Senior year not as expected                                                                                                                    

By Riley Coulter

The senior year of high school is the time that most students look forward to experiencing. This stage of life brings graduation, which is the most valuable moment in your 12 years of education. To seniors, graduation is the moment when all of your hard work and efforts are acknowledged. Beyond having your accomplishments recognized, you receive your high school diploma to show off the achievement you have certainly earned.

Even though the end in sight for a senior looks promising, the final year of high school becomes a transition period between your last few years of childhood and your first year of adulthood. Sometimes these times are stressful with thoughts about college and what to do with the rest of your life. There is a sense of pressure applied, as well, to have your life planned out by the time you graduate.

Although it seems stressful at times, senior year can be greatly rewarding in the memories it gives you. There will never be another time when you get to go to football games with your classmates and cheer on the team, or dress up in themes for the pep club in the student section. This is the year of experiencing these special moments for the last time. You even get more parental freedoms when you drive around anywhere to hangout with friends. You also earn more responsibility when you start a new job and begin working. These moments you will cherish forever.

For the class of 2020, all the normal stressors and memories were beginning to form, until March 13th when life took an abrupt turn.

With the pandemic of the coronavirus, classes were moved to being online and the transition was not an easy one. To make things worse, our prom was postponed and the senior trip was cancelled. This situation has made it very difficult on the senior class, missing out on so many of the normal classic events of senior year.

Hearing from several other senior voices, a deeper understanding of these feelings can be understood.

Payton Lanham said, “Not going back to school was not a shock to me but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Not finishing the last three months of my senior year, which are supposed to be the best months of the whole year, has impacted me a lot emotionally.

“I’m a very social person so I enjoyed going to school and seeing my peers and teachers daily. I liked having the routine of it all. This year has been tough overall with the loss of our cheer coach as well, so it’s definitely put a lot in perspective for me. It’s really helped me see just how much we can take the little things for granted.

“I know I’m not the only one struggling with these thoughts so I’m thankful that the senior class has each other to lean on during these times. Even though it’s tough now, I have faith that things will workout the way they’re supposed to, and no matter what, I know we’ll all be here for each other.” 

Keely Bowling shared, “The (online) school part was alright for a while, but now I feel as if I regret ever wishing to rush through high school. I miss seeing everyone’s faces in the hall and cracking jokes with my friends. The online aspect is very unfortunate and at a lot of the time inconvenient, but I have established a decent routine to get my work done on time.

“The thing that hurt me the most was softball being cancelled. At first, I was mainly just confused. It was said to be postponed until Spring Break, so that’s what I prepared for. But when the NCAA and other conferences cancelled their seasons, I knew it was over. I’m absolutely heartbroken.

“Playing for Coach Deem alongside my high school friends is the most fun I’ve ever had. Not to mention, it’s the time of year I most look forward to. I’ve played with a lot of these girls since middle school and it would’ve been nice to have finished my time playing with them. As much as I miss it, I will get to play in college, so for that I’m lucky.

“I think that seniors can help each other through all of this by communicating to each other. No one has ever experienced this before, so no one can tell us that they understand, unless they are in the same group as us. Hopefully, this will all be temporary for a little while longer but I’m still very blessed to be in the position I’m in.” Matthew Ritter stated, “As a senior I was excited for this year to be my last hoorah with all my friends. I wanted to make the most of the year by attending as many events as possible and spending time with my friends and now most of that is canceled.

“Also the COVID-19 prevented me from shooting my last state and national archery tournaments which is heartbreaking. I am grateful for the first part of senior year, but It just didn’t turn out the way I wanted.”

Finally, Eve Sadler talks about her disappointments in cancelled seasons. “To see our seniors’ baseball, softball, tennis, and track seasons cancelled is so heartbreaking as a pep club leader. 

“I think it’s so hard to watch the last little bit of fun fade away from the class of 2020. The loss of school and our sports has been tough on us because our class is so spirited. But because of this school spirit, I still see people hyping others up through social media and I love that. I am so thankful for the wonderful time I had as a senior.”

My fellow seniors, I am very proud of how hard all of you have worked over these last 12 years. You have truly earned all the success that you have strived to achieve. The Class of 2020 has been a wonderful group to grow up with, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for each of you. 

It has been very difficult not to have the normal social aspect of this time, but we can still make it a memorable senior ending. Stay safe, stay strong and remember that we will have left our mark on BCHS like no other class before us. Remember, there are always positives to be found in every situation when you take life one day at a time. 

 

Boyle’s staff makes saying goodbye harder

By Olivia Jackson Collier

The phrase “You don’t realize what you have until it’s gone,” now has a new meaning as students have had to say goodbye to the rest of their traditional school year in the classroom. 

Though we never thought we would miss our alarms going off at 6 a.m., going without the traditional school setting has shown us how lucky we once were.

Boyle County High School’s incredible staff makes letting go of our time in the classroom even harder. The impact and hard work our teachers have always poured into our everyday lives never went unappreciated, but has now become even more evident. These professionals became so much more than teachers, supporting us through our good and bad days. We truly couldn’t have made it this far without them.

Their efforts still show as they help students navigate through online school. However, nothing is the same through a screen. We are all realizing how fortunate we were to get to see them every day. It is impossible to put into words how much we appreciate our teachers, but a few students wanted to take the time to express what they mean to us.  

• Sydney Bradley: I love my engineering class, and appreciate the teacher because he is always patient and helpful. His class is really fun and makes my day so much better.
• Emily Daugherty: Mrs. (Loret) Russell is such an amazing substitute. She never fails to put a smile on everyone’s face, and she brightens her students’ day when they know she’ll be in the classroom. She’s so very appreciated and loved by many!
• Brayden Wofford: I like my science teacher, she’s funny and always jokes with us. We get to hold her snakes and lizards, too!
• Desiree Beckett: My chemistry teacher always has a smile on her face and makes sure everyone is taken care of.
• Jasalynn Richards: Mrs. (Cassidy) Cornett is always checking in to make sure her students are doing okay! 
• Savannah Saylor: Mrs. (April) Newell is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. She is the most compassionate, selfless, and caring person I’ve ever met. She always figures out a way to make sure you succeed. You can truly tell that she cares about everyone that walks into her class.
• Josh Luttrell: Mr. (Mike) Petkus is a really cool teacher, he always makes sure we understand the material and takes the time to get to know us. He would always ask me about music, and talking about it made my day.
• Jess McWhorter: Mrs. (Anna-Marie) Taylor is the best teacher I’ve ever had. She pushes you to be yourself without any judgment. She goes above and beyond for her students and would do anything for them. She’s made a huge impact on me and I will miss her greatly. She’s the truest example of what a teacher and person should be. 
• Isabella Spencer: Sra. (Heather) Wheeler’s class is my favorite. She puts so much effort into our lessons and helps us learn. She not only cares about us, but goes out of her way to show it. I miss seeing her every day!
• Calee Wilson: Mr. (Eli) Edwards is one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He cares about the education of his students above everything and that is very evident to everyone in his classroom. 
• Shelby Johnson: Mr. (Damian) Laymon is my favorite teacher. He’s a great teacher, but he’s also a kind person. He’s always willing to listen and give advice or help when needed. He always helps us when we have an issue. I appreciate him and everything he does for me and all his other students.

 

Our appreciation for all of our staff is unlimited as they dedicate their lives to education, solely out of passion and kindness. Without them, so little would be possible. They create the basis for their students’ futures, inspiring potential doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers, artists, and more. Though we do not get the chance to tell them every day, their hard work has changed our lives for the better. 

Our teachers go beyond their specialty areas, teaching us life lessons that will last forever. At our school, a business class can cultivate great friendships and teams, an English class can change the way someone views their life, engineering and science classes change a student’s ability or approach to learning, and even a math class can teach students problem solving skills that they can use in a variety of situations beyond the classroom.

Almost every student can tell you they have had at least one teacher that has changed their life. These dedicated individuals listen and understand when no one else does, provide support when others do not, and are friends when it feels like we are alone. 

We spent our last day in the classroom this year unknowingly, and although we did not get the chance to say goodbye, we will never forget the impact our staff has had on our lives. So, from all of the students at BCHS, thank you for making this school year one to remember!