Another school year is coming to an end here at the Drive. Each year teaches us new lessons, so let’s look at the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2008-2009 year.
As always we will do the bad news first. The women’s lacrosse team’s “Kiss the Pig” fundraiser could have gone better. The idea was cute, but many students were upset when the pig was dragged across a gym full of screaming teenagers. It would have been fine if the pig could have walked in on its own, but it was obviously forced into a stressful situation. Also, Dr. Miller did not fulfill his promise; his lips never touched the pig.
Another bad fad that seemed to happen at Athens this year was all the car crashes. I cannot remember ever seeing as many car accidents after school as I did this year. These accidents were not just fender-binders either; I personally know of five cars that were seriously damaged.
In addition to the ugly collisions, the Athens tradition continued with the “Ugly Teacher Contest,” and some of the favorite teachers were transformed into hideous looking creatures, but the fundraiser was a success and the theatre department did a great job with the makeup.
Going with the theatre department theme, both plays this year were great performances. Guys and Dolls might have been the best musical I have seen at Athens. The cast put a lot of hard work into the show and their work paid off.
Another great show this year was that of the Agradmany Awards. Gradman was one of the best shows in Athens’ history. The hard work of the boys and their escorts provided the students of Athens with a night full of laughs. Who will ever forget Dylan Kab’s synchronized swimming routine with Phillip Barren, Nazmi Albadawi and Jack Pierce, Taylor Pardue dancing without pants in the middle of Crossroads or David Re? Congratulations to Wyatt Medlin, Mr. Nice and Sweet and Gradman ‘09.
A new program at Athens this year, but also a favorite, was the implication of SMART Lunch. The upperclassmen enjoy being able to leave campus for an hour and not having to rush to eat and make it back to class. It was also helpful for all students to get a head start on their homework, work on group projects or receive help from teachers if needed.
The cafeteria was also crowded before school started when Athens started serving breakfast in February. Students are now able to eat a healthy breakfast before school starts. This has helped out students with busy morning schedules who were not able to eat breakfast at home.
No class but the juniors will appreciate this great news. For the class of 2010, the graduation project was made optional, which was a huge relief for students who were already taking AP classes and studying for exams while trying to spend 15 hours creating a product. Some students decided to continue with their projects and those efforts will be noticed on their transcript and at graduation. Sorry to the underclassmen who still have to complete the project.
Overall, the 2008-2009 school year at Athens was unforgettable with many lessons learned, new programs and memories that will last a lifetime.