KEEPI N G THE S TUDE NTS OF RHEA COU NTY HIGH SCH O OL I NFORMED SI N CE 1996
The Eagle's Nest Farewell, Class of 2007! SENIOR EDITION
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 7
By MR. FERRELL EAGLE’S NEST ADVISER
As another school year draws to a close and we prepare to say goodbye to our 2007 graduates, it’s time to begin the usual reminiscing, best-wishing, and sage advicegiving. So we present this traditional “Senior Edition” of The Eagle’s Nest. Looking over the essays in this issue, it strikes me how often I’ve heard the same themes— making the most of your time, capturing opportunities, valuing friendships, seeking knowledge and understanding— all things I’ve heard over and over again, beginning with my own high school graduation all the way back in 19—whatever. It’s easy to tune these messages out, and ignore them as nothing more than a bunch of seasonal blathering. It’s just what people have to say on these occasions, isn’t it? I wonder. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to realize that we repeat things over and over to ourselves because, well, we humans are dumb. Oh, we’ve done some terriffic things, to be sure, over the past thousands of years. But try as we might, we still struggle with the most basic things: Forgetting to be kind to each other. Holding grudges. Wanting more than we need, and refusing to share. Being surprised that so much time goes by so quickly. And so on. Simple things, that we forget and forget and forget, no matter how sophisticated we become. We need to be reminded. Constantly. It is during times like this—when we
photo by RCHS YEARBOOK STAFF
celebrate our siblings’, peers’, and students’ move from one stage in their lives to another—that we can all pause and remind ourselves about some basic facts of existence. We can, that is, if we decide to put aside our cynicsm and “oh no, not more of this stuff ” attitude, and allow ourselves to be reminded.
Are we educated yet? By ANDREW ZIMMERMAN 2007 VALEDICTORIAN
What is the goal of education? Have we attained it? Both of these are important questions, and they do not apply to seniors alone. However, as the final days of high school fade into oblivion, they seem increasingly momentous. After all, when it’s all said and done, education is the reason we spent the majority of our last four years here. And if perchance, we failed to become educated now, what hope lies in our future plans unless things change? Some would argue that learning consists of the acquisition of knowledge. However, the fact of the matter is that knowledge leaves men in the exact place they started.
It is a car without keys, great potential, but capable of nothing. People trained to memorize information and then simply regurgitate it without the critical thought required to make it their own will be capable of only the textbook solution and nothing more. This reduces thought into the manual, repetitive labor that it was never meant to be. No one in his right mind would choose a carbon copy over the original. Yet, unconsciously, this is done all too often in today’s world. There is another downfall to simple knowledge; there is always more to be obtained. Therefore, knowing how to learn is a greater asset see ANDREW page 2
Because time is fleeting, and things move too quickly. Because we do constantly desire more than we really need. Because we do make ourselves and others miserable when there’s really no good reason to be. (And so on.) On that note, we of The Eagle’s Nest hope all of you (senior class or not) will enjoy this collection of the thoughts and
wishes and reminisces of your teachers, class leaders, and peers. Give them a listen, at least, as well as the speeches and reflections you’ll hear at class night and graduation. Listen with fresh ears, if you can, and let them jiggle you out of your humanly stupor for a bit, and be reminded, one more time, of the basics.
Ready to move on— By RILEY BREWER 2007 SALUTATORIAN & EAGLE’S NEST EDITOR
When I started Rhea County High School my freshman year, I hated it. Of course, it wasn’t actually the school itself that I despised; it was the sudden huge leap from my beloved elementary school to the confusing mix of high school. I had to learn a whole new way of doing things, I was thrown into classes that had students four years older than me in them, and I had no idea which teacher was who or where any of my classes were. To make matters worse, I was deep in the throes of the typical adolescent angst, dealing with losing old friends and trying to grow up. By the end of my freshman year, I was
seriously contemplating either taking summer classes or being home schooled. Then, over the summer between ninth and tenth grade, my feelings changed. I returned to school in the fall expecting to loathe every moment as much as before, but I found that I did not. In the place of my fear and worry, I had a sense of calm and determination. The rest of high school has followed much this same pattern, with each school year better than the one before it and each summer a time of reflection and growth. Today, I am far from where I started as a freshman. Yes, I still find myself anxious to leave, but now my enthusiasm for throwing myself into the future is temsee RILEY page 2