131 GCHS graduates receive diplomas

By Crystal Burns

Graduation ceremonies at Gibson County High School looked much different than previous years, but the end result was the same.

More than 100 graduates left the stadium clutching their diplomas Friday night.

Seniors marched into the stadium wearing masks, but once they took their seats – carefully placed six feet apart – they were allowed to remove the masks and breathe a little easier.

Carter Warren, senior class president, gave the welcome.

This year’s graduates missed about half of their last semester when schools across the state shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Warren said graduation finally gave seniors and their families something to celebrate.

Salutatorian Macaiah Rogers likened the pandemic to a leaf placed in the graduates’ path. He drew his analogy from the popular Pixar film, “A Bug’s Life.”

“I believe that COVID-19 is a metaphorical leaf in our metaphorical line,” he said. “I also believe that as we go on to college and into the workforce, it won’t be the last leaf that lands in our path. We have to be prepared for the next ones and have hope that this is a line on the other side of the leaf.”

Valedictorian Rebecca Welch stuck with the metaphor of paths, saying the most important thing is for each graduate to follow his/her own path.

See more in our graduation special section inserted in this week’s paper.