Document 6433801

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Thursday, June 19, 2008
Farewell
A heart felt farewell
BITTERSWEET: Senior Class President thanks those that have inspired us.
Since freshman year I’ve been reading
these “farewell” articles, and every year I
read these corny speeches I can hardly discern as heartfelt and personal. And so, as
class president, I’ve been asked to write my
own farewell, and after four years of trying
to discover what a true farewell letter is
composed of… I think I might have finally found it. I could easily write about our
accomplishments, what we’ve achieved
as a class and that list can go on forever.
But in my opinion, there’s nothing very
sentimental about listing the clubs we’ve
started or traditions we’ve instilled. It’s not
to say our work has been irrelevant, but
every year a class has achieve some source
of greatness, and as class president writing
a farewell to my friends, my family, I want
to say something that actually reaches their
hearts, and touches them as individuals
rather than addressing simply “the class.”
First and foremost, no speech can
be written without expressing gratitude to those who deserve it. And every year, we learn just how stressful it
is to be a class advisor, and how to appreciate what each person has done.
And I don’t intend to make a long
list, but you give credit to where credit
is due and Mr. Sherrick, Mr. Marcheque,
Ms. Palmer, Mrs. Mkrtchian, Ms. Hazlett this article isn’t long enough, nor
are any words great enough to express
my, and my class’s gratitude for you.
What you have done for us goes beyond
the fine print of “teacher responsibilities”
when you applied here. What you’ve
done for us goes beyond the simple title of “friend.” You guys have gone the
ephemeral quote “above and beyond.”
And for those who don’t know,
these two men served as 2006’s advisors as well, so they have persevered
through two years of rowdy seniors
aching to escape the gates of GHS.
As I began to grow up, I’ve always
heard of students creating special rela-
Gervea Ornopia
tionship with teachers, but never thought
it to be true until you two truly reached
out to us as more than just teachers,
but caring people willing to do anything for us. And so… these words may
be few, and they can in no way express
what I truly feel, what WE truly feel…
but… thank you, thank you so much.
And now to my senior cabinet…what
can I say? Seriously…what can I say?
I wish I could list every single anecdote, but no one would probably understand our stupid inside jokes, but us.
To have people you can truly rely,
it’s a feeling of comfort nothing can replace and I feel blessed to have been
given that gift. I love you Lennie, Pateel, Erin, Kristen, and also Henrietta!
And so as class president, I’ve finished
my formalities, my thank yous are done
and my formal announcements of our accomplishments are finished. So now it’s
time for what I want to say. Time to speak
my heart out or forever hold my peace.
Every time I think about us graduating,
I want to cry, and it’s just so odd because
it’s a paradoxical combination of jubilee
and sadness. The thought of never seeing
some of you again, some I’ve known for
12 years, or some I just met…it breaks my
heart, and then the thought of seeing you
all go on to the next step of your lives, going on your path of success fills it with joy.
To the class, it has been an honor to
serve all of you. It feels so sad to depart
this place, but it is time for us to discover what life has in store for us. All of
you have left your own legacy and from
the bottom of my heart, I am proud of
ALL your achievements. Please continue living the dream because I know
that each and every one of you will
make a difference in the world today.
Go Class of 2008! I love God, my
family, my best friends (Go KAG and
RAK!), my ASB family and Ms. Hazlett, Mrs. Rogerson, my four wonderful advisors, the CLASS OF 2008,
and all those who have inspired me.
Thank you for making these four
years
memorable!
Congratulations
Class of 2008 on a job well done!
Editor-in-Chief says goodbye
JOURNEY: Explosion’s Der Sarkissian thanks editors and recalls GHS memories.
Dear Class of ‘08,
Sometimes, I catch myself smiling
knowing that nothing can bring me down.
And I smile, knowing that the next four
years of our lives are going to seat us in
the front row of the biggest mental and
emotional roller coaster.
I smile looking back at the past four
years and feel enamored at how much
Glendale High has offered us, how much
it has taught us, and how much it has
changed us. It wasn’t only through rigorous classes, draining AP tests, or sleepless
nights.
It was through the friends we made,
teams we beat, and lessons we learned
that make us feel more than ready to take
what we have absorbed and move on. I
catch myself smiling imagining that everything in high school will and is beginning to pay off.
Think back- freshman year. It felt
like yesterday when I first walked in
through the black gates, looking up at everyone passing me by. And now to think
we are here, sitting at the crossroads of
life. Who knew it would come so fast? We
have come so far from the frenzied freshmen we were, to the superior seniors that
have accomplished so much and will leave
everlasting marks on Glendale High.
This is my second year in journalism,
and it has been the best two years of high
school by far. It has definitely been an interesting year, and I have grown so much
through my experiences here. I am thankful for every editor, staff reporter, photographer, and assistant who has put as much
heart into the paper as I have.
It has been a short reign as Editorin-Chief, but a bumpy one indeed. This
year would not have been possible without everyone’s input and hard work.
I want to thank Dick Holway for his
endless support of Dynamiter programs.
He really shows us that “Once a Nitro, Always a Nitro.” And to Johnny Harrison at
Lexus of Glendale, a huge THANK YOU.
You have brought smiles and tears of joy
to hundreds of students in our school and
district with your generous monetary donations. I would also like to thank the senior class for funding this senior edition.
As for my hard-working staff, I want
to thank Ivetta for her dedication to the
paper and her constant strive for perfection. I want to thank Taron for his phone
calls to Vrej Hobar and all the businesses
that have supported us this year. I want to
Christina Der Sarkissian
thank Shaunt for almost getting me arrested at midnight on deadline night. I want to
thank Pateel for her optimism, spreading
her effervescence like the peanut butter on
my sandwiches.
I want to thank Tania and Jenna for
eventually finishing their pages. And not
to forget Kyle Nessen! I can’t thank you
enough for all the pictures you took for
the paper and for showing up at every
game and school event. Plus, the front
page looks amazing! You truly have talent, and we are so pleased that you shared
your gift with us.
Last but not least, thank you Mr.
Lancaster, for dedicating so much of
your time to the betterment of our school.
You invested countless hours after school
waiting for the paper to be done, sometimes not leaving until late at night. Thank
you for keeping the Nitro spirit alive and
encouraging it among your students.
As for Tina and Carin, the pressure’s
on you. Next year is your year, and it is
your turn to take advantage of the beauty
of freedom of press and continue producing papers that remain as a school archive
forever.
June is coming to an end, and with
college decisions out of the way, the future is only as bright as we see it. With
the start of summer just around the corner,
change is all around us. We are beginning
to see past the high school gates and into
the never ending opportunities that lie
ahead. Where will we end up? Who will
we become?
The class of ‘08 has really been special. We will graduate with school records
in countless sports and leave with new
traditions.
We have incredible athletes, good
musicians, talented chefs, and academic
stars. GHS has allowed for these talents to
flourish and has encouraged us to pursue
our interests, providing us with room to
experiment and shine.
A wise man once said, “Life consists
not in holding good cards but in playing
those you hold well.” So make the best
with what you’re dealt and take advantage
of your hand. What lies ahead is uncertain, but it will surely be filled with both
sweat and success.
My ode to you, seniors, is to keep
your chin up and eyes open; don’t let life
pass you by. It is now the time to set aside
18 years and begin one of the most enthralling journeys of our lives.
Love Always,
Christina
Glendale High School Explosion
President
shares
closing
remarks
Anahit Isaghulyan
“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream
of the future, concentrate your mind on the
present moment.” Many of us have been
counting the days to our graduation and
sadly it is here. Four years of our life at
this school ends today. Go back to the day
you first walked into this school, nervous
about finally attending high school. During our first rally, Homecoming Dance and
Oratorical, we set out to create memories
and as we leave, memories are all we have.
Never again will we be in high school
as a student. Never again will we stand in
the crowded bleachers at our Homecoming football game and watch our classmates take victory upon our rivals. Never
will we walk the packed “J” building as
a student. Never will we again hear the
planted cell phone ring during Oratorical.
Never will walking the halls of Glendale
High School feel the same way. Whether
it was the best of times or the worst of
times, our time at Glendale High School
is and will always remain precious.
I have been blessed and privileged to
be surrounded by young men and women
who all have the ability to bring remarkable change to the world. I am talking
about all of you seniors. You are all capable of doing the impossible so don’t give
up when all odds are against you. Enjoy
what lies before you, and do not concentrate your mind on the future or the past.
Class of 2008, you have left a lasting impression on Glendale High School.
Your enthusiasm, hard work, care and
support have made all the difference.
Thank you to Ms. Hazlett for always
being there for our ASB students as a role
model and as a friend. Thank you to Mr. Lopez for lending us a helping hand when we
needed it most. Ms. Sassounian, your advice
and encouragement has been a great help
throughout these four years of high school.
Dr. Earl, your support and enthusiasm is
greatly appreciated by all of us in ASB.
To Mr. Sherrick and Mr. Marcheque,
thank you for your constant care and support of our class. Without you two our class
would never have been this successful.
All of us have had special teachers
at GHS including myself. To all of my
teachers who have inspired and kept their
faith in me, thank you. Mr. Khachmanyan and Ms. Collins thank you for always taking the time to trouble your
minds about my abilities and my future.
Furthermore it was a great honor for
me to serve as your ASB President. I will
move on to the next stage of my life as a
confident, motivated young woman and
I owe it all to my teachers and friends.
Remember seniors our journey together comes to an end now, but it does
not mean our paths will never cross
again. I hope to see all of you at our reunions. Thank you for all of the memories. Congratulations class of 2008!