Senior Shaylee Vice shows her attitude towards the last trimester until graduating. Photo by: Brandon Heims
By Brandon Heims
The year is coming to an end, now that PHS is in its final trimester. This means that seniors are preparing to graduate.
As some may have a bittersweet feeling, others are excited about graduating. Daren Miller is one senior that is ready to leave and get his life started. As for most seniors, they are probably ready to get life started with their big achievement of surviving high school and graduating. Some seniors, like Shaylee Vice, have a bitter sweet feeling. “I am so happy to finally graduate and move on with my life and go to college, but I am also sad that I am parting with these people who have been with me these last twelve years. Its hard,” she said. Victoria Dewar and Megan Frazier agree with Vice as Frazier said, “[I am] excited and nervous all at the same time!”
There are things and events that seniors will miss and some that they will be glad to forget. As for Miller, who said he will miss stage crew, but he will not be missing homework. Vice would agree with Miller about not missing the homework and for missing stage crew. “I will definitely miss stage crew the most just because I have been involved with the theatre department for 4 years and I know all the ups and downs. I plan on coming back for every single play that is coming on to support my friends and fellow techies and actors,” Vice said. Frazier said, “[I will miss] the teachers who changed my way of thinking,” but she will not miss waking up at 6 a.m and having to hide her coffee in her locker. Cody Clark said he thinks he will miss messing around with the “kewl” teachers, but will not miss the drama of high school. Micah Harner, Fabian Baca Guzman and Daniel Smith would all agree to missing the opportunity of seeing their friends everyday. Smith said, “the least thing I will miss is the test and quizzes that we get.” Dewar said she will miss the fact that school was so easy for her.
As some seniors may dislike the ideal of going back to their freshman year, others may jump at the opportunity. Some seniors may be glad where they are now, but might still wish that they would have been more productive in the three years before. “I do wish my freshman year was more productive but I value the lesson learned,” Frazier said, “I believe things happen for a reason and your experiences mold who you are.” Other seniors may even dislike the thought of going back to their freshman year because they know that they were in the category with all the other picked on students or maybe they just do not want to go through all the education again. Instead of going all the way back to freshman year, some may just want to do senior year all over again. “Its been a fun ride,” Dewar said. The thought of the summer after senior year and college in the following years may even spark the emotions even more for seniors, to know that they have made it.
Graduation is right around the corner, but seniors will always have memories of high school. Frazier said her favorite senior memory would be Mr. Coffman’s drill sergeant act, “I almost hid when he came running in and yelling out vocab for Beowulf.” Frazier also has memories of mornings with Mrs. Clevenger at alternative school. Harner said, “my favorite memory of senior year is probably the whole soccer season in general. We did not have the best, but I had a great time playing.” Dewar, on the other hand, said her greatest memories are on the basketball court, especially in her senior season and last game. Vice said, “My favorite memory of senior year is probably the pep rallies and all of us seniors running in, in all black with all the noise makers, flags and the blown up kangaroo.” Other than that, Vice will also remember stage crew and student training throughout her high school years. Smith’s favorite memory of senior year would be when he was honorable mention for soccer. Smith said, “My favorite memories in high school was freshman year when I scored the game winning touchdown against Wawasee. My other favorite memory is sophomore year where I was a bubble player for baseball.”
With high school almost over, most seniors know what they are doing with their years to come. Frazier said, “I want to get the schooling and licenses I need to rehabilitate wild animals.” Clark, on the other hand, said, “My plans after high school is to get a summer job, make some money, then attend UNOH [University of Northwestern Ohio] in the fall.” Harner said that he plans to major in Pre-Med and economics. As for Dewar, she said she is going to take on a double major in criminal justice and criminology and minor in sociology and psychology at Trine University. Like Dewar, Vice said she is also going to study psychology along with human services at Ball State. Smith said he will be going to college to play baseball and study in physical weight training. Others like Guzman and Miller say they will be working.
Seniors may have made a big transition from their freshman years to now. “My freshman year I had a cumulative GPA of 0,” Frazier said. “last trimester I got A’s and B’s. My work ethnic has gone from 0 to 100 in the past four years. I had teachers push me until I wanted to quit, push me until I pushed back, but in the end I should have known; this is not new to them and I was messing with experienced individuals. I lost.” Dewar explains a different situation when she said, “I learned so much about my self. I discovered who I am in these halls and its been a huge influence in my life. I wish I would have known back in my freshman year what I know now.” Vice said, “Freshman year, like I said before, I was young and naive and full of drama all the time. Now that I’m older, I’ve matured, just like everyone else, and really learned who I am as a person and what I still strive to become.” Smith would agree with some of what Frazier, Dewar and Vice said, but everyone has a different experience. Smith said, “My transition from freshman year to now has changed a lot because I have become more mature than I ever was back as a freshman.”
Seniors could have a lot of advice for the underclass students and have statements for the staff of PHS. As for Frazier, she has a lot to say, “Make the best of this experience, it feels like forever but it is no where close to that. You’ll look back on all the good and bad times, the jokes, the pranks and want it all back. So no regrets! To staff, thank you for being hard on me, even when I showed clear distaste for your effort, thank you for showing me I was not in charge.” Clark said, “Fight the fight, stay the course, because true Rockies do what it take to never fail.” Dewar, on the other hand, said, “It really does fly by, but its been a great ride.” Vice said, “I want to thank everyone, students and staff for riding along with me in my senior year, and really shaping me in the person I am today. I wouldn’t be able to do it without you guys!” Smith’s statement to students is to “work hard everyday and never give up on what you want and you will succeed in anything.”
The seniors finish off their trimester, prepared to say their farewells, but they will not be sad because they know they have come far.