Dusk falls on another summer

Dusk: the imminent fading light between day and night. Or, to others, the inevitable fading of summer.

No matter what perspective, summer is coming to a close, and a new beginning is arising. For many, this means the commencement of school. With this in mind, numerous students have been desperately clutching on to their last remnants of summer, hoping that school will miraculously be delayed.

But as the band Dashboard Confessional states: "Nobody here can live forever quiet in the grasp of dusk and summer." We must continue forward and embrace the new school year, understanding that summer and school, vacation, fun and work run in a continual cycle throughout our lives and are equally necessary.

Summer's end marks a new beginning at Sutter Union High School. Wide-eyed freshman are entering the unknowns of high school for the first time. Sophomores and juniors advance in classes and sports as well as friendships. Seniors embark on the last leg of the four-year high school journey and begin preparation for college. But regardless of grade, all SUHS students face the unfamiliarity of new classes and teachers.

Cori Walker, a senior, said, "I've been here for four years now but still don't know what to expect when I walk in a classroom. Each class, and especially each teacher, is particularly different in style and teaching technique. Not initially knowing can be a little stressful, but also exciting."

With school's arrival, however, students prepare themselves for more than just new academic courses. SUHS has numerous extracurricular activities, including clubs such as Future Business Leaders of America, Friday Night Live, Future Farmers of America, Interact and Youth Alive, and fall sports such as football, cross-country, girls tennis and girls volleyball.

Sports in particular have grown immensely in skill and popularity throughout the years; we have proudly succeeded in winning various league titles and Northern Section championships. If students are not attending practice in preparation for the upcoming sports season, they are eagerly awaiting their opportunity to cheer on their friends and school at games, matches or meets.

Aaron Dodd, a tennis player and senior, believes that "as much fun as summer is, most students enjoy returning to school so they can play sports. Athletics are a fun extracurricular and help to release the stress of school work."

Summer and school combine to tie our lives together in an exciting yet complete succession. Again in the words of Dashboard Confessional, they are "slender threads and things to treasure, days like that should last." We should truly treasure life's every moment and understand the importance of both summer's relief and fun and school's educational necessity.

Kelsey Bradley is a senior at Sutter Union High School. Her column appears about every sixth week in Education.