As you read this, NRHEG has reached the final month of the school year. The weather has, at last, turned nice. This means that the students (and teachers) are getting antsy for the impending end. And for the senior class, senioritis has been in full swing for some time.
This is a unique group of seniors. The class of 2018 has provided many interesting moments over the years. I recall them in junior high being highly social, and many of them have, somehow, some way, been able to keep finding things to talk about! They are a friendly group when I pass them in the halls, always happy to say hi or stop and chat for a bit.
Looking back on this sports year, it’s certainly been entertaining. Perry Peterson set school records for rushing in football. Betsy Schoenrock and Benji Lundberg both reached the 1000-point milestone in basketball. They are also both heading to Gustavus Adolphus College to continue their playing careers. I’ve watched teams in all our sports battle against teams that might have been better on paper, but our Panthers came through. This was most evident in volleyball where the team beat a higher seed in the playoffs. I watched role players step up in big situations in basketball and hit huge shots. As spring sports get in full swing, I’ve already seen and heard about seniors who have shown that they’re not quite ready to be done with their senior years yet.
But even more than athletics, this senior class might be most remembered for the numbers and talent in the drama department. I was so excited in junior high when I first listened to some of these kids read out loud in class and already add great natural voice to their reading. Most kids in 7th grade are nervous and will stumble at times when reading out loud, but there were so many who already seemed very natural and showed a true gift for adding emotion and emphasis in all the right spots while reading.
This latent ability has blossomed and been developed by Mrs. Bently with the speech and drama teams and Mrs. Inouye with one act and the musicals. And I was very excited to learn that they’ll get one more shot on the stage this year, though in a play without all the singing, called I Don’t Have a Clue by Craig Sodard. Reviews call it “a laugh-packed murder mystery.” Mark down May 18-19 to see another outstanding performance by these kids!
When you have a large, talented group like this, they deserve every chance to show those skills. Sports teams that are good get more games in the playoffs, so it’s good that the every-other-year rule for plays was waived. After all, this is a set of talent that achieved more for their one act play than any previous group. Plus, Ben Lewer was the first NRHEG student to advance to the state speech competition.
And it’s such a great skill to have, the ability to speak to others and to entertain. Think about how much money we spend on entertainment. How many movies do you attend? How many concerts to you buy a ticket for? How much do you spend on your cable bill? So to produce students who might have the chance to do anything even vaguely resembling that some day is astounding.
And the numbers bear this out. This is a large group of young people who have embraced the theater. You can also see most of them as a part of band and/or choir. All these things that we consider extra can be so important moving forward in life. If you’re in band, choir, or theater, you might gain a level of confidence that others don’t have a chance to attain. After all, you’re constantly called on to be in front of groups of people and perform at a high level. Not every athlete faces game-winning situations, but people in the arts have to nail their performance every time they’re in public. That’s pressure!
How awesome it is to have a group of seniors who have shown confidence and calm under pressure in many areas. Sports to the fine arts to just becoming maturing people ready to enter the next phase of their lives, this group has it all. I’ve rarely seen such a diverse group of graduates here in the past two decades, and they’ve set a high bar for others to follow in those areas.
Here’s hoping you come out to watch the last performances of this group, whether it be at some sporting events, the pops concert on May 7, and/or the spring play. The sheer numbers and talents being presented this year will form great memories, not only for those taking part in these activities, but for all of us who have gotten a chance to witness any or all of it. Best of luck to all our upcoming graduates, and I hope we get a chance to see you perform again in endeavors outside the walls of NRHEG!
Word of the Week: This week’s word is rodomontade, which means bragging or boasting, as in, “It seemed to some that he was displaying rodomontade about the play, but anyone who had seen it knew it was well deserved.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!