Long summer days seem infinite as the months of June and July slowly creep along. Each day filled with free time to hang with friends, free students savor every moment. The bliss of no responsibilities, no places to be, and no homework to be done doesn’t take long to set in. Sadly, however, those days cannot last forever. The first week of August brings the somewhat dreary thought of returning to schedules, waking up early, and tests.

For some, however, the upcoming school year might seem somewhat exciting. Ladies and gents, presenting… the Class of Two-Thousand and Nine. Coming back to the GACS campus on the first day of school was a little surreal, in my opinion. As I left the house, it hit me: this is our last ‘first day’ of high school. It’s bizarre to think that WE are finally going to be the ones sitting in the quad on white chairs in May. And that, as of May 21, 2009, we will all be moving on to new chapters in our lives. Each one of us will be beginning our journey into the “real world.”

It’s September now. May seems ages away. It doesn’t even seem logical to be so excited about that day. I remember thinking at last year’s graduation ceremony how scary it’s going to be to leave. How insanely weird it is to think that, after all these years, I’m not going to see all of these people everyday. But then I thought, “Why am I worrying about this stuff already? I should be worrying about what I’m going to make of my senior year.” Think about it. Before we wear those caps and gowns, we’ve got a year to grow closer than ever and make this last year the best it can be. So, what do you want your senior year to look like?
I know that I want mine to be exciting. I want it to be something that I can look back on and have no regrets. As I look back on my high school days, I don’t remember doing much of anything outside of my ‘comfort zone.’ Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s been a ton of fun. But I want this year to look different. Not just for me personally, but for the whole senior class. So, if you’re reading this, seniors (and freshman, sophomores, juniors, this goes for you too) here’s my challenge to you: take a risk this year. It sounds cliché. And I’m not suggesting that you should go wild and crazy this year. But, I am suggesting that you do something different for a change. Talk to someone you don’t usually talk to. Go to a drama production. Cheer for the band. Paint up for a football game. Do something unexpected.
So, Class of ’09, it’s here. Our SENIOR year. We’re the leaders. We have the chance to have the best year ever and it’s up to us. Let’s take advantage of every opportunity we’ve been handed. This year has the potential to be incredible and I want to make it just that.