#1: Most of the teachers

As hard as it is to admit, we’ve all been blessed with the faculty at NCHS. No matter what subject, there are teachers who go above and beyond to connect with their students.

Senior Megan Moore appreciates that “Miss Scott used to bring food in AP Lang. She’s an angel.”

Emily Sandy will miss “how Mr. Robinson teaches with so much passion and intensity.” Some teachers care about not only school work, but who their students are as people too. Teachers “have made lasting impacts on us, and our class will miss them when the school year is over.

#2: Friday Night Lights

There might be a bias, but Normal Community has one of the best student sections in the world, as shown by our fourth place Student Section Showdown banner. Every football game, fans come out in droves to cheer on our Ironmen. There’s a sense of community that is found in being crammed into those stands with too few seats. We suffer through the freezing cold, the rain, and the heat as a group, and almost can’t even feel the weather. Caught up in screaming and cheering, all that can be felt is a sense of pride in our school. After graduation, Friday nights will never be quite the same.

#3: In-town Rivalry Wins

Our class can proudly say that we are the undefeated champions of all the Blono high schools. In our four years here, the varsity football team has never lost to another high school in town, and that is something to hang our hats on. Our football team has done a fantastic job defending our school pride, and being able to walk into any stadium, sure of an impending win, is a feeling that will be missed.

#4: Spirit Week Dress Up Days

Remember freshman year when we were too afraid of looking stupid to dress up for spirit days? Now, it’s the best part of the year. Homecoming dress up days give us a chance to show our pride in our school and have a little fun while we’re at it. That rush you get when you walk into the atrium that is stacked floor-to-ceiling in homecoming decorations, dressed to the nines in that day’s theme, will always be missed.

#5: School Assemblies

Sure, it’s no fun being crammed into the bleachers by the hundreds, but getting out of class to watch our friends play games, and our teachers embarrass themselves (looking at you Bovenkerk) is always fun. Senior Christopher Gaines will “miss the teacher vs. student volleyball game” that is played at the Homecoming assembly.

#6: Some Awesome Elective Classes

Okay, we’re being honest here. A lot of the classes here are boring. If you love English, math has been agonizing. If you love science, history puts you to sleep. Lucky for us, NCHS has a pretty diverse selection of elective courses. For instance, Culinary Arts, Lifestyle Management, Photography, Journalism, and so many more have provided us with an escape from the monotony of the core classes.

#7: Homecoming

Homecoming is truly the best week of the entire school year. As previously discussed, the dress up days are fun, but there’s more to homecoming than just that. The myriad of extra events such as Powder Puff, the bonfire, Ironman Volleyball, Battle of the Bands, and plenty of fun games in the lunch hours are a perfect distraction from the stress of academia. Of course, the real fun comes with the weekend. Friday night’s homecoming game is even more fun than usual because past alumni come back to visit, and school spirit is at an all time high. Saturday night is packed to the brim with a blur of pictures, music, friends, and dancing. It’s a unique atmosphere that we will never experience again.

#8: Prom

In concept, Prom is pretty similar to homecoming, but the subtle differences make it so much better. For one, being able to turn up in a fancy hotel instead of a sweaty gym brings a level of sophistication to the dance. The fact that only upperclassmen can attend (unless brought as a date) makes you feel like a VIP at an exclusive event, and the fancier dresses really hammer that point home. Finally, it’s at the end of the school year so it gives us something to look forward to as a last hurrah. This year, our prom will be one of the last times the senior class will all be together, and it’s hard to not feel nostalgic.

#9: School Friendships

Some of us have been in the same classes with each other for our entire school careers. That means that we’ve spent up to 13 (give or take) years together of our 18 years (approximately) of life. When college comes around the corner, we’ll be heading down different paths that take will take us all over the country. A lot of us will never see each other in person again, and it’s important to savor this time before it’s over.

#10: Being An Ironmen

High school is a long four years. Early mornings, late nights, and way too short weekends have made it hard to love every day of school, but students here lucked out in going to a really great school. Normal Community is, academically and extracurricularly, one of the best schools in the state, and that is something to take pride in. We bleed orange and black, and when our class leaves this building for the last time, we’ll miss being Ironmen.