THE EDITOR’S INK

BY ALI SWEE Editor-in-Chief

The Final Goodbyes of Class of 2012

So, this is it. I’ve looked forward to this time since I first started school, over 12 years ago. The time when I would slave over my answers for the senior survey, announce where I’m officially going to college and finally, justify my senior-itis. However, now that I’m finally here, it’s more bittersweet than anything. Along with the excitement of college, graduation parties and senior skip day comes the inevitable sadness: the last days of school, the goodbyes and the unknowns the future holds. But this, like all good things, must come to an end. Considering this is my final column and I have a small tendency to stress over even the tiniest things, there are a thousand thoughts spinning through my head right now. And who knows when I’ll ever have the chance to broadcast whatever’s on my mind to the entire Sion community again, right? It’s so easy to look back and laugh, smile and even cry remembering the last four years. But instead, I’d like to take the opportunity to send the Class of 2012 down memory lane. Let’s begin by flashing back four years, remembering our first ever day of high school. Walking down the infamous freshman hallway into chaos

full of streamers, balloons and candy, our eyes lit up as we each tried our locker combo 45 times in attempts to see the rest of our incredibly decorated lockers. Our parents stood amongst the chaos, capturing every moment on camera. Our smiling faces, new friends, new school supplies. Our first moments as the Class of 2012. As we all hung up our beanies and went our respective ways over the summer, we all grew up a little. One by one, we got our licenses and slowly the sophomore lot became full of cars. As we embraced our independence, we moved closer and closer into adulthood. I’ll always remember when our class swept the tug-of-war competition at Sion Olympics when we were only sophomores. It was only foreshadowing the strength and leadership our class possessed. Junior year, we prepared to become the leaders of the school. As we each sat in our chairs, anticipating who would give us our ring, it set in. No longer were we the awkward freshmen attempting to make it to

Algebra on time or the sophomores, on the verge of upperclassmen-status. We were about to take on our roles as the leaders of the school. We realized that time was now a gift, because our time at Sion was limited. Little did we realize how quickly it would go. We came in as 99 individuals, fear etched across our brace-filled faces. Now, we’ll walk across the stage, diploma in hand, on May 24th as a class, as a sisterhood. This is the moment we’ve waited for since we paraded into the gym during convocation four year ago. This is the moment that accumulates everything the last four years have held. The hundreds of tests, quizzes and assignments. The endless nights spent typing papers past midnight. The dozens of books bought and sold back to the infamous Back to Books. The hundreds of service hours. The afternoons spent at Rose Brooks, Upper Room and Operation Breakthrough. The hundreds of cupcakes and cookies sold to help organizations all over the world. The hundreds of miles driven looking for prom dresses. The dozens of roses given out at the Mother/ Daughter Luncheon. And the thousands of smiles shared day after day. Thank you to everyone who’s been there. Thank you to the teachers who stayed after school until I understood the homework, the ones that came in early so I could take a test and the ones that showed me my strengths. And thank you to everyone of you. Thank you to everyone who shared memories, secrets and laughter with me. So, here we are. As we enter the final stretch of high school, we remember everything. Because I don’t want to forget a moment of it all. It’s been a long, exhausting, convoluted, tiring, stressful journey. But totally worth it.

“ So, here we are. As we enter the final stretch of high school, we remember everything. Because I don’t want to forget a moment of it all.”

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High School 10631 wornall Rd., Kansas City, MO 64114. Member Missouri Interscholastic press Assoc. National Scholastic press Assoc. Columbia Scholastic press Assoc. International Quill and Scroll

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ali Swee MANAGING EDITOR Taylor Escher WEB-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Katie Mahoney ADVISER Alison Long

FEATURES EDITOR Maura Eveld LAYOUT/DESIGN EDITOR Elizabeth Gianino EDITORIAL/NEWS EDITOR Emma Eveld MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Emily DeCoursey

A&E EDITOR Delaney Bates

Michelle Olson Kay walkup

SPORTS EDITOR Audrey Saracini PHOTO EDITOR Lucy Gasal

pUBLICATIONS BOARD

REPORTERS Laura Travis, Sarah Holland, Meg Cowan , Shannon Laird

Ali Swee Taylor Escher Melissa wilcox penny Selle

Jane McCormack Carole wall-Simmons