A bittersweet time for Class of 2003

June 4, 2003

The musical performances planned for Damascus High School's graduation Thursday set the tone perfectly. Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" is a reminder of two years framed by terror and response; Kenny Chesney's "Back Where I Come From" symbolizes the unique character of the Damascus community; and Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin" recognizes how quickly the approximately 450 seniors will soon become college freshmen, employees and adults in the real world.

Per Damascus tradition, commencement will take place on the football field. Coincidentally, there's a move afoot to change this ­-- could this be the last graduation on home turf? I hope not.

For seniors, high school ended with a whimper. Senior exams took place last week, so a relaxing week off of school followed until the graduation rehearsal, which was scheduled for today.

The last days were bittersweet for some students. Dominating the week were yearbook signings during class, graduation party invitations being handed out, and a few picture snapshots taken with old friends.

It's all happening awfully fast. Every school year seemed to go by faster and faster, and with graduation on Thursday, this fact seems even more true this year. On one hand, four years seems like a lengthy amount of time; but on the other hand, the time has flown by.

Where did the time go? It's a question raised by the senior class quote: "How did it get so late so soon? It's night before it's afternoon. December is here before it's June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?" Dr. Seuss was right on the money: It's a question many seniors are asking.

Memories of moments big and small will define our high school years. Nearly everyone will remember heading up to Jimmie Cone on warm summer nights. The same is true for movies at the new Germantown theater and the opening of new fast food restaurants in Damascus. And who will forget Friday nights under the lights, watching the Damascus football team?

We'll remember big English projects, crazy science experiments, and favorite math teachers. We'll remember elaborate homecoming hallways and floats. We'll remember walking up Bethesda Church Road after parking on "the hill" in the mornings. We'll remember playing games in gym on the same field where we will graduate. We'll remember moments when Damascus didn't seem isolated from the rest of the world.

Those moments were numerous over the course of the class of 2003's years. Some people would describe us as a traumatized generation: Columbine, Y2K, September 11th, terror threat levels, Code Red drills, the sniper shootings, War in Iraq. But we were notably resilient. We came to terms with a sometimes-frightening world and grew stronger because of it.

Not too long ago, I was rummaging through a stack of old photographs. My elementary school years at Damascus Elementary came back to life: friends, recess, a field trip to the zoo. We were all so short! Revisiting the school now, the roof seems small and the hallways even skinnier than the ones that contribute to Damascus High's overcrowding. It's amazing to think that so many years of our lives have been spent in the same buildings, with the same friends.

Whether or not members of the class of 2003 enjoyed school, or just the socializing, graduation is a cause to celebrate. It's the conclusion of a dozen years in school; from learning arithmetic in elementary school to algebra in middle and asymptotes in high, the memories of school will last a lifetime. The end of one chapter will coincide with the beginning of a new one as we're left pondering: "How did it get so late so soon?"

Brian Stelter is a senior at Damascus High School and editor in chief of The Observer, the school's newspaper. His column has appeared monthly this school year in the Damascus edition of The Gazette.