Head2Head

Written by: Desiree Dunn '11

What is a senior? Some would say, a person heading to college, one with more experience, someone with higher rank, someone much older (also known as a senior citizen).

Our senior year has been full of fun, stress, and even some senioritis. We’ve grown together as the class of 2011, grown as individuals and as a graduating class. In four years we have grown up as young adults entering this new life ahead of us. In four years we have become close, leaned on one another, cried together, had happy times together, and even some of us grew apart. As our graduating date becomes closer and more real, I start feeling more anxious to see what life has in store for me and other fellow classmates. Where am I going in life? What’s my purpose in this world? What will be the difference I make? All of these big decisions lie before all the graduating seniors as big life changes, whether it’s going into the military, what college to attend, where to find a job, or what other decisions to be made. Entering adulthood has become a reality most of us look forward to all of our life. However, this new life will be filled with new jobs, new classes, new friends, and a new lifestyle. These big changes will change us; they will make us stronger, better people.

High school has taught me to be an individual in this world, not just another person, just you. As an individual, it is up to you to be the change, to make a difference in your own life. High school is a beginning, not an end. It’s the beginning of a new journey, one that will lead you places you have never been, teach you life’s lessons, and mold you into a new individual, full of new life. Goodbyes are hard, but must be said, a new school is also hard, but must be attended, and new teachers will be hard, but have to be liked, or tolerated in most cases. New people will be scary to meet, but may end up becoming your new best friends soon after. College will become a new life for most of us and a new challenge to overcome.

We will all be freshmen again, imagine that. Become the “new kids” in school, just like when we were entering the ninth grade. Now we’re leaving on top of the world, the Seniors of Eaton Rapids High School, everything in front of us. Our whole life and future is now up to us, not our teachers, not our parents, not even our friends, just us. We have to become these scary adults we never wanted to be and step up to the plate. Now it’s our turn to show off our wonderful selves and become everything we’d hope to be. Now, your mom might drive you to school to drop you off, maybe even pack a lunch for your first day, but now it’s on you. You are the future, you will make a difference.

Head2Head

Written by: Sam Morrison '11

           How do I feel when I hear the words “senior year”? I, like most students in my position, get mixed feelings about those words. I know we are all counting down the days until our LAST day of high school and until the day we are handed our diplomas and we never have to look back at this place again, if we chose. But it’s more than that, we aren’t just saying goodbye to the classes and homework, we are saying goodbye to the building where we have made so many memories and choices in for the past 4 years of our life, goodbye to our friends, and goodbye to our teachers. As we walk out with our diplomas it’s going to force us to say those goodbyes we have secretly been dreading during our senior year.

            I am ready to leave these halls and begin my new journey. People say “this is not the end, it’s the beginning,” but for me, this is the end, the end of something old, and next year will be the beginning of something new. Unfortunately, I am kind of scared and intimidated of what’s coming next. I’m going to push myself to do my very best, but what if I fail? I won’t have teachers there to let me turn in my assignment if it’s late and I won’t have my mom there breathing down my neck, telling me to do my homework. And I hated when my parents did it, but knowing it’s about to be gone, I’m kind of sad that they won’t be there pushing me to better every day. It’s time to grow up and start being fully responsible of myself.

            This year I have befriended a lot of underclassmen and I’m leaving them back here in this place, and it makes me sad that I won’t be able to see their faces everyday while I’m off being an “adult”. I promised them that I will come visit as often as I can but I’m worried that I will be too busy with work and college to make the time to do so. My best friends will continue to be in high school for one to two years longer after I graduate, then they could possibly go off to a different college than me. So I have unfortunately realized that some friendships may be lost, but hopefully new ones will be made.

            Senior year has been filled with many emotions. I’ve been angry with people and their drama, happy to hang out with new friends and begin a new relationship, sad knowing I’m leaving my friends soon, and excited for my new beginning. When I was little I always wanted to grow up, I remember playing “house” with friends and pretending that we were in college, could drive, and we would eat candy as if it were “aspirin”. But now, I am going to college, I can drive, and sadly I have to take pills for my back problems. It all used to be a fantasy for me and now it’s becoming real life to me, and that’s kind of scary. Some days I wish I could just go back to that young girl just “pretending to be grown-up” because the future can be so uncertain and intimidating. But none of us can go back in time, so Class of 2011, let’s say those unwanted and wanted goodbyes, and move forward and embrace our  somewhat grown- up lives!