GGOOOOOOOOODD AFTERNOON, NORWELL HIGH SCHOOL!
Here we are on a Sunday Afternoon, all gathered together as one class, for the final time.
Some of us have been adults for a couple years already. And some of us are graduating a bit younger than others.
But every single one of us stands out, in one way or another.
Through our voices, our music, our art, our jobs, our dance moves, our intelligence in the classrooms, and our athletic excellence, we have bonded, and created friendships through our years in the classroom. Now we go our separate ways. Some of us will still see each other at the same college. But for some of us, now, the only way we will communicate is poking each other on Facebook!
But each and every one of us, and our personalities will be a part of our High School Memories.
- Paige Meyer and Melissa Nolan can blow our minds with their fantastic singing voices.
- Michael Brown will never stop drumming.
- Amanda McAfee, Lauren Klansek, and Abby Pfaff. I wonder what they would be like with energy drinks.
- Jake Price, Paul Grote, and Mike Sorg... their names say it all by itself. Wouldn’t they be the perfect Law attorney group?
- Dillon Kelly doing cartwheels down the hallway.
- Brandon Johnson. Whether he’s putting glue in his belly button, asking the most random and distraught questions, or doing his chant at Basketball games.
It’s not that some of us aren’t worthy of mentioning, but let’s face it guys, when you’re running across Highway 224 during a fire drill, you’re going to be remembered.
- Some teachers have taught us important things to remember as well...
- Mrs. Aschliman, for example, helped us remember never to sneak up on someone, especially when their 1st reaction is loud enough for the entire school to hear.
- Mr. Thornton and Mr. Platt taught us the consequences of sleeping in class.
- Mrs. Bower taught us that small people can have a big voice.
- Mr. Gerber showed us why we should never get in his way when he plays Dodgeball.
- And we will certainly never forget that 1959 was a good year, because that’s when Mr. Ballinger was born... or was it 1859?
There are some students who have taught us life lessons as well...
- Like, never hang on a basketball rim in the middle school when other guys are around you.
- Never anger a girl who has a tray full of food.
- “Stand up for what you believe in.”
- “Be fun and confident in the decisions you choose.”
- “Always have a smile on your face, because people will wonder ‘What’s up with him?’”
We can take these lessons and use them to our advantage when we enter the next part of our life.
Ok, yes, I doubt most of us will randomly hang from a basketball rim and “look like a fool with your pants on the ground,” but on a serious note... Smile. Stand up for what you believe in.
Be confident in yourself. God has a plan for each and every one of us! Stay on the right road... even if you have to ask for directions.
As Lou Erickso said “Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps ticking, whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still.” But we will not stand still. We will get somewhere... and then continue from there. Even though we are going our separate ways, we’re still together as one. The world will always remember us as Norwell’s Class of 2011.
If you take a look around the gym, you will see the people surrounding us at this moment that have helped us come to this point. Without the person to your left or to your right, we wouldn’t be here together; we wouldn’t be sharing moments together. We’ve gone through some hard times, losing a close classmate who won’t be forgotten. We came together as a community, once again, proving that Northern Wells is a great place to live and learn.
We’ve gone through some fun times as well! The marching band taught us how to change the world, one person at a time. The show choir continues to put Norwell on the National Map. We led our athletic programs to feats that have never been accomplished before in school history. THIS Senior Class, the Class of 2011, IS the best class to graduate NHS.
Just look at our class rank! On a 12 Point Scale, The top 10 students have an 11.5 GPA or better. The Top 28 students all have an 11 GPA or higher, with the average gap from each person being 3/10 of a point! ...not only are we the best class to graduate NHS, (any class can say that just to make themselves feel better), but we are the smartest to graduate NHS as well.
Former US Senator Orrin Hatch once said, “There is a good reason why they call these ceremonies ‘commencement exercises.’ Graduation is not the end... it’s the beginning.” It’s the beginning of the next chapter in our lives. I have no doubt in my mind, that when we step out of those high school doors, and enter the real world, we will make a difference in society.
Whether we’re going to be an artist, an actor, or a worker on Dad’s farm. Whether we go into the Telecommunications field, the engineering field, the nursing field, or enter the military, we will take the skills and knowledge that we have received from friends, family, and other adults, to choose our own paths. We will fight through more encounters in the next chapter in our lives, and, guys, I promise you, it will be a little more challenging than a new principal, and a new 7-period day. But we are a strong bunch of young adults, who will battle through the tests that life continues to send our way. After all, we are knights... Knights in shining armor, changing the look of our future.
Coach Lou Holtz once stated, “If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven’t done anything today.” I ask you, Class of 2011, will you do something today, to make a difference for tomorrow? This is what Mr. Mohler would always mean when he said “Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.” Make today a good day, and it will have an emphasis on tomorrow.
And forget about those who say our generation is lazy, because of all this technology. Yeah, sure, we’re “LOLing” all over the place, but the two hands that each of us have, can do way more than type letters on our cell phone’s keyboard... to chat with someone sitting right next to us.
Our hands will be grabbing a microphone that helps us sing to stardom. Our hands will be building the next invention that everyone will want to have. Our hands will be making game-winning plays, teaching kids, finding cures, creating pictures, and saving lives. Our hands will be helping someone, motivating someone, Inspiring someone, and changing this planet altogether, giving it a bright future.
All we have to do is take a deep breath, look at God’s creation that reflects in the sunlight, have faith and courage, and believe in ourselves, and each other.
An unknown author wrote: “Light is good, from whatever lamp it shines.” So let’s turn on our lamps, and shine across the globe, because according to Aaron Rose, “In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.” Wherever we go, whatever we do, we will change this world, by taking Norman Rice’s advice, and “daring to reach out our hands into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.”
Class of 2011... our future is bright... it’s time to put on the shades.
To celebrate the News-Banner's annual Progress edition, "Who We Are," we've pulled from the News-Banner archive a year's worth of videos that help further tell the stories found in today's special section.
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