Senior reflection: Where it all went

Drew Chegash
Staff Writer

      Senior year is without a doubt a year full of emotions and packed full of reflections. Ask any adult, and they will tell you that high school is “the fastest four years of your life.” As we get caught up with sports, clubs, friends, and most importantly, school work, we find ourselves wondering where it all went. The constant five minute dash to our next class or the late nights to meet the deadline that you forgot about has put the past four years into a time frame that feels like an hour. As a result of this temporary fast paced way of life we have become accustomed to, we seem to forget some important moments that changed us since that hot day in August of 2012 that marked the next chapter in our lives.  

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      2012-2013, our freshman year, was a year packed full of information that we all seem to forget and have those “ah-ha!” moments when we remembered they happened. Although some terrible incidents happened like the Sandy Hook shooting, the Boston Bombing, and Hurricane Sandy devastating New York, we can look back and realize how each of those events singlehandedly shaped American history. Also, just that year, President Obama was reelected to a second term in a hard-fought battle against Mitt Romney, the stadium blackout that interrupted the Ravens and the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII captivated the entire country, and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London fueled athletic inspiration across the globe. Our very own Apex Cougar Lacrosse also had a breakout year, winning their first state championship since 2005, which sparked the fire to the Cougars’ upcoming outstanding seasons, and ignited the reign of Apex Lacrosse that we all know and love.
      I think that we can all agree that 2013-2014 was certainly another exciting year, which aided in shaping our young minds as we approach our sophomore year. This year was sparked with the Miami Heat winning their second straight championship, the government shutting down for sixteen days, and Paul Walker and Nelson Mandela dying. Man, this is starting to sound like a bad Billy Joel song. Also that year the 2014 Winter Olympics were held in Sochi, Russia in spite of terrorist threats, and the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 mysteriously disappeared over the Indian Ocean. Remember the “snowpocalypse” that left hundreds of cars stranded on the highway? We missed so many days because of snow that homeroom had to be cancelled for the rest of the year in order to make up the time that we missed; bummer, right? We also cannot forget about forget that the Apex men’s basketball team, under Coach David Neal, won their first state championship against the well-formed [lacrosse] rival, Lake Norman.
      2014-2015 was the infamous junior year that we all heard about as freshman but never thought would actually end up affecting us. For many of us, the light at the end of the tunnel suddenly became clear. This year the San Francisco Giants won their third World Series in five years, fueling the conspiracy that they are only good on even years (winning it all in 2010, 2012, and 2014). Also, on April 11, Cuba and the United States had their first meeting in over fifty years, signifying the historical warming of relations between the two countries. Who could forget the fight of the century? Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao battled it out on prom night, with Mayweather ultimately coming out on top for the title. This was also another important year for Apex Lacrosse as they brought their second state championship in just three years back to Apex under Coach John Hayden. Although it is very sad to write about, we Apex High School students lost our beloved Principal Matt Wight to a school that we shall not speak of, but when one door closed, another one opened as we gained the extremely enthusiastic and caring Diann Kearney.
      ​Here it is, seniors. The year we all thought we never come has finally turned the corner, and the light in that tunnel has certainly become blinding. This year the men’s soccer team brought home their conference title after having an amazing season as well as the men’s basketball team winning the conference title themselves. The “time flies” phrase has become a reality as we only have a limited time left. Out of all the history that’s happened in the past three years, nothing will be more important than when you walk across that stage and receive that paper that resembles all the hard work as well as new beginnings. “Make it a great day, Cougars.”