By: Samantha Martin

A class of 97 seniors graduated in a packed gym on Sunday, May 18 at 1 p.m. with honors of Valedictorian and Salutatorian going to Avery Jones and Samantha Muse respectively. Jones, daughter of Brad and Deirdre Jones, enjoined the class of 2014–a class of “millennials”–to become the “belayers” for other young people beginning their climb through life, to be the voice that says, “you can” and the taut rope to help catch them when they fall.

In honor of their Instagram generation, Muse, daughter of Mark and Bridgette Muse, playfully took a selfie with her classmates, and reminded them of the numerous awards and championships their class had won over the past four years.  Class  president, Ty Gavette thanked the administrators and teachers that had helped him through school after greeting the graduates with his trademark “Howyadoin?” heard every day over the announcements during the 2012-13 school year.

The band played “Flight of the Thunderbird” before bringing the class in with the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance,” and closed with the same. During the ceremony, the senior choir performed Down That Road and EHS Troubadours sang O Sifuni Mungu, a spirited African piece arranged by R. Emerson. Many relatives, and siblings in lower grades attended the ceremony. Sophomore Lauren Gerkin, described the ceremony as “overwhelming because of all of the graduates.” Gerkin said she went to one graduation party for her older sister, Audreyann. Although graduating is exciting and the seniors are ready to move on, it is not always easy for the family, as in this case with the Gerkins. Choir teacher, Christina Contreras also added that “in certain circumstances the graduation can be hard on teachers to see the student moving on.” Gerkin said the graduation was “more sad because my sister is moving on to a new chapter.” Gerkin also said she is “more nervous than excited to graduate in two years because we have to go into the real world and see what it’s like.” Not only were relatives and siblings at the graduation ceremony and parties, so were a lot of friends. Everyone thinks graduation means something different, but for Gerkin it means “a step of moving on in life and accomplishments.” Junior Nick Schreiber and Sophomore Matt Burkart agree that graduation is “exciting but hard. It’s a learning experience not for only the seniors but for us to see where they will go.”  Schreiber went to both graduation and at least seven graduation parties. Schreiber says he is excited to graduate next year because “I get to go out and explore new things.” Graduating is said to be nerveracking and people think about even as a freshman like Tarynn Sieg. Sieg didn’t go to the graduation ceremony but she did go to a few grad parties. Sieg says, “my favorite graduation party that I went to was Muse’s because it was in a barn and the party was for more than one person. I liked it so I go to say  goodbye to more than just one person at a time.” Although she is only a freshman and there is still plenty of time to think about it, Sieg has already started to think about what she wants to do for her graduation party. Sieg says she is “nervous for my graduation because I’m not exactly sure what I am going to do. I don’t even know what I want to be when I’m older.” This is a struggle for a lot of people, even after they graduate. Sieg says that graduation is “something new, and signifies moving on, to a new chapter in life.”