June June1717- 23, - 23,2020 2020| |THE THESPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT 111
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CLASS OF 2020
Bethlehem Central high SChool
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raduation is a time to share memories. There are many I cherish, from the pit party and survivor day in elementary school, all the way to celebrating college acceptances, work opportunities, military enlistment, and other future plans. However, I realize that not all of these are shared with all Bethlehem graduates. Bethlehem is a place of opportunities for all, no matter your pursuit, and everyone has taken a different path. The next part of your life will be guided largely by how much you are willing to do on your own. No one will be there to make sure you do what you’re supposed to. It is up to all of you to take the opportunity of success that has been given to you, and to go out into the world
Aidan McNay
Gillian Roeder
EXCERPT FROM GILLIAN ROEDER – KEYNOTE SPEAKER y name is Gillian Roeder and I am an eagle. I have gone to Bethlehem for the entirety of my academic career, from the ELC to BCHS. I played Four Treasures and had my face painted on elementary school field days. I looked at the straw scarecrows in front of our middle school with awe each October. I was a participant and onlooker in various sporting events, went to annual cabarets, and managed to avoid the infamous Homecoming Plague that ravaged our high school each fall But the pleasures I had from being an eagle were not without their hardships. I failed tests. There were times where I argued with my friends. And certainly, many of my expectations for my senior year were turned upside down, as were all of yours. But all these events were perhaps necessary impetuses for change. That is not to say I am happy for the things that have happened. Such would be callous and insensitive to the hardships greater than my own that so many are going through. But in order to evolve, we need challenges. We need struggles. We need failure. In the coming years, each of you will be presented with many opportunities. You are on your way to becoming your own crocodile, or eagle, or whatever you make of it. But it will be infinitely more exciting and rewarding than the plights of those animals. For biological evolution is a passive process, taking place over the course of millions of years, while your evolution is active, quick, and personal. You have a choice in what attributes you possess and what actions you take. You get to appreciate the growth of your friends. You get to decide what success means for you––whether it’s being the first one in your family to go to college, or serving your country, or simply being there for people who need it. And at the end of the day, the decisions you make are your own.
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and make something of it. Your learning and efforts don’t end when you depart with your diploma. Leaving high school, you are about to enter a world where nobody knows who you are. All they will see is who you want to be, and who you become. Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to talk about the people who are receiving their diplomas today. All of us know the quality of these young men and women. Among us, we have the future scientists, artists, engineers, and leaders of the world. The Class of 2020 will be remembered at Bethlehem and far beyond as the type of people to take charge and push through, no matter what’s put in front of them. None of us would’ve expected our high school careers to end in such a unique way, but I can’t think of a more unique class with the capabilities to push through it.
Megan Kirk
EXCERPT FROM MEGAN KIRK – CLOSING SPEAKER ersonally, I have been a Bethlehem student my entire life. Black and Orange have been the center of everything school spirit related for as long as I can remember. It’s safe to say I have made memories to last an entire lifetime or two during my time here, however, unless you’re a fellow BC student or alumni, do you really understand how special those memories are? How you can feel them in your bones? Let’s take a stroll down memory lane. If you could choose a select few moments to define your career as a Bethlehem student, what would they be? Truthfully, there isn’t just one moment that will define your four years as a high school student, however you choose to look back on your experience, you will notice a flash of several vivid memories flow through your mind. It’s safe to say that you’ll smile as you reminisce on the memories created, and imaginably, you’ll hear the Hooligans playing in the background. This year’s senior class has undoubtedly been through a lot. We’ve endured several obstacles that have tried to knock us down. Despite these hardships, we’ve always managed to come out of it, standing strong. Because that is who we are. The Class of 2020 is relentless, we will not stop until our dreams are achieved and we’ve reached our goals, while never forgetting where we came from and embracing our roots. I’ve seen this demonstrated everywhere, on the field, courts, and ice, on stage, and more importantly, in the classroom. Bethlehem students do not stop until the job gets done.
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EXCERPT FROM AIDAN MCNAY - INTRODUCTORY SPEECH