pineandlakes.com | Echo Journal
Thursday, May 30, 2019
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CONGRATULATIONS class of
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The Pequot Lakes High School class of 2019.
EMBRACE THE FEAR OF NOT KNOWING WHAT’S AHEAD
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By Evan Mykkanen Pequot Lakes Senior Class President
hen I was younger, around 11 years old, I got my first cell phone. At the time, my world was carefree and the only thing I had to worry about was when I could see my friends next. So naturally I used my new cell phone partially as a toy instead of a way to communicate with my parents as they intended. So when I found out how to change my voicemail, I figured I would have a little fun with it. Someone would call and on the occasion that I didn’t answer (which was about 90 percent of the time), they would hear my squeaky little voice say,
“Hello,” which would then be followed by silence for roughly five seconds, just enough time for the caller to begin the conversation. After the caller began talking they would soon be interrupted by my voice, which would be the turning point of the phone call. Whoever had called me would hear me say, “I’m just kidding, this is a voicemail,” followed by a giddy, kiddish chuckle. Typically at this point, what was left was a carefree young Evan and most commonly an angry mother. Some time had passed and I made the realization that this voicemail might not leave the best impression for those more important phone calls I’d be receiving. The day I had finally changed that voicemail
PEQUOT LAKES: Page S7
Dan Determan / Echo Journal
Pequot Lakes Class President Evan Mykkanen shares his thoughts on maturing and the unexpected things to come with his fellow graduates Friday, May 24.
THANK YOU, PINE RIVERBACKUS, FOR RAISING US
Nancy Vogt / Echo Journal
Pine River-Backus valedictorian Torry Hirschey and salutatorian Emma Templeton share the senior class welcome speech.
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The Pine River-Backus class of 2019. By Torry Hirschey and Emma Templeton PR-B Valedictorian and Salutatorian
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here are way too m a n y people to thank, and Mr. Halverson said this had to be under five minutes, so unfortunately, we’re probably not going to get everybody.
First of all, thank you to our teachers and faculty. You guys have quite literally taught us basically everything that we know. You’ve filled our minds to the brim with knowledge. You’ve helped us grow and taught us lessons that we will keep in mind for the rest of our lives. Too often, we give you all a hard time, but keeping things in perspective, we know that you try your best. So thank you.
Next, thank you to the coaches. Unfortunately, not all of these graduates have had the opportunity to be coached by you guys. Walking through these halls, I have heard a lot of criticism of our sports programs and our coaches, but I feel that a lot of people don’t understand the value they have. Personally, I have learned just as much from my coaches that I have from my teachers. That’s
not a knock on the teachers, because they’ve been nothing short of amazing, but rather an emphasis on the impact that my coaches have had on my life. Lastly, we thank our families. We have spent the last 12 years working hard to achieve what we thought was most important: academics, sports, music, fun and many other things. For some of us, this has been a long, painful journey, but at the
end of the day, our families are there for us and support us. The teenage years are filled with sarcasm and poor attitudes, and it’s pretty amazing that our parents manage to put up with us. They deserve so much credit, and often don’t get enough. We love you guys, and your support means the world to us. We would be nowhere without you. So many of us have gone through different things, whether it’s loss, anxiety, relationship problems, tests, essays, college applications, or super long final projects ... *cough* Mrs. Lindholm! I know all of us have carried a lot of stress with us throughout the years,
and now that we’re graduating, there’s been at least a little weight lifted off of our shoulders. Honestly, growing up is hard, and we’re not even completely there yet. It’s funny to hear ninth graders in the hallway complaining about homework. They have no idea what’s coming in the next few years, that’s for sure. It’s all part of the genuine high school experience though. I’ve also learned that complaining about the work in class doesn’t get you anywhere at all. So all of you students out there, just let the teachers do their thing. We had to do it, and it’ll be your turn soon enough, and before
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