Second semester is full of surprises
With the end of the eventful first semester comes the beginning of the second semester, which is bound to be filled with surprises and excitement as the end of the 2011-2012 school year comes to a melancholy yet jubilant close.
Many Gridley High School students were anxious to get back to school and get back on track with their studies after winter break, while others were reluctant to drag themselves out of bed in the morning to spend seven hours every weekday stuck in this prison of government-mandated education.
Most students, however, were just eager to catch up with their friends and have fun.
Jan. 11 was financial aid night for GHS seniors and also a friendly reminder of how close graduation is. Although most seniors are anxious to graduate and be out on our own and on to college and greatness, most of us are scared of the considerable responsibility that comes with independence.
Many seniors were animated for the second semester, such as Dustin Zuninios, who said: "It is the most saddening, pointless, yet thrilling time of high school."
A few of the events that await GHS students this term include FFA week, Battle of the Sexes week, academic rally, TWIRP dance ("The Woman Is Responsible to Pay"), prom, the senior picnic, senior trip, senior skip day, spring break, Modern Dance and the farewell rally.
The senior class has planned an extra special senior trip, including visits to Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Newport Beach and the Medieval Times dinner theater. This is a very entertaining expedition that is bound to be filled with excitement and create special memories between old friends and bonds between new friends.
The GHS choir will perform a musical show, "Yesterday Once More," in the spring, filled with tunes reminiscent of the late '60s to the early '80s. It will include songs by The Jackson Five, Kansas, Led Zeppelin, Joan Jett, The Grass Roots, Sonny & Cher, The Beatles, Aerosmith, Mama Cass, Blondie, Fleetwood Mac, Chicago, Rush, Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson, Nancy Sinatra, Queen, James Taylor, Styx, Boston, The Mamas and the Papas and many more.
This show is bound to be a rocking blast from the past and sure to be a crowd-pleaser. The numbers will be accompanied by choreographed dance steps that tie in perfectly to these classic songs, and when paired with some rock 'n' roll costumes, one would swear that they time-traveled to decades past.
The GHS varsity basketball team is off to a great start to its season with many wins, and the soccer and wrestling teams are tearing it up in their respective leagues. With spring also comes baseball, boys tennis and golf, which are predicted to do well.
In short, Gridley High students are very excited for this semester to bring entertainment to our school lives and also fun with our friends at school during this eventful second semester.
Holly Anderson is a senior at Gridley High School. Her column appears every six weeks in Education.
