The Echo Senior Edition 2020

Senior Editon 2020

The Echo Senior Edition The class of COVID-19

Senior

Mitchell Morrison Known for political and opinion pieces.

Jack Such

Bailey Anderson Known for political pieces.

Senior editor.

Alex Pareigis

Known for opinion pieces.

Known for movie reviews.

Duke Waldrop

Jad Diab Known for Quad Questions with Jad.

Staff

Jack Sauder Known for Preds’ Updates.

Known for sport updates and Kindergarten check-ins.

What will you miss the most?

How close our whole community is

es in k o j d n a ations s r e v n o c Side class

ast f k a e r or b

Hanging out at the cars after school

onda The soccer m

ys

Seni

The Tug

are Eight squ

Spending time with eve The senior yone as a class TV tim e on the big group senior patio Hanging in

the quad

nd pep a n o ti c e s t n e d Stu rallies

Sitting outside on nice days

Lunch he Ch t e id s t u o ll a b Foot

Seeing m tre a e h T T

erry

day y r e v e s y friend

nd he te

The traditio ies

ns

ith my w s t n e v e g o sportin Friday t g in o G night li friends ghts Baseball ends i r f t s e yb m h t i w ports s Spending quality time with people g n i y Pla in my classes

n’t hang o d y ll a rm o n I le p Hanging Seeing the peo re u s y ll a re t o out with n e ’r u s yo e n o e h T . h it f w r t i u ends in o minutes 5 4 r fo the art m e th g in e e s t u b , e k li u o y building gs up in th s n te h g ri b y a day reall Sharing d essert wit h my frien ds The memories from the softbal l Dominick in locker room class itself s u n i p m a s c e The gam e c i d u t s and r e h c a e Impromp udy hall t with s n o i st t c a r e ut me o b a e Daily int r a c really o h w s r e pe The banter between various Laughing my people head off becau se of all the hila cs i s y rious people ph in n i d t n h e grade rou a g sin s e M th the i w l l a h ses s study a l g c n y o P m l Al Ping broskis Caleb and Spencer’s Playing CO D in the a u n deniable chem rt building istry with the Sq uad ball t e k s a b r and e c Just being able to walk around c o s ds aying l n y an e P m i so r f ng ei se d y an s pu cam with m friendly faces e, n i l h lunc e ny s h n p t a u f n n l i s l ’ ha y. It l l ople a i e Study c p g spe ract Seein r grades e e t n i e Being in the speech ro m om yo u n g t o s e e t h e

What will you miss the least?

L owe r

Pep

rall classm ies e n wa i t i n g the fron in line t of the in c a fe t e r Secu ia r e l s y m r o od f i o f n U Any The long perio d ma Khakis and collared shirts. Still th cl ass think it’s immoral e up th e k a t that s g n i t e unch l e g m n l i l r s a u Sm blie ry d a r m b i e l s e s r A enti Waking up Esteban early from Spa nish Clas s s m a ex ork l w l a o o n h Sc Fi The stress Long l unch l ines nes i h c a m g n e i nd t of hom n e u o v m in a f le o ib a d e r r k c in c The la ht ig e n he h h c t a e T k wo r in s s e Blue oxfords n l l Tuna no we odle cas o serole pt u g days n i k day Wal y r e r ev u o paninis h e s e e n h c a d ol ost r k ey a n u o t m h l e h c a T y day r e s v e g t o s n t o i lm t a Driv to g e that I made ko u t s r o w r e m Sum

What is your favorite memory?

“Too many to r e m e m b er. But, I loved Ad venture Tr eks in 7th grade”- Gra cie

all b t o o f rst i f ar”e y r e “Th of senio game Jessica “I’m blaming Bailey for this ques tion. The truthful answer is that I don’ t have one. I lit erally can’ t pick from all the ones stored in my head. I co uld tell you about the time Mitchell Morrison recited ex plicit Kendrick Lamar lyrics aloud to a dumbfounded M s. Kadlecek, or when I watched Cade Jenkins come to school in a mullet for the first time. However, if I am be ing honest, it would be unfair to put a label on a spec ific event during my time at BGA as my “favorite.” My fo ur year stint at Battle Ground Academy deserves more than that” -Jad ohn J ” b u l cs c i t i l o P “ e” “Basically any tennis practic Rachel Curci “Doing m y wo rk in t he qu buildin iet art g ” e h t B e h tty s wit n u r e e r on f va r ig e n h i t n d n n u a “R team y r t n we l l u s o a C , d s a s h o r C s we n o i s s u us”c n s i e d e f w o t e y t e elor h ie b c r a B e d r a a e r y a r am y of junio a d it r l l G “ a as the c B x Wasson le A ” Micah !! y b a b , for the win

“Ms. Thompson re membering I had moved back be cause she saw a watermelon at the grocery store”- Jack Such fter a s d n e i ith fr w e m ore/ i f t e b g n t i o d l rking “Spen a p e h t nigis n i o e i r r a p o P h m x c a e lun ch l”- Al o e t o h a t c s s after the g n i cout S ” “Winn p i sh “One of th e many tim es that Ju t i n to l d m se I wa s w r o ng or tha had made tI a bad call , b ut he late realized th nd a r a t I wa s r i e m ght”- Gran ll ga a b r”t a t o e o y f ne re n o a m s o u La oph s y “The d m itchell n e k “Beating e M we St. Georg e o n a wa golden go l ko f f a l to g o to state”- Ca the lvin n i w o A t P C t n my i u o e l t i g t n “ S h u t t i H o c k ey S t a t e Reid SH “Beatin A ” r N a e G y g CPA enior s i n th Finals 2-0”- J e State-Sem i ack Sa uder

“Each hom ecoming w hen my friends and I shut d ow n the night”Nathan

“Volleyball home games”- Hana

“Everyone’s face when I fell on stage open ing night o f my senior play”- Anna Baker ”- Addy y n a m o o t y a “There’s w

What is your favorite memory?

“There are so many a memorie otball games”fo t h ig n y a d ri “F m azing s, but on e of my f is playin Piper a vo r i t e s g hide-a nd dark in the softb -seek in the all locke “Any momen r room l a s t ye a r t where the ”- Rebec ca Platos won the tug”- Liam e d 8th gra “Either junior prom or graduation”- Will “There a r e to o many “Competing sophomore year to p i c k f a vo r i t e ” a A in cheer and going to state”melia Meggie ments a n r u o t n n i s ” - “ Q u i z b ow l e att t M ” s n y i o ls the b h a t i n w o i reg “When g n in i t n s n u i D J “W with a r r. Bonner kill ed a w ubber b asp and”- E h t a n A wa l “I really enjoyed being overly comt petitive in AP Lang Vocab competitions: knocking Piper over, Tabooing a lot, and just dominating in general”Spencer “Biking to scho “Junior prom”- Bella ol sophomore year”- Caroline H z e s i r icks G a n n A ” oir trip h c 9 1 0 “2

“Winnin

g the tu

g 3 ye a r s in a ro w”Sophia

“

”-Co 9 1 k 2 Prom

le

ar. e y y ver e t h g g ni Sam n i ” n s e n op pe p e a g h a s t y s “ B a c k e t h i n g a l wa Som “I don’t rea lly have a f avorite. Mo my favorite st of memories w ere off cam pus ground s. Winning a w a rds like bes witness in t t he region o r e xtemp state runner up, or wheneve ip h s r n I t old a genupio inely good j m a oke.”- Devin ch tch n Mi gio e ” r r ll ye a a b n e a Bas freshm “Semifinal “ football gam e in 2019 w h e n we b e at FRA 507”- Garnett “Telling Ellie Pratt her foot was “Football season”fine during spring break, but it was Cade actually broken”- Cassey “ T h e c o o ko u t at the start of the year”- Callum “W i Gra nning de as Grit D ‘J Far ake F ay m’” - Ja rom ke

in 8th Sta te

the d n a on s t a o l e s a l l s wa otba t o I f . r ut n a b u , e r y p p o r i t o “Juni hampionsh me out on mates c eam le”’ t co t n d state i y d h m placeab We t i . n w u f of ries irre o e r m a e f f the m ching sta k oa Nic and c

What is your favorite memory?

“Softball

locker room Jordan

talks”-

“All 3 of my performances during this year’s fall play”- Gavin

“Winning freshman, sophomore, and junior tugs”- Aidan

“Jamb

oree d

ay”- B

r i s to n

nager a m tball o o f a “Either win Meg ” g r n a i e e y ning the tu “B e r o m g 3 ye a r s o in a row or d soph oing Beauty and the Beast last y ear”- Ellen r the e t f a r e t a ma m l a nne e h A t r g u n o i b g “Sin - Har ” s e m a g fo o t b a l l “Making milk carton g ingerbread houses in the lower sch ool”- Maria “I can ’t fe w : H j u s t c h o o s e one o , ing in mecoming l a s t ye s o h e r e a r e the ri ar, pro ver af at the m, jum a t er the state pfo o t b a he with c tug, c t s a l hoir la l heerin up s t ye a g a m e , t h e g y”g a n i D s t N s r i YC tri “ D r e o r fo r G r senior , and the f p irst da ye a r ” el h c yn a B y Abby of Katel

“Regio

nal cr oss co untry meet”Helen

is n n “Te

s

on s a e

”

“Finding out I was a Greer in 4th grade”- Ellie

lyn e v -E

quad e h t n sic o u m r”a o e t y g n e i r homo “Listen p o s h lunc g n i r u d Mikah “Sweeping

the Platos w hile in High School”- Du ke

“I have so m any great m emories, fro teresting dis m incussions in class to gro closer with wing my friends j u st by sitting c a r b e fo r e s in a chool and c hatting. A p al highlight ersonis last year ’s Grit Day, w my friends here and I all dre s sed up as S Service age ecret n t s to p r o t e c t our presid Cade Jenkin ent, s”- Jackson

tte e l r oi h c the f o ing arie d a e r M e h T “

“Beating FRA in football by 50 points”- Caleb “State hock

ey g a m e ” - D

rew

r”-

“Whe n Snake Ms. Corlis s lost in a h M Elvis o r. McH le in t a t the r ugh h the w ou c d o a d to all, an h e fo l d t r i p s ” t h d e o t lp her out”g e i n f i o g Alexi get it “G urin d s l l a ick the m Domin

Do you think you have a lasting legacy? Are you known for something?

“S

”- Scout ip h s n io p m a h C tate

“Yes”

- Bris

to n

but . . . n r n ho ances w o ished in f y I m t u r m b l, o a e to o t u s i c p e r f “No big d o 3rd t in s k t n a T o m e i k in “N my rac the Th l ll l a G a ” e ? a mayb at BGA grade”- Ameli

“I’m sure there are a fe w teachers who will use me as a cautionary tale”- Mitchell

being r o f n w o ’m kn I k n i h t I “ ddy funny”- A

“I a m k d in k s i a n ow n e m g th ber m e m e r le p o e t a n fo r le e f h “I hope pe a e v e a h ll, la o ad t ls a beI r. e d a le d n o h o g k e a at n y re and k n ow m s s la c r u e o dt in v le alkin e r n o s ing that peop s s g”- C to p s Alex Wa ” g in it r w y m o le b e s t fo r ere h t ays ss of e that is d d u d r e lf y o g e e l an gard “I’m th m ”- Will y n e n w u f r d n o a e nic g h istmas Abby n i ow l C h r ”n h t K “I’d like to think “ n i o nt that I am known m u e e h r t a for being friendly ”- Sam

Bailey “Red Converse”-

“I think I’m the most dramatic, or the most thea trical. I think I’m friendly, too. I try to make people’s days”- Anna Bak er

ie who l a o g y e k e hoc GA in B “Being th o t e l t n’ t i t d e i t a t d s a and nce”brought e t s e i l x e reb f o a r a m k e ’ i y l I t s lly as its fir u w f e I p d i e e R Ho op ”. y h s u r t g e s h ood eat “I ju f g y a n s a a ruffle embered rant m G “I don’t thin k I have a lasting legacy, but I like to thin k that I will be reme m b e r e d fo r being a good singe r”- Meggie

ear”y e n o r o f e her “Only being Callum

ss a l c he t ‘ pg u n i r e e of b re sup ider y c ga e a I cons l e l p o e te , th a p o e s f s l r a o l. A e g ith ot sh l o h s t o a a c l e b w of rc ich o o u h d t h o n w c i s te s,’ ink nE ’s k “I th ever wa think it classma the Gle I n r e that out, but e othe ver grac k Such m b e ac J s e t a l f a n d s o ye r s t o ” ce n a l e e s p s y re .io m p v i r v i r e u th “Calvin’s selfie”- Calvin est s

“I thi nk I have impa had a ct on la th class es be e people sting l ow m i e”- G n the arnet t

n by w o n k e e to b p o yI h a I w . o e s h t one y r “I hope e v e ch t ted i a M e r t ” I d h ow treate e b o t wa n t e d

Do you think you have a lasting legacy? Are you known for something? me w o n k e l p ut peo b , o d I ool I k c s i h c “I thin i h guy, w e r t a e h t as the avin guess”- G

ory m e m g in t s ave a la h I t a h t l e e f “I ordan J ” ll a b t f o s fo r “Superlative: Most intimidating. just A wait, whoops- most mysterious”BG imt a en itively e e Alexis b ly os op n p h o I e ave t I hav e way. Club h I gh tha n som ation ger u o e h p n rv n t r , I h o s l i fe i u e e s o n v io y t n a r E ’ a o ne n e “ d g e e C o e y n d r ir c h i o T a “ e r sp ing lly d e t n m n a a v i r t o t n o a e s d n t d u s e n d a e BGA st m h t n y c g r c an pa throu vio a ga n e l Greer”- Aid e that e left a more Rebecc e v I h a e s to b c i o u s ” s rad g “I think our w hole class as a whole is lea legacy at BGA ving a . We had a lot of things go w our senior ye rong a r , a n d we h a ve all kept a good mindset pretty about it and p ushed throug h the adversity”- Nic k ah k i M ” ield Marie f ” g d n i n p a e e “Sl “Track

“I brou

ght ba

ck You n BGA” g Republic - Jake a n s to

“Probably my iconic performance as Spoon in Beauty and the Beast”- Ellen “Will Rieck and I had a pretty good reer with ou car finishings in high school “No, bu g o lf”- Duke t I just hope th has set a me up t o create t BGA a in the U S ” - D ev l e g a cy in fa y ntl ma t s on rly co s c ers g ove bonu h c r in ss ea o la c t e f le o h b w s r u on r ing l and i “I believe o t e i e t e w e “S choo pe ence gacy sinc le a m e v a le o l il w c rs Sp our n g e i in n t r a ” e L e e s tiv point i switched to t e p Ellie senior year”“I did just about nothing for this school, and that makes me proud” “I think Drew I will be re my style a n d h a v m e m b e r e d fo r ing the best sho game”hat t e y Jackson p ap h e b our l l n i i w ple o lard l e i fo r p M f e i k m n w i ber kno I th “I thi , t m at ’ h e h n t a o m e y nk b d e Y “ olb y r l l C e. I e a n g i n c o i n f i g g gave peci , hitt ominick s e k me a President I’m l i l l i legac ss w lse than ago”- D a l c e y” - Cad g ars n i e h y t e y 5 an ime t e n o

What excites you most about life after high school/college?

Mor

e fre

edom

Being able to

fo c u s o n a n d e xplore my passions

S

omething new

The

u

ow n k n

rts o h S

Living

n

Tailgating

rank F g n i v Lea

Being

in a ne

a b l e to

Advancing in my intere

dy u t S

i

b ng a

Go

a Not w

6:

da y r e v 30 e

y

Dorm-life

lin

ave always Trying things that I h wanted to do

see th

e wo r l d

g lots o

b

Being independent

f new p

sted field

a o t g in

k

at p u g in

xp

s

Playing softball in college

Meetin

w city

road

e w e N

Living by the beach

ce n e i er

lleg o c ig

eople

e

C

ience c s f o h c

bun a e k a t e t t i n g to New beginn G classes ings

ace l p w e n iately a g e l n l i o c g l ybal Livin e l l o v g n Playi

Playin

g e l l o

a eg

Fres

m

a ed

h sta

y

rt

g fo o t colleg ball at th e iate le vel

Where are you going next year?

Fisk University

Lehigh University N o r t h we s t e

rn Universit

Brandeis Univ ersity

y

Lipscomb University

Washin gt

rsity e v i n U

on and

Lee Uni

versity

Vanderbilt University Point

L

aza N a om

re

vers i n U ne

o

ing h s a fW

Col

ity

Northeastern

tano t a h C e e s s f Tenne

Berry

ity of Ar

C

ollege

kansas

Univers

University

oga

Loui

ersity v i n U e t a siana St

ity of No

Elon University

New York Univ ersity

te

Samford University

Tulane University Univers

Sta a i b um

Universit y of Ca l i fo r n i a Santa Ba rbara

Eastern Illinois University University o

to n

Ole Mis rth Caro

lina at C

s

harlotte

University of M

iami

University of Kentucky

ersity iv n U l a ri o m e M ln o c in L

a l i fo r n i C f o y Universit o San Dieg

a

Mississippi State University

S e wa n e e

Purdue Univ ersity

University of Tennessee Knoxville Laurentian

Univeristy

State Mercer University n e e r gG B ow l i n of Alabama y it y rs t e i iv n U s r e v Uni Bates College nia r o f i l a rn C e h t Auburn University u o of S y t i s r Unive Indiana University Belmont Un

Souther

m Mia

iversity

i

sity r e v Uni

Bucknell University

n Metho

dist Uni

da a v e N y of t i s r e v i Un o at Ren

Johnson

Universit

ers Clemson Univ

versity

y

ity

University of Alabama Huntsville

Florida Southern College University of Cin University of Pennsylv

Rhodes College

ania

Gettysburg C

cinnati Ma e g r o Ge

s

ollege

vers i n U on

ity

What is your intended major?

Child a

tudie S y l i m a nd F

Exercise Science

ry/ Minist

Bu

s

Aviation Aerospace Engineerin

Political Science

siness

Pre-La w

on and ti a rv se n o C e rc u so e R n Business Administratio

International Stu Neuroscien

dies

g

es n i s Bu

s

Ana

ce

Archite

lytics

Environmenta

cture

l La w

French Pre-Med

Nursing

Sports Administration

Theatre

Chemistry

Coastal Enviornment Science

Speech Patholoogy

Pharma

cy

Music Production

Mechani

cal Engin

eering

log Radio

y

Business Finance

es c n e i c S Dairy d n a l a Anim rack t t e v e r on a p

Computer Scienc

e

Real Estate Finance International Business

Business Marketing

Climate-Change Sciences o P s yc h o l

Secondary Education BioChemistry

Animal Science

Spani Business

e Statistics/ Data Scienc Finance Molecular Bio

nting

Economics

S

logy

English

Accou

gy

M ports

an

sh

en m e ag

Computer Engineering Integrated

Digital Med

Physics

ia

Spanish

g Sociolo

y

t

“Not cutti

What do you regret?

ng my hai r earlier”Drew

“Not being more socia l in my first three years of high school”- Justin

cificale p (s l o o h sc h ig h f o st “I feel like for mo f 2 l e st ju s s a y w I r) a m ye re mo iving g t o ly freshman and sopho N er”i “ l f o r ll a a o d e ld u o c e w s so hall y d wanting to be a senior u t s e had savored th I h is w I . ff u Amelia st r io n se the fun er than th ra re o m l o o h sc t a time that I was d”- Abby n e e th to ip sk to g in h wis “Not going to m o r e s p o is n n te in rt events jo to and not rea “I only regret waiting li zing how lit a we g in v a h t o tle time n d n a r a ye actually ha until my last d all toget t n ra G her””n so a se Harbour-An t u o ne d e h e! “ ac e m r i t Not ave g my h e going l d p l n o i u g r e o a u p m to e eIc I w ple d ng i h very z s o i a o u w e l m d p I a sport “ when ole e C c ore m s h o ” a m I s l n h o c e a o e to d the ”- Pip ar ch s e r s “ e i e S r hould’v Th at th e studi ed mor e”Scout “Not getting into bigger leadership roles earlier in high school, and not “I wish I had spent more time playing football”- Mitch getting to know people outy priorities side of my classes or just the “I regret not having m sophomore people that I never really talkstraight freshman and ed to”- Ellen year”- Mitchell

n the i o d o t wa n t e d I t a wo u l d h t I t g a n i h t h t e y allac ever W o . d ol, s o o M t h c d d l s r o a t s i h s h “It’s ugh t a l wa y o I r . r h a t e e y inm o e c o n c o l l f o a t o b r t n spa t a c to d fo o s n e a b r e e h ce, c t a c l l n o a e s e W b g . n s e i hav play So, M y , l s e e t c a n n y”a a u l t r m p r o f e o f n h r t u e r but arly p o u t fo e d y e i h r t t o e b v ’ h cides wit ding this, I should “Not be rea Jad friending i f yo u ’ r e as many people e arly on”Alexis “I didn’t attend as many school events as I should have. I always in s d n e i gave the excuse I had homee fr r o m reI d . a r h e work or sports, but I should have I wish I soon ming s e “ d gra co e t b n tried more”- Alex Pareigis e r d d i f fe tarte rades Jus y l g on r y e l l h t a o ie al, I ith c n i a w f r e e G t a s clo ar”8 St e 1 y 0 0 3 2 r o a e i n had “In th t s u j e hav trying “ I wish I f o d should a had done bet inste y e l ter my l o h v c f u r e s S h m k ya r d a n ye a r ” - J a c k - Jac ” s s Sauder a p o t ntage of a v d a k o to I e k li l e fe I s “Sometime ith l, o w o h sc s to g d in o g n d ve e g fri n i how much I really lo e b t er”te o k ia c re c p N i p a “ y ll u a re q to irls g and now it’s too late e h t h c all icks e it’s pretty mu H c n si A e G B n t a i s l y a d o y m Car ie g g e M over”nes. I li d a e d d e s is m y , so man Guild t “So many tardies is rt A r fo t u o y tr ack and song a also think I’d go b g a G y d a L a g ing instead of singin e tr n a e th astly, I in n L . n io it d u a ru hip e th days before o t tw s d e r rn o a n we le e I h e w e d a “N lead m I s e m de ring the me a h a s t o n t r re C , but g to re s ri C fo i e r ” te n o M f o e Count were reading Th earl Wasson x le A r” e v e n n a it’s better late th

What do you regret?

“No t ta ki day seni ng adv anta o r ye k n ow ge o a r be our f ev caus last day e we e r y wo u soon ld co didn’ t ”- B me ella so

“No

”- W s t e r g ra

ill

“Not trying harder fresh man year”- Aidan

g”n a ry ve e PL ld appreciate u o w I , k A c a b o g ld u g o c “If I in ies k fl e im T a l. o o t h sc h ig t h ke o a N J “ second of my time in my years d te ia c re p p a e ’v ld u o w and I wish I re because o m re o m o h p so d n a n as a freshma ick hool it all goes by so fast- N “Not going to as many sc with events and not talking my class”in le p o e h p it w re o e m m ti “Not spending more Katelyn ”p u ro g d n ie fr y m people outside Sophia “Should have reached out more sooner”- Calvin “I do not have any regrets be though I cause alstumbled a r o u n d fo r t wo ye a r s the first of high sc ing a n n i h o w o l , i t wa s u God’s glo t o ry and all gret n s e e r d p”i f I h o “ s r n o o i w p e d m e to lot about cham learn a state myself an d t h e va l u nett r a sonal rela G e o f pertionships” - Spencer “Not joinin g tennis fr eshm a ”p n u ro y g e d n a r”- Duncan “Picking the wrong frie Meg ojects”pr t ar th wi ly al ci pe es g, in at tin as “Procr Helen

ing with t it s s a w I , e d a of 8th gr y a d t s r fi as looke h w t I n d o n o a s , ls y a ir k g O r “ few othe a d n a , y b b er name h A t , y o e g r il a fo B I , e a s n u a a H y girl’ bec e ‘H id a s I e?’ and d m n a a n , a y n m a t H e t g a r g fo in k, did you ic in m o ‘D classes e y k li n a s a d a w h e r h e s v d e n n a we’ve just s s e u g I , h gether for a e to y r o is v d a d a I was like ‘Y ‘We’ve h e k li s a w e ‘Do you h e s k d li e r e w ls ir g together’ an of other h c n u b a n e h lly embart a e r s a w it d n a 3 ye a r s ’ a n d d I didn’t n a ’ ? s e m a n r u ick remember o rassing- Domin “I wis e h t n i e h I ha tim e r o d gon m sport of ng i d d l n u e e to m o p s i w n it g eve k “Not n i h ore t I . nts”itl m o a o t r n e h p C c a s s ey spee have s o t l a y i c m i f e ishing l o p been ben n o time e r o m t i ills”k dent s u t g tle b s n i n i k a d e e i n vo l v g n public sp ke i e b isez t r G “No a n Du n ip”- A h s r e d a e l e r o m r n ye a a m h s e r f g e been v a h “Not takin d l u o “Waiting so long to do hat I c t o s , b y l e l s a u C o seri ssesa l c s theatre”- Gavin r o n o h e r o m in ing r a c ed reciatp p . p r a p d e a h o i I l t t ve s hink ear t “I wish tha ’ d l e with im u t d o n n t a s e r w e s r er y teach hI f fe ecca b “Wis what oth joined di s my ed m e R ” e r o m e t e my friends abou I could’v st the on n ju h so I wis and not o”- Jack t , “Some academ c l u b s n d s we n t ic regre e s i t r u f died ha ts, coul r d e r d have h ere or c with a “Not bein o t eacher uld hav g a b l e to e met t h d e w r finell on th e, but I ish my se ose thin try not n i o r ye a r g to s o n a n campus” d f o c n us on th ext time - Evelyn e - D ev i n

Teacher Reflections I recall Bailey, Calvin, and others in the French 2 Honors class preparing for semester exams in Ms. Weir’s room before I had gotten to teach you all yet. I remember Nick, Calvin, Luke, and Micah getting into it over football pretty much every Monday, when you all were sophomores, and Bailey, Lily, and Abby kind of indulgently rolling your eyes at them most of the year. I remember when Bailey, Abby, Lily did the activity to review body parts and Abby drew Donna the purple monster with yellow spots.

I remember when Bailey and Abby didn’t think that their French was up to par to host French students on campus and how, when I assured them both it was, it was like a little light bulb of self- confidence going off. I remember Whit and Micah leading a whole crew of French students around campus, and being so proud that I had students whom I could trust with that level of responsibility.

I remember how Abby, Micah, Bailey, and me went over to the 7th grade class on Mardi Gras during junior year and did Cajun dances, and how we paraded around campus with the 5th graders this year. I remember those 3 doing the scavenger Hunt with the 5th graders and the French students. I remember playing Avalanche with them at the board, endless writing of vocab words on the board, and of course, presenting the date. I remember all of their wonderful presentations and seeing the moments when each of them became more committed to their ideas than afraid of messing up. I remember always being proud when anyone else was going to be with their class,

because I always knew how very impressed they would be with their level of maturity, engagement, preparedness, and curiosity.

I remember playing with Fréedérique (in all the classes), but specifically in French 5 Honors, and when they would get mad at her, they’d say, « Boo, Féredérique! » I remember singing « “tete, eépaules, genoux, et pieds” with them and playing “Jacques a dit.” And of course, the Manie Musicale. I remember going to the Frist last spring and eating at the food court on the way back. I remember lots of reading and talking about books with the 5 honors class this year. Lily really enjoyed The Magic Tree House books in French and did a beautiful brochure about Tom and Léa (aka Jack and Annie) visiting the pyramids in Egypt. Paige was reading The Stranger in French. They also did some lovely presentations recently about where French will take them- Paige to Cannes, Luke to study in France, Dylan to Algeria, Caroline to study or do an internship in France or Belgium, Lily on a trip to Normandy and Versailles, Ethan to Paris, and Aidan to be an international sports journalist.

AdvisoryI remember playing Apples to Apples with Aidan, Liam, Ethan, and Micah on registration day this year.

I remember playing Encore with my advisory and how Jake and Liam always had lots of country songs, and Maria came through with Broadway tunes. I remember Maria’s smiling face when I took my daughter to see Auntie Claus at the Nashville Children’s Theater and how special she

made it feel. I remember how Ellen was usually the first one to start work and the last to finish on service days, and how honestly and thoughtfully she shared in our discussions. I remember Marie’s passionate explanations about contemporary issues, Alex coming through consistently with Publix cookies and always being pleasant and understated about her accomplishments. I remember Hana’s work ethic and her essay about continued on next page

being the mom in her friend group and how impressive her Spanish presentation was. I remember Duncan’s dry and unexpected sense of humor and his mom driving us to service day projects. I remember Ethan also being understated and quietly consistent, in both class and advisory, his work ethic, and his dry sense of humor. I remember Rebecca educating all of us about South Africa and the kindness and curiosity of the rest of the group when she was new. I remember how well we all got along when we went to High Hopes and cleaned balls after the junior PSAT, and I remember how hard everyone worked making a better space for the kids on our senior service day. I remember Marie and her speech tournaments, Alex and softball, Maria and her many jobs, Jake and Aidan and baseball, Hana and volleyball and Ellen’s delight and trepidation before her big role in the junior fall play.

To all of you, I say: Well done, bravo, and thank you.

You have been, collectively, a joy to teach and to know. You have brightened my days, inspired me, made me laugh, made me look at things in new ways, and made me better. Thank you- thank you for showing up, day after day, being yourselves, and bringing all that you are to the table. The BGA community is so fortunate to have had you on our campus- whether it was for a year and a half or thirteen years- and the people whose paths you will cross in the future will be lucky ones indeed.

And to all of my French studentsMerci, féelicitations et bonne route.

-Dr. Headrick

This is a very nice class. As I reflect on this class, I see a group that excels in lifting each other up. I hope you are able to invest this into your relationships moving forward into college. My wish for you is that as you go on with your lives, that your BGA classmates will continue to be a touchstone of love and support. For me, this was kind of a hit and miss class. Many were subject to my classes multiple times, but because I shifted from a senior heavy schedule last year, to one that is junior heavy this year, there are more members of this class than usual that I never had in class.

To those I never had in class or extracurricular activities…. A few thoughts: Whit Bankemper, I am so proud of you for growing as a learner. You are my academic senior of the year. John Bethurum, I always enjoyed bumping into you in the quad and saying hello.

You have a way of investing enough time and attention into what seems to be a passing hello. And your skill at building a genuine relationship will open opportunities for you in the future.

My advisory group gave me an opportunity to build closer relationships. I got to know Tony Stevens, first from advisory time, then to watch him soar as a student and athlete. Others, including Annie Clendenin and Jack Sauder, might have been members of the class I would not have crossed paths with much. Instead, they became examples of how advisory helps foster relationships between teachers and students.

There is the group of students I spent a good amount of time with outside of class over the years, whether

it was quiz bowl, mock trial, or the speech team. Devin Hoke takes on a whole new persona as a member of the mock trial team. Micah Ball shows up, says yes sir, rolls around a backpack, shows up some more, and excels at everything he does. He also will happily dabble in languages and accents on request.

Many members of this class I have known since middle school because of their siblings. Piper Dambach, I remember seeing her in middle school chorus. From then on we crossed paths regularly. And as my daughter came to BGA, I came to learn that she is more impressive at being a great teammate and leader of a program then she is at playing softball. And she is REALLY good at softball. Matt Lewis was in quizbowl rooms and tournaments for as long as I can remember BGA quiz bowl. Like others in this class, it seems like I have known Piper and Matt since before I met them.

Then there are those that had me as a teacher multiple times. Mitchell, Bailey, Grant, Will, Trace, Helen and more. Others ended up taking three classes from me, including Alex, Luke, and Aidan. You have been an easy class to connect with, forgiving of my shortcomings, and supportive of the learning community.

Spencer Merrell has spent a lot of time in my room during class, before school and after. After a while it seemed like he was my sidekick, like Ed McMahon for Johnny Carson or Andy Richter for Conan O’Brien. Isn’t the right, Spencer? (He is answering, “yes sir” with a wry Spencer grin right now I bet.) I went from not being sure continued on next page

Teacher Reflections why Spencer was still in the room to wondering what my BGA experience will be like when he isn’t in the room.

He also experimented this year with being a class clown, and I began to wonder if I might have to give him hours or have a corrective talk with him. But no, that was never going to be necessary.

This is the class that generates support like the old song lyrics “peace, love and understanding.”

Nobody represents this collective activity more than Dominick Nesbitt.

It feels like I have known Dominick

forever. He has a passion for learning, not necessarily on topic for the day or the moment, but his passion can take a whole class along with him. He has a love of geography and knowledge about the continent of Africa. He also has quirks. He is loud during tests, gets triggered by mistreatment of the Kurds, is unsure what period it is, or what type of test he is about to take.

The class of 2020 has helped Dominick navigate the challenges of high school while making plenty of room for him to be the unique person he is. Our relationship developed to the

point where Dominick began coming to a class that he wasn’t enrolled in and treating it as a study hall. I enjoy Dominick enough--and I do like to watch situations and see how they turn out--that I let it go, to see how it worked. It worked just fine. When I think of the class of 2020 I will inevitably think of Dominick and the way he and his class shaped each other, and they will be good thoughts.

-Mr. Blair

I’d like to share with the 2020 class a line from the end of Albert Camus’ 1947 novel The Plague (La Peste), a novel about a city in quarantine. The narrator, a doctor who fights on the front lines against the bacterium that attacked his city, writes: “On apprend au milieu des fléaux qu’il y a dans les hommes plus

de choses à admirer que de choses à mépriser.” We could translate that as follows: “During plagues, we get to learn that there is more to admire in human beings than there is to despise.” It is a simple statement in which optimism about the human spirit outweighs pessimism, though not by much (it is a French novel

after all). We have seen proof of it everywhere during our quarantined spring. When I think about you, the class of 2020, the truth of that statement stands out even brighter.

You are admirable, you are good, and you’re just starting to remake the world in your image.

-Monica Olaru

Dear Class of 2020, Words are failing me at this point.

I’ve started this note at least 6 times.

I wish the choir could just get up and sing some sappy song about how much we’ll miss you. Alas, that’s not happening right now, which is probably why this seems an even more daunting task. It’s hard to say goodbye when it seems there’s so much more we were going to do.

To my choir seniors, we’ve sung our songs, and I could not be more proud of you. You have proved yourselves to be better than you thought and

stronger than you expected. You have performed mightily for years and have sung everywhere from nursing homes to Carnegie Hall--bringing joy to all who hear you. There are way too many jokes about tapping shoulders, Chariots!, infractions, circling up or making a square, mixing up, triangles of sound, trading me in for Jeffery Redding, Addy and her tambourine or spoons, asking for alto parts from Ms. Evins and so many inside jokes from New York. To the rest of the class, thank you for still talking to me and greeting me daily on the

quad post Middle School Chorus days. Your cheerfulness, kindness, and laughter are what makes BGA a special place. You will be missed, but please come back and visit.

So much love, Anne Snider

I wanted to commend this senior class on its resiliency and persistence in a tough time for everyone. Y’all have made the beginning of my career at BGA better than I could ask, and I appreciate each and every one of you for that.

You are joining an elite group of the population: BGA Alumni. We are special. Special because we have been through common experiences, fought for what is right, and joined together to create a community that is as unique as it is antique. To those of you who have spoken to me in the hallways, thank you. To those of you who have read as Troy Maxson or Linda Loman in my class, thank you. To those of you who have battled to earn respect and admiration on fields and courts of athletics, thank you. To those of you who have spent hours mastering a craft and expressing your imagination on paper, canvas, or in clay, thank you. For those of you who have sung, performed, or played with your heart on your sleeve, thank you. And to all of you, thank you for being you. This place, this wonderful, oft-unappreciated place, is better because you were here. Don’t ever forget that.- Mr. Wade

We at SAGE wanted to pass on a little note to all of you who will be moving on to the next chapters in your lives. It has been an amazing experience to serve each and every one of you on a daily basis. For most of you it has been the last four years or more, but even for those who have been at BGA only a short time, your SAGE Dining Staff have had the pleasure of making scratch meals for all of you and serving you each day. We only wish you all the best and happiness in your future endeavors. We are all grateful for the opportunity to know you all and hope you are successful in everything you do.

Best of luck, from your SAGE Dining Staff, James, Petra, Amber, April, Janet, Cesar, Isabella, Blanca, Rhiannon, Zachary and Josh

You guys have always had a dear place in my heart because we started this crazy, awesome journey together. You guys are my first class at BGA, and I couldn’t be more proud of who you all have become. From reenacting the attack on Fort Sumter in 8th Grade US History and setting up a table barricade, to survive the incoming bombardment of paper ball bombs, to adding so many great faces to your class over the past four years, to seeing you become young men and women of character- it has been such a gift to me. I am believing great things for the class of 2020 and believe this is just the start. As you move into the next phase of life, remember to always be planted firmly in what you believe and want for your life, but don’t be afraid to pivot when necessary.

Be wise, listen well, learn from people who don’t think like you and whose story is different than yours (there is always something you don’t know), and always continue growing.

All of my best, Ms. Gilmore

Teacher Reflections

To Bailey, Micah, Mikah, Justin, Rachel, Jad, Piper, Cole, Harbour-Anne, Katelyn, Ellen, Trace, Meggie, Abby, Aidan, Spencer, Grant, Addy, Mitchell, Alex, Bella, Calvin, Will, Hana, Jack, Nick, Duncan, Marie, Jack, Rebecca, Sophia, Alex, Jackson, Evelyn, and Meg--it has been one of the great joys of my life to get to know you and to get to teach you. It makes me sad to think that we may never all be together again in class, discussing something we’ve read, laughing about whatever funny thing someone has said, playing an intense vocab game, writing thesis statements up on the board in color, battling it out in class competition, being freaked out every time the ghost opens the door, or trying our hardest to make the most perfect circle we can while praying that no one shows up late to mess it all up.

Thank you for your enthusiasm for English and for making my job rarely seem like a job.

To Betty--thank you for being such an important part of my life for three years. If you ever make it back to China (!), I will miss you more than you know.

I love all of you and consider it a privilege to have been part of your journey at BGA. Though I’m so very sorry that your senior year is ending not with a bang but a whimper, I look forward to being able to celebrate you in the not-toodistant future. In the meantime, see you on Zoom!

-Leah Handelsman

To the Class of 2020, It has been so fun to watch all of you grow, both individually and as a group, over the past four years.

You’ve developed as students, as friends, and as people.

You are no longer reserved freshmen but confident young adults ready to leap into the unknown. And “unknown” is more of an understatement now than it’s ever been.

This is not the ending that I would have wished for you, yet here you are with high school drawing to a close.

I believe this will be your “I remember when” story that you tell children one day, and you have handled this situation better than anyone expected. You continued to show up each day, even with the uncertainty of what each week would look like. There is both resiliency and bravery demonstrated in that.

Each generation has an event or events, particularly from their teenage years or early twenties, that they forever remember where they were and what they were doing when they found out. For my grandparents, it was when Pearl Harbor was bombed and when WWII officially ended. My parents talk about remembering where they were when they heard that JFK and Martin Luther King Jr. were killed and Elvis died. I began my high school career with September 11th, and I vividly remember the moment I first found out. All of these events led to changes in the world, be they societal, political, legal, or

a mix thereof. I believe that this will be your generation’s and that you will see some drastic changes in the world because of it. But I also believe that you are equipped to navigate what’s to come. You have more than proven it.

I hope with all of my heart that you will have a “normal” start to your college career. That you will be in a physical space to make new friends and be able to reconnect with old ones. To attend sporting events, partake in a musical, or go to a concert. But if for some reason the world turns on its head again, I have no doubt that you will navigate that with the same grace and bravery that you handled the last few weeks of your senior year.

I also hope that COVID-19, while a defining experience, does not define your high school experience.

You will not forget it, but it should not cause you to forget all of the other moments. The Saturday nights with friends, the Friday night games, the plays, the trips to Sonic, the group projects, the weekend trips, the spring breaks, the dances, the conversations at lunch. These are also defining, and I hope that you hang onto them just as tight.

I wish each of you the very best as you take on what comes next, as normal or as crazy as it may be.

-Ms. Monfils

The Class of 2020 is special to me because you are the first group of students I taught at BGA. On that first day of English I, we made posters on which you drew your hopes, your fears, and your strengths. When I was cleaning out my classroom for the year, I came across a stack of your posters that I had saved from August 2016. Some of you were scared of snakes and tornadoes; others admitted fear of failure, disappointing parents, or not making friends. Some of you were hopeful about a football state championship; others admitted hoping for happiness, world peace, or more patience. As for strengths, one of you gave his bench press weight, but others claimed to be a thoughtful friend, a respectful daughter, or a selfless volunteer. When you were finished, you used your cards to tell a story about yourself. Then you all switched cards with classmates and told their stories.

This exercise was like many I do in English I in that it was designed to show you that stories connect you to one another, the world, and the best and worst parts of yourselves. It shows that meaning is dialogic—it exists in the space between the text and the reader—and there is an infinite number of stories we tell about ourselves and others. Once your name poster was out of your hands, after all, and in the hands of a classmate, the story was no longer your own. It was also an opportunity to review what it means for a word to be taken figuratively vs. literally. I am literally frightened of bears—I mean, I should be, they kill people. But I am figuratively afraid of pessimism, of not being authentic, of stasis. YouTube videos and my copy of Bear Aware (a backcountry survival guide) has prepared me to face my literal fear, but the best thing for my figurative fears? Other people and books.

As you leave BGA, my hope for you is that you will find solace in reading, too, and that literature will be a stay against sadness and hopelessness. There is so much terribleness in the world, yet there are moments of delight that will knock you off your feet if you lay yourself open to them. Please know that I am ever grateful for the joy you’ve brought into my life. I look forward to watching you boldly and authentically write your own stories and use your voices for good in the world.

-Bond Thompson

Student Reflections Reflections of a Sad Senior

by Jackson Weber

I still vividly remember my first day at BGA. I came in 5th grade, 3 weeks into the start of the school year. I anxiously walked into Mr. Klausner’s room, where he told me to take the empty seat by the tall, redheaded boy. Without a moment’s reprieve, we were ushered out of the room and onto the bus, off to Camp Marymount. My head was already spinning. But, I ended up having a blast. We got back the next day--a Tuesday--and that Friday was the Wildcat Welcome football game. By the end of that week, I already felt like a part of the BGA community.

A few months later, my mom was driving me to school on a cloudy, fall morning. As our minivan swung onto Ernest Rice Lane, I exclaimed “Mom, I’m going to cry when I graduate.”

Since I first became a Wildcat 8 years ago, I have been envisioning what my senior year would be like.

I assumed it would be a breeze academically, and that I would have nothing but free time on my hands.

I thought of playing sports with all of my best friends, and that all of us would definitely start because we would be seniors. I imagined how good it would feel to swagger around campus, being a big senior. I thought about what we would wear for Grit Day. I pictured the motherson dance at prom. I daydreamed about lying down on the quad all day for Jamboree. I pictured being on the frontlines of the tug, pulling with all my might for the Platos. And most

of all, I envisioned myself walking across the stage at graduation, shaking Mr. Kesler’s hand, and receiving my diploma.

Of course, none of us could’ve imagined what our senior year would actually look like. A global pandemic, nationwide quarantine, and the sudden shift from learning in the classroom to learning in our bedrooms. It has been difficult. I have missed my friends, my teachers, and the feeling of being on campus. I mourn that we cannot be together to celebrate each other’s college decisions. I am saddened everytime I wake up and see that an amazing event like Jamboree, Prom, or the Tug, would’ve been held that day. I regret that I did not have any time to savor all the last times--last senior breakfast, last assembly, last advisory, last english or math class, last game, last concert, last time putting on my polo, or my last day of school on campus. It is these small, seemingly insignificant things that I miss the most. However, it is this sadness that has taught me how much BGA and our community means to me. I never thought there would be a day when I was wishing for one more assembly.

But, now, I miss it. I miss the little things. I miss all the things I took for granted, and I know my classmates feel the same. Even though we have been farther apart physically, I truly believe that we have grown closer together through this shared experience.

Although the “when” is uncertain, I have no doubt that my 5th grade prediction will come true, because this time of uncertainty has shown me how important it is to me. Even if the last one didn’t end like it was supposed to, I am still so thankful for the eight years I have attended BGA. And no matter what happens in the future, I will always consider this school as a home for myself.

A Memoir from a Pessimist

by Mitchell Morrison

I thought I wanted to get out. I thought I have been here too long, seen these people too much, and done the same traditions for years. I wanted to coast through the second semester as fast as possible. Often, I would joke about wishing I had the all powerful remote in the movie Click, so I could skip through the second semester and go to college. Clearly, I did not pay attention to the end of the movie. In the end, after fast-forwarding through most of life, Adam Sandler’s character regrets the lost time with others, and he wishes he could have it all back. I was never given a remote to fast-forward, but the coronavirus did this for all of us, and just like Sandler’s character, I sit here reflecting on what I (and every senior) missed. So, if you enjoy a good pity party, read on as I complain about all the things I miss (hopefully you other seniors can relate as well).

I miss the people. I never realized how often one interacts with others during a normal school day. For in-

stance, I miss the 30 minutes before school, when we’d hang out in each other’s cars or I’d roam aimlessly through the halls looking for a teacher’s open classroom. I miss wasting study halls and messing around in the student lounge, distracted by Cade playing TikToks at full volume.

I miss distracting Will in Mr. Gray’s class, leaving the class, and scaring the next period by telling them how impossible the new material is to learn. I miss aimlessly roaming the quad during lunch only to find entertainment in Grant and Justin’s scaling of the senior tree, and then after lunch, entering Ms. Handelsman’s room to find Micah with his pants rolled and sweaty, victim to the parking lot football game. Right now, with this lovely spring weather, I know everyone would be sitting in a large circle on the quad (six inches apart) talking about who-knows-what, and we are all missing out on that.

I miss after school shenanigans.

I always enjoyed watching numer-

ous upperclassmen race through the parking lot determined to beat the middle school traffic while the rest of us stood huddled, killing time between our last class and our after school activities. I certainly miss soccer: the only sport that, despite my lack of inherent athleticism, I was any good at. Not only do I miss the competition games, but I miss everything that came with them. Like every student-athlete, I miss messing around before, during, and after practice with my friends. I miss hyping up the week before we play CPA and FRA, and I feel robbed of one last opportunity to take them on. I miss hanging out in the training room and pestering Gary.

I even miss screeching the alma mater as we pulled into BGA after an away game.

I miss the traditions. I miss never putting any effort into Grit day, and then complaining about collusion when Ellen’s group won. I miss losing the tug every year, but always having continued on next page

Student Reflections

A Memoir from a Pessimist (continued) a passed-out Plato to blame. I miss the very long wait before eating on prom, and I’m upset that we will all miss Dominick crowned as prom king (I miss you more than everyone else Dominick). I’m mad we won’t be able to continue the BGA frocket tradition and wreak havoc on underclassmen, and I am also mad that we are all deprived of one last jamboree: no lounging on the quad, Sumo wres-

tling, 9-square, and amusing karaoke/open-microphone shows. Worst of all, if this lockdown continues, I am mad that we will miss that final moment of togetherness before many of us say goodbye for good.

High-school memories are meant to come in quartets. When we reflect on a part of highschool, we should remember four versions of that part of highschool: A cringey and uncom-

fortable freshman year, an exciting and newly mobile sophomore year, a slowly maturing but enjoyable junior year, and, the bow on top, senior year.

All of us were robbed of that bow.

All of our highschool memories are incomplete, and that is something worth being sad about.

I hope you all enjoyed my melo-dramatic reflection, and even if you didn’t like it, I still miss you.

A Memoir from a Lifer

by John Bethurum BGA has been in my life for almost as long as I can remember.

From kindergarten up until fourth grade, BGA was literally 10 steps from my home. Making the miniature hajj across the street nearly every morning is something that I will always remember. Back then, things were simple. Everything from my

amish-looking bowl cut to the Jack and Annie books that, to me, were the craziest things since dinosaurs.

As time progressed, the simplicity of life did not. The differences between the Jack and Annie days and now are vastly different, yet BGA has been there for me all along. With time comes memories, and the memories

that I’ve made at BGA have been great. Everything from Parker savagely throwing his conduct card away, to my H.H. boys. My time at The Academy has been real, and it’s been fun… and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my childhood anywhere else.

Nine Square

by Devin Hoke

Where should I even begin?

Should I start with the Bronze Age or should I just skip right to the Golden Age? Ah y’know what, screw middle school! Golden Age it is.

Nine Square was an event unlike any other, I truly believed that anyone who did not participate in this event missed out.

Nine Square had blatant rigging, tag teams, betrayals, hooliganism, and bullying freshman; it was BEAUTIFUL. Nine Square had Toe Nochi. Nine Square had play-its. Nine Square had epic megs, headers, off the walls, off the belly, stompers, rockets, side shots, curve shots, and my personal favorite: the shin shot. Nine Square had rules, and then it didn’t. The one rule that remained was that you could not use your hands because that is some weak middle school nonsense and we are men (and women) who should not lower ourselves to such a sad and pathetic level. Nine Square was played at different locations

and went through many evolutions before the dark days came in at the end, and there became too much of the human disease known as freshmen to continue playing Nine Square at an acceptable level. In my opinion, the best Nine Square happened before Nine Square. What I mean by this is that the most recent location next to the student lounge was ok, but I prefer the Eight Square location in front of the Cherry Sports Center. I loved the crowded and bunched up human wall (a brilliant move to keep people who were in line engaged in the game) that you could kick the ball off of or on the doors or try to get a ceiling trick shot. Those were some crazy good times.

Over time we all developed unique skills that we used to try and get others out like Cade with his stomp, George with his light tap, John with his spinning shot, Whit with his Toe Nochi header, Aidan and Callum with their Canadian brotherhood, and me with

my shins. Unfortunately it had to end. Just like how Mitchell said in his memoir, Adam Sandler did not realize the good he had until it was gone. I wish I had appreciated Nine Square more when it was around and in tough times like this. We have all lost something we cared about or something that was going to happen. I would encourage people to try and make the best out of a bad situation and when this is all over we should all be very thankful and grateful for what we have because you never know when something like this will happen again. Nine Square was not everyone’s favorite thing, but I hope that this brought back some nice memories for the people that it was and for everyone else I hope you will all have “Nine Square moments” with your friends when this is over. Stay safe guys and have a blessed rest of your day, oh and love Nine Square as well.

Student Reflections Alex’s Memoir

by Alex Pareigis

At fourth grade graduation, you received a little diploma and got this little golden pin of a wildcat paw.

Getting that pin was huge for me because that whole week I had been sick, and I was so determined to make it to that little graduation that I remember throwing up that morning and then heading to school like I was totally okay. I’m not sure where the paper is saying that I graduated fourth grade, but I still have the wildcat paw pin. It has been sitting on my counter since 2012. I planned to wear it on my last day of classes and at my graduation. It’s in a box now. I couldn’t stand looking at it anymore.

It just sucks.

I’m quite a sentimental person and a borderline hoarder (only stuff with a future purpose, I’m not crazy).

That being said, I held onto a lot of things from my time at BGA. I held onto the blue ribbon I got when I was named a PLATO. Now, that was a devastating day. My mom had been a GREER, and, when they called my name as a PLATO, I almost began

to cry. I stood on that stage in the lower school gym, and Addy Mitchell tapped my shoulder and had the biggest smile. I was fine after that. Addy, thank you for that small moment- it meant the world to me. I don’t have a physical object, but I do have the memory of kicking Grant’s butt in all things throughout lower school, specifically the rope climbing competition. To this day, Grant is still bitter over those lost races, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

This really sucks. Because I worked for thirteen years, and yes, I mean all thirteen years because I struggled early on, and then I began to push myself. But I pushed myself because I wanted to be in the same classes as my best friend Bailey. After all, she was always in the advanced reading group starting in first grade, and I wasn’t. So I worked so hard to become a good reader and eventually I passed Bailey in those word count reading competitions we would do (probably my greatest achievement besides kicking Grant’s butt). I

kept my book card with all my beads on it, and I kept my friend Bailey who pushed me to become a better person. Thank you for that- I couldn’t have gotten here without you. One of the best parts of my class was how we pushed each other. In softball, I always had Piper, Paige, and Jordan pushing me to be better, but they also were the reason I slacked off and would end up talking with them instead of shagging the balls like we were supposed to be doing. I gained the Russian spy, Hana, and I have come to the conclusion she is not a Russian spy, but is one of my closest friends. I gained Abby, who gave me a new love for Christmas and has made sure I will never get on a ski lift.

One thing special about BGA is that you gain friends in that community that you never thought you would. In eighth grade, this one weird girl wouldn’t leave me alone. I can without a doubt say I hated her at first and when she signed up to do track with me I almost wanted to continued on next page

Alex’s Memoir (continued) quit. Little did I know she would grow into one of my best friends. Caroline, thank you for doing middle school track. You pushed me to be a better friend, and I’m so glad you wouldn’t stop annoying me. I even gained a friend from South Africa, who is probably the sweetest most caring friend I have, and I can’t believe I’ve only known her for her a year and a half.

Rebecca, you are one of those kinds of people that just feels like you have been a part of my life forever. Over the years, I gained so many friends, and I could probably write ten-page

papers on them all, but I can’t. Since we may not have the traditional goodbye, to everyone who has been a part of the BGA community these past 13 years, thank you for making my school experience.

I didn’t get the traditional graduation, but during my time at BGA I collected moments and people more important than any pin. I am trying to cherish my 12 and ¾ years at the Academy, and am trying to ignore the fact I never got a real goodbye. On that last day of my senior year, I wasted it. If I had known it was going to be

my last day, I wouldn’t have spent my study halls and breaks doing all my homework. Instead, I would’ve been outside laying in the grass next to my friends. I would’ve carved my initials into the senior tree and watched Justin and Grant climb it. I would’ve played my heart out on that softball field because I would’ve known it was my last time playing on that diamond.

I would’ve done something different, something special. Because my last day was not a good goodbye.

An Unfinished Goodbye

by Bailey Anderson

BGA has never not been in my life. When I was born, my oldest brother was going into Kindergarten at BGA, so when I say I was raised here, I was. I’ve seen many things change over the years: principals, headmasters, teachers, students, uniforms, playgrounds, curriculums, technology, scandals, logos, flooring, mission statements, and so much more. But, a lot of things have stayed the same. The love and passion of the faculty and staff, the excitement

on Jamboree and the day of the Tug, Mr. Roger, and the bond of my classmates. Don’t get me wrong, our class has had ups and downs, but I know every one of my classmates is there for me when it really comes down to it.

I’m surprised how sentimental I feel writing this right now. I’ve grown a little jaded over the years and am not normally very emotional. I’ve felt ready to finish my story at BGA for a little while, but I wasn’t expecting it to

end quite like this. I know that BGA is trying hard to stay positive and is doing the best they can, but there really isn’t anything they can do. No one really prepares for a world-wide pandemic.

Instead of talking about all the things that we are going to miss, I want to share some memories from every grade. In Kindergarten, I got to watch Addy punch Nina for sneezing on her. In first grade, I learned the continued on next page

An Unfinished Goodbye (Continued) wonders of Bejeweled and iSpy in computer class. In second grade, I sat next to Jagger after he came to school after getting sprayed by a skunk. In third grade, I sang the “Fifty Nifty” in a brace after fracturing my femur bone (thanks Jake Brown). In fourth grade, I became a greer and danced to “Fireflies” at the talent show. In fifth grade, I wore an anklelength skirt and played the trumpet very badly. In 6th grade, I learned about Fresh Water and Fertile Soil (thank you Mr. Lape), got 2 state basketball shirts thanks to a spelling error, and made 9 nerd friends in math. In 7th grade, I sang French phrases with Mrs. Kropp and really faced history with Mrs. Swanton. 8th grade was an exciting year: I failed at my Rube Goldberg Machine, tried really hard to understand what inertia is, watched Parker get tied to a tree with a sweatshirt, planned a Halloween carnival with Mitchell

(whose main job was yelling at kids in the Haunted Barn), did an outrageous aerobics routine with Abby, and put my whole pencil pouch in Nick’s sweatshirt hood.

Now, on to the high school years. I have many more memories for these years, probably because these years are more recent, and I had more freedom. Freshman year was filled with new experiences: summer workouts (and heatstroke), a dictatorship in English class, selfies with Bella and an unknowing Sauder in math class, confusing physics classes, not eating on fried chicken and mac and cheese day, a concussion from Briston in kickball, JV basketball games, and terrible feeds from Nancy during tennis practice. Sophomore year was filled with new freedoms and events: picking up all of my friends, a job at the movie theater, dramatically yelling for Fleance to fly, NHD,

gummy worms with Abby during exams, forcing Will to let me drive to SAP presentation, and watching one of my best friends try to bike roughly 9.6 miles to school. Junior year was filled with lots of class bonding: after-lunch in the quad, breakfast at Caroline’s house, hours and hours of editing the newspaper, a new friend from South Africa, getting no work done in either of my study halls, jumping in the Harpeth after winning yet another tug, dominating doubles with Reagan, and March Mammal Madness. And finally, senior year: blue hair, a safari hat on the first day of school, a long and difficult college application process, breaking the bleachers, still not getting any work done in my study halls, and a world-wide pandemic. “But hey, that’s highschool.”- Will Stronghold, Sky High.

Senior Artwork Japanese GetaNathan Evans

Influencing AmericaNathan Evans

Whims of a WaveKatelyn Helberg

UntitledHelen Zhou

BattleshipAmelia Reiss

Chinese Foot BindingNathan Evans

Don’t Block the ViewKatelyn Helberg

NikeHelen Zhou

SculptRebecca Steynberg

TattooRebecca Steynberg

Farewell, Class of 2020