student and recognize their achievements.”
The attire for the night is semi-formal, as this is an event honoring students’ achievements. This is the night where seniors will be recognized for their accomplishments throughout high school. 4.0 cords and cords for other achievements such as National Honors Society, Quill and Scroll, and Mu Alpha Theta will be given out. Scholarships and Departmental awards will also be announced at the ceremony.
“This is just more personal [than graduation],” Woodrum said. “Of course our principals are up on stage, giving hand shakes, but hearing, say, a club sponsor speaking about their specific group makes it much more personal and shows their commitment and respect.”
The All-Knighter by Hannah Rosen
The All-Knighter, which celebrates graduation, starts at 10:30 p.m. on June 7 and goes until 5 a.m. the following morning. Various activities will take place on the lower level of the school to give graduates a safe place to hang out after graduation.
This year’s All-Knighter activities are being kept secret; however, students can get some idea of what the night will consist of by looking at what occurred last year. Some events from last year included a hypnotist, a bounce house, a cartoonist, an arcade and plenty of raffles.
“We try to let the seniors have fun and appreciate that they finished school and are moving on to whatever they may be,” All-Knighter co-chair Kim Clouse said.
The All-Knighter is sponsored by the PTO, which sets up fundraisers to raise money for the event throughout the year.
Graduation Day by Melissa Lukes
Graduation will be held at 3 p.m. on June 7 at the Family Arena. The dress code for students includes: dark bottoms, black dress shoes, and a white top. Males are also required to wear a tie.
This year, the seniors will be led by Grand Marshall Gregory Hennenfent, who has worn purple all year to honor retiring with the senior class. Graduation will also be different this year because there will not be any musical performances. To compensate, however, there will be speeches given by Liz Mayer, Abigail Griffin and Clayton Kolher.
“I’m excited to graduate because I am more than ready to move on with the next chapter of my life,” Abigail Griffin said. “And I’m definitely ready to be done with high school.”
Students who missed picking up their graduation tickets on May 12 and 13 can pick up tickets from Marilyn Jarvis in the main office.
A Trip to Daytona by Hannah Rosen
In just over a month, some seniors will head to Daytona from June 15-22. This annual trip rewards graduates for their hard work over the last four years with fun in the sun.
“All my friends are excited for Daytona and they all talk about it,” Anne Reiner said. “I am most excited for going to Wet ‘n Wild Resort in Orlando and spending time on the beach.”
The graduates will stay at a hotel near the beach for the duration of the trip. Their days will be filled with activities like a beach volleyball tournament, swimming at the beach and a day at Wet ‘n Wild in Orlando.
“The day at Wet ‘n Wild is my favorite, there is a lot of fun stuff to do,” Paul Just, one of the chaperones for the trip, said. “I have always liked water parks, and the kids seem to really enjoy it. It is a very fun time; and, the downtime at the beach is fun as well.”
