This Year We Learned To Create, Not Imitate

Thu., May 27, 1999

Shawna Ernst Mt. Spokane High School

Class of ‘99 Special graduation edition

Last year we were copycats not Wildcats. We tried to be Mead and failed miserably. We had dress-up days like Mead. We had mixers like Mead. We had a talent show, a coffee house and pep rallies, just like Mead. But nothing turned out quite right. Our mixers seemed empty and our pep rallies lacked pep. There was always someone saying, “ Mead was so much better.”

It took an entire year, but we finally stopped comparing ourselves to the Panthers. Now all we miss are friends, a few teachers and power outages. (Stupid back-up generator!)

The senior class discovered that we can’t imitate; we have to create. Mt. Spokane has pride because we started to believe in ourselves. And we didn’t realize our own strength.

We’ve had an incredible year. We won our football game against Mead. (Nothing personal: just business.) Our fall play “Grease” was dynamic to say the least. Our pep rallies were exciting. We have pride in our music program. We love our athletes. And we don’t mind the shutterbugs in yearbook.

We are what made Mt. Spokane’s second year great. Though we can’t take all the credit; we had a ton of help from teachers, counselors, administrators and especially the juniors, who will excel as leaders next year. When someone talks about Mt. Spokane, they don’t call it “the new Mead High School” anymore. Seniors took the Mead out of Mt. Spokane, both in the name and in our attitude. It takes leadership.

We set traditions that will keep for years to come. We were first. It was a hard road to take, but we made it. Mt. Spokane’s seniors are athletes, artists, scholars, musicians, actors, singers, photographers, poets and 100 percent Wildcats. We’re survivors. No matter which road we take in life, we will survive.

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