As usual, graduation day brought no rest for the class of 2014. The transformation of years worth of hard work and championships culminated in a day of joy with seniors looking ahead and setting more goals for the future. But, valedictorian Allison Gant warns that life is about more than just setting goals.
“Our futures aren’t just the goals we set,” Gant said in her valedictory speech graduation night. “They’re every moment between now and the time we achieve those goals.”
Graduation day brought many “moments” to the class of 2014 and not much time to think about goals during the day, but after all the festivities stopped, that idea would set in once again.
Students arrived at University of North Texas for the graduation commencement after a senior breakfast, slide show, “clap out”, rose ceremony, and memorial service earlier in the day. They gathered at 6 p.m. in the back of the Super Pit, adjusted their robes, made last minute tweaks to their attire, then took a class photo. Just before 7 p.m. they lined up to march into the Super Pit where family and friends watched from above. Although many scholarships and awards were given out earlier in the month, a few were saved for the night of graduation. Among the highlights were Matthew Goodpaster (US Naval Academy) and Micah Capra (US Airforce Academy).
Student Council president, Catherine Read gave welcoming remarks, and class president, Lindsey Lotz offered the prayer. Speeches were also given by salutatorian Ross Coker, who acknowledged the hard work of teachers and parents who had helped students get where they are in life, while Matthew Goodpaster outlined the numerous accomplishments of the class of 2014, which included not only the mentoring, volunteerism, and academic accomplishments, but also the competitive nature of the class that showed up through the numerous state championships, including a state football championship, two state marching band championships, track championships, state finalists in baseball, golf, volleyball, basketball, and too many other activities and events to count.
But the valedictory speech by Allison Gant, though short, received a wild round of applause for it’s power packed message. Gant gave an extraordinary and memorable analogy of students as compared to hampsters in a ball “now free” to take risks. Gant advised students to “be the people we want to be…set goals, have discipline, and make good choices, but not forget to actually live our lives in the process,” which hit home with the entire crowd.
The class of 2014 can be classified as many things, and, as Gant made clear, “We are all free hamsters now, we can experience the world like never before, under our own power, not hindered by a wall of scratched, tinted plastic. We can finally squeeze under the door and find out what’s on the other side.”
Gant added that “whatever we all do next, be it college, work or world domination, let us go forth with confidence, and tread where no hamsters have trod before. Here’s to the class of 2014!”
The ceremony commenced with the class “gift” to Principal, Jeff Butts. In typical fashion, the class of 2014, varied with a multitude of talents and gifts, each unique in his/her own way, could not unanimously decide on the class “gift”, so Mr. Butts was adorned with red and silver beads throughout the night, but also gifted with arts, science, math and academic blue ribbons, as well as a variety of sports memorabilia in order to represent the wide ranging talents and accomplishments of the class of 2014.
