THE GLEN BARD
Informed - Creative
Free
May 2016
Saying Farewell to West’s Best
Nate Richmond
Tom Sandlund
Karen Kiernan
“I will miss my handshakes with my students as they enter my classroom. I loved doing that and trying to put a smile on their face during the 48-50 minutes I had them. ”
“My favorite memory was organizing not one, but twenty five blood drives on the West campus. I am passionate about blood donations and have been able to influence thousands of teens and alumni.”
Math Teacher
School Nurse
Barb Robinson Special Ed Teacher Job Coach
“I will miss the great students that I work with every day. I will also miss all the stairs!”
Toni Crandall
English Teacher Former English Department Chair
“My favorite moment from [Westt] would have to be working with Mr. Walsh and the Symphonic Band for the Winter Music Concert reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ in December 2015.”
Vaughan Nesslar
Special Ed Teaching Assistant
Department Chair Relief
“I will miss the teachers in the Special Ed Department who are always a pleasure to be around. I will miss the students whom I have worked with for all this time.”
“I love what I do and have been privileged to work for the department chairmen that I have had in the last ten years.”
The Glen Bard Editors’ Farewell Address By Maddie Howard ’16 & Erin Delany ’16 Editors-in-Chief
Well, Hilltoppers, another school year has come and gone. Freshmen, sophomores’, and juniors’ heads may be spinning, but for the seniors the prospect of beginning our adult lives seems daunting, at the very least. This is why we, your faithful Editors-in-Chief, have a few words for all of you. Our lives have changed in both positive and negative ways from the years 2012 to 2016. We have watched our country grow as a whole, with events such as the legalization of gay marriage or an improving national economy. However we have also witnessed catastrophic events such as the bombings at the Boston Marathon and the riots in Ferguson, Missouri. Even though we may not have
2012
control over those who wish to bring harm unto others, it is important to remember that we as individuals still have the ability to elicit positive change in our own lives, and the lives of those around us. For this reason, we would like to use our last editorial as a challenge to you, the Glenbard West students, to make a difference within your school and your community, the one you will inherit once we are gone. While Glenbard West is an outstanding institution full of students and faculty who care about each other and the world, there is always room for improvement. Here are three ways that we can make our school and our community an even better place to learn and grow with each other.
Having a Homecoming King- Autumn at Glenbard
West is a time full of hope and excitement for the upcoming school year. One of the many valued traditions students look forward
West has 30 minute lunch periods
to is the crowning of the Homecoming Queen. While we believe there is value in nominating a young woman of character and leadership from your class, we believe those values should extend to the male counterpart as well. If this vote is about more than outward appearances or social status, then it does not make sense that we fail to recognize a male for demonstrating the same positive characteristics. Next year we challenge you to incorporate a Homecoming King into the fall vote.
Universal
Support-
We all know that the Hitters of Glenbard West get a multitude of fans to attend each of their games, both home and away. Their success is a positive representation of our school and we are proud of them. While the number of fans at their games are understandable as they are a very successful team, it is important to remember that West has numerous clubs
and activities, some just as successful, but none less deserving than football. Sometimes seeing your peers on the sideline serves as a motivating factor to work even harder. If we take all of our clubs and activities as seriously as we do football, imagine how successful we would be.
Finding an Alternative to Senior Shirts- One
beloved tradition at West is the creation of senior T-shirts for your group of friends. While this can be a positive way to celebrate the end of the year with your closest peers, sometimes this tradition divides us more than it unites us. In a few short weeks we will be separated across the country. Many of us may not ever see each other again, so why highlight the cliques that separate us rather than celebrating the last days of our unity as a class? Student Council has made an effort to do so with the creation of a senior class T-shirt, but this
Americans learn to “Gangnam Style”
tradition still prevails. We encourage future graduating classes to adopt a new regime for end-of-the-year celebrations. Glenbard West has given us some of the most rewarding experiences and memorable moments of our lives so far. The least we can do to give back to our school is to continue to improve upon the tradition of excellence that has preceded us, a legacy that we as a class hope we have furthered. We would like to thank the teachers who have pushed us to be better, our peers who inspire us every day, and our newspaper advisors, Mrs. Fritts and Mrs. Kammes-Bumm, for their unwavering support of us and the publication. We hope that you, the future leaders of this school, can do them justice. Sincerely, Your Editors-in-Chief
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