Banquets
Catching Fireflies, but Capturing Memories
Pulling up to Walnut Lane Bed and Breakfast, where the 2012 Junior-Senior Banquet was held, students and guests found a sight to behold on April 30, as the flowers were casting their first blooms. It was a warm day for March, and it seemed spring was already in full kick. The Jr-Sr destination was fully equipped with a beautiful wooden house, well-landscaped gardens and a huge tent for parties.
Not only was the location nice, but also the snacks to start the night - punch, pretzels, tiny sandwiches, and many other wonderful appetizers prepared by the juniors’ parents were delcious. Having helped with decoration and setup, junior Alec Allred said, "Mrs. Heidi Seawell [wife of junior sponsor Nathan Seawell] did a great job organizing the whole night."
God’s decorations adorned the scenery. The flower garden was beautiful with its trailing green vines and pastel budding plants. The center fountain made a nice green-lit centerpiece for group pictures around the brick wall. Mrs. Cathy Galbreth and her husband Eric took couples’ pictures by the gorgeous flowering arch.
After the initial "getting-started events," the students made their way to the tent for the banquet part of the night. The path was lit with glowing candles in jars to signify the theme of "Catching Fireflies." The delectable meal was provided by Sammy's Catering Company.
Mr. Eric Johnson, a former teacher at FCS, gave the students the challenge of making life count. He used the example of the great Olympic runner Eric Liddell. As Mr. Johnson implored students to make their lives count and being prosperous for the cause of Christ, he said, "Our lives are only a dash between two dates."
Following the challenge, the senior prophecies and senior last will and testaments were played via videos. Laughter was contagious as juniors became exaggerated senior characters. Hunter Walter was displayed as still wearing his Ohio State sweatshirt and getting out of trouble by saying, "My mom's a cop."
Without a doubt, the prophecies were far-fetched with only small hints of true senior characters. In the futures foretold, Nikki Smith was still telling extremely long and drawn out stories.
The seniors’ video, produced by Isaac Moody, portrayed their last will and testaments to the juniors. It started with everyone leaving behind personal items to certain people. Senior Amy Rodriguez remembered, “The famous soccer cleats that have been passed down from year-to-year were left, not to a boy, but to Caroline Burroughs in hopes they will continue to bring her ‘good luck.’ So, in the end this night was definitely about friends catching memories that will stick forever.”
The idea was to give the juniors something that each one would need during his senior year. For example, Nikki Smith said, "I gave Aaron Woolard a booklet telling him how to be animated while telling a story. Although everything was really fun, it made me realize that the year was coming to an end. So it was bittersweet."
The enchanting evening ended with wonderful memories. Seniors were given flashlights to light their way back to their cars. Senior Katie Ellis said, "This night was definitely one of the best nights of my senior year! We seniors were surprised at the great job the juniors did. I will never forget it!”
Compiled by Lauren Key and other FCS journalism students