Another school year drawing to a close means throwing notes in the air, letting the warm weather be a reason to forgo homework and, sadly, taking the time to say goodbye to the current senior class.

On May 1, this year’s choirs realized that on stage as they were singing the alumni song, “Here’s to Song”.  No doubt, the thought had crossed every choir member’s mind, but simply thinking about the graduating class and realizing graduation is close enough to touch are two different things.  Senior Markus Ellis anticipates graduation just like every other senior and fondly looks back at his years in choir.

“I’m excited that I’ve grown so much during the past four years, vocally and musically,” said Ellis.

Junior Eileen Tracy is just as excited as Ellis is to see her classmates graduate, but she knows it will be more bitter for her as she still has one more year left of high school.  Even so, Tracy knows the current seniors will be achieving their dreams, which makes the burden easier for her to handle.

“They have taught me so much and have really made me see who I am today.  Not seeing them around school is going to be very difficult next year but knowing they are going to be finally fulfilling every part of their dream gives me comfort,” said Tracy.

However, underclassmen are not the only ones who will have to say goodbye.  Seniors will have to say goodbye to the teachers they have come to love and respect as well as the close knit group of underclassmen they might have befriended during their time in high school.  Senior Jon Walker, like Ellis, is excited to graduate but will miss the friends he made through choir.

“It’s sad because a lot of them are underclassmen,” said Walker.

Both Walker and Ellis, among many seniors, will miss choir director Ms. Fawn Phillips dearly.  Phillips has positively impacted many students’ lives, showing them that they can be confident with themselves and their voices, as well as lay out a future.

“She’s definitely changed my life over the past four years.  She taught me everything I know about music.  I went in freshman year with no prior knowledge of music.  [I went] from knowing nothing to knowing what I’m going to major in,” said Ellis.

Walker cites Phillips as his main reason for his confidence in his singing.

“She was the first person to actually tell me I was good, aside from friends and family.  Friends and family can just say you’re good.  They just want to make you feel good, but she didn’t have to do that,” said Walker.

It is obvious that Phillips has made an impression on every student she works with, and it is also obvious that the students do their part on making an impression on those around them.  Tracy has been on Show Choir since her freshman year, and she is grateful to the seniors for being the reason she is confident in her voice and leadership skills.  Because Tracy has known some of the senior choir members for so long, it will be harder for her to say goodbye to them and get used to being in choir without them, but she is confident that it will only lead to the choirs being even better than they were.

“I will definitely notice their absence.  Everyone will, but it will teach us to grow as a community and we will come out stronger and even better because of them,” said Tracy.