Newspapers / Grimsley High School Student … / May 18, 2007, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 High Life Reflections May 18,2007 Mickael Betts Student Body President My fellow Whirlies, Teddy Roosevelt once said, "A man can not go forward unless he knows where his past lies." This state ment is paramount when looking at the lives that we, as the class of 2007, have re ally begun for our selves. Although ex tremely different people, we have the one strong bond that ties us together, comprised of the four years we have learned, educated, served, and celebrated at Grimsley Senior High School. 1 remember the first day of freshmen orien tation almost as though it were just last week. 1 had the opportunity to sit with other newcom ers and redefine myself as a new person in a new school where only a handful of students knew who I was or what my history said of me as a person. Many of us had the same feel ings that we were going to start afresh because of Grimsleys history of grooming its students. I remember that day and reflect upon the thoughts racing through my mind. Winning Mr. Gasparello's almost im possible game of Simon Says, although trivial in the grand scheme of things, initiated my steps toward active in volvement within the Grimsley community. I relished the moment of victory for my fellow teammates (the Green Team, by the way!) and me. It was an experi ence that, believe it or not, acted as an anchor for situations that oc curred later during my high school career. That moment put mat ters in perspective, showing me t how much I loved helping others to succeed, how much I was valued, and how well I could actu ally follow directions (even after years of be ing told that I couldn't because I talked too much). At that particu lar time, I officially de cided to accept Grimsley, and it de cided to accept me; con sequently, we students eventually all con verged into one body with a mutual accep tance of others. So now, we begin to reminisce of days past, from freshmen year to this year, and of the lives we collectively touched. Remember ing vividly what we soon took for granted, the new walkways come to mind; our freshman year was the first year they were open. For many of us, we viewed our time on campus through rose- colored glasses. The year of 2003 was the only year in the last four when we did not beat those individuals who live on Alma Pinnix Drive. Even so, we remained gratefully proud of Grimsley, which is the way stu dents should feel about their school. Senator John Kerry conceded at lunch the day after the presidential election, and the small minority of Republicans on cam pus felt as though they directly made that happen. The year fast- forwarded like a high speed amusement park ride. Suddenly, we were no longer the lowest tribe on the totem pole. We were sopho mores. The year was 2005. Although current events were soaring with news of Iraq, many of us did not talk about global issues un til we returned from winter break, upon hearing the tsunami in Southeast Asia devas tated the lives of thou sands. We, as a student body, recognized a need and went into overdrive to provide an answer. After raising $12,500 for the cause, we certainly felt better. Not even a complete year passed before we felt compelled to orga nize yet another fundraiser. The Katrina mayhem struck, and FEMA completely dropped the ball. As always, the Whirlies, with the support of Lowe's Home Improve ment Genters, came running to the rescue. Raising almost $30,000 jointly, we knew our ef forts certainly made a difference in desperate people's lives. We referred to the year 2006 as a rush to wards 2007, for 2006 brought about the be ginning of the end. We started making college visits and became seri ous about taking the SAT, ACT, AP, and IB exams. We realized soon we would be freshmen on college campuses. I must ad mit that of the past four years, we have had the most adversity as a se nior class. The celebra tion of a new school year was crushed by unforeseen warfare. Day one of the 2006- 2007 school year started like all of the rest, ex cept there was this small group of people new to the school, and some who were not, who danced on stage to a song from the hit Disney movie "High School Musical." The Great Whirlie Race ac tually had a declared winner this year, and international relations seemed to be going somewhere with Saddam Hussein now having a lawyer. It was not until the middle of the week, of the middle of the second quarter, of the middle of the first semester that we had our first speed bump. The man to whom the Class of 2005 dedicated their senior Grimsley- Page T-shirt, "We'll stomp all over you... and your flower beds," left his position as principal. Gasparello's depar ture brought about a very eerie Wednesday morning, followed by an official announce ment Wednesday after noon that "effective immediately," he will be Principal on Special Assignment..." We, as friends, family, and stu dents were hurt, but af ter some time, we rose to our feet and refo cused on our academic goals. Instructional Improvement Officer John Eldridge assumed the position of interim principal. Parents and teachers were relieved by his presence. Barely two weeks later. Eastern Guilford burned to the ground. Guilford County's population was devas tated, but once again, Grimsley jumped at the opportunity to help others. We collected almost $3500.00 in less than one week to show our support for the Wildcats. Before the winter break, we learned District Office would possibly name a new principal by the time we returned, but no word came. Febru ary arrived, and all the "Early Decision" se niors knew where they would be attending college. All seemed well un til the evening of Febru ary 27. Our carefree at titudes about life were instantly snatched away upon learning that senior Trae Whitsett died in his sleep from pneumonia. We all heard in differ ent ways —at soccer games, by phone calls, and text messages. As we returned to school the next day, our hearts remained heavy; there seemed to be no way to overcome our grief. Trae was one of us, many times the reason some of us even went to class. We grieved to gether, prayed together, and went to the funeral and burial grounds to gether. The following week we remembered and told anecdotes of the funny ways Trae made an impact on our lives. Through the re membering, we began to heal. The Lady Whirlies, the girls' soc cer team, other sports teams, and even Prom were dedicated to the long standing memory of Trae. Now we are all standing at the Cross roads of decisions try ing to decipher which path is the right one. For some of us, we will leave and never think twice about from where we came, and for oth ers, trying to detach ourselves from Grimsley will be like separating water from wetness. All in all, as we travel our own ways and become who we were meant to become, we must never forget our past because without it, we can never have a plan for the future. Dear Senior Class, The time has come to accept the reality of graduation; the future is upon us. Grimsley was great, but what awaits us is even better. This time in our lives is not the end, but rather the beginning. I would never suggest we should forget Grimsley, though, for we should remember the emotional ties we shared here. Life doesn't wait for you; your life is a work in progress, so live it to the fullest. We have waited so long for this moment, and now that it is upon us, what will we do? Most of us will attend college; others will enter the workforce, and some may even go to war. Have we already set our career aspirations? Do we even know what field of work interests us? As this past year has drawn to a close, we must realize it is time to follow or create new paths, but the journey will certainly be diffi cult. How can we even imagine where we will be in five years or even ten? Will we maintain our friendships? Will we miss home? Will we enjoy our new sur roundings? I cannot read the future, so I, along with my fellow classmates, can only wish for the best. After all, I have heard life is more about the journey than the destination. Throughout my life thus far, I have experi enced many ups and downs, just as all the members of the senior class have. Life never seems perfect in the good times because we always want something more to satisfy our selves; indulgence is sweet, but it is not ev erlasting. When I feel down, I seek any way I can to improve my dis position. I remind my self and you that we must live for today; oth erwise, our lives will pass by before we real ize these times will be come mere memories. I sincerely believe that this class has the potential to achieve greatness if its mem bers would only take the time. We are a class of dreamers, artists. schemers, and innova tors. There are very few limitations to hold us back, and we should take full advantage of this opportunity. I urge this class to maintain its integrity and creativity. I leave you with the following: Have faith in yourself, and take each step one foot at a time. You should have fun, but expect to make mistakes along the way. If you encounter diffi culties, remember that life is all about pulling yourself back up again. Remember A1 Pacino's leading charac ter in the 1983 film "Scarface"? Tony Montana says, "Anyone can accomplish any thing; the world is yours." Evan Plomaritis Senior Class President
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