PHS seniors want to keep graduation close to home

PALMER — “Since when does tradition not mean anything in this town?” Palmer High School senior and two-sport standout A.J. Corbin exclaimed over a Facebook group created to support a Palmer High class of 2011 effort to change the date and time of its graduation ceremony.

After realizing the majority of students disapproved of their scheduled graduation ceremony, the class of 2011 spent most of the early campaign this school year in discussions with various school and Mat-Su Borough School District administrators.

Early discussions did not reap any reward for the seniors. They were told a Menard sports complex graduation made more sense. And from a certain point of view, it did. The sports complex graduation at 1 p.m. would seat more guests more comfortably. The fire danger ever looming in the PHS gym is a dead issue in the fairly new sports complex, and acoustics are far superior.

Furthermore, Palmer is the last Valley school to make the graduation move from its home gymnasium. Every other school has used alternate locations, and now have all settled on the Menard as the best plausible arena for a ceremony of this size.

The MSBSD is making the progressive move toward a day full of graduations. This will cut down on graduation stress on the community when multiple schools are spread out on multiple days.

What school administrators did not account for was the blue blood running through the PHS seniors.

“If I’ve had to spend four years in this crappy gym, I’m going to graduate in it,” said David Sorenson, another Palmer football standout and senior vice president.

The Palmer seniors went to work on getting what they wanted.

A petition was written and signed by Palmer seniors. A resolution was passed unanimously at the Bethel Alaska Association of Student Governments Conference. A Facebook group exploded to more than 300 members and it’s become the topic of discussion on the web, in the hallways and at lockers. Multiple meetings were arranged with adults who made the decision on the graduation. Senior ambassadors proposed regulations for graduation to ease the pressure of having it in the gym.

“It’s home” said senior secretary Alex Van Hoomissen, who also did much of the work meeting with administration. “I wanted to graduate there since the first time I saw one.”

After all their hard work, it seemed the seniors would not get what they wanted.

“I was really impressed with how they handled themselves. I was confident that they were going to make the best of any outcome that came their way,” assistant principal Garth Morgan said.

With a fiery teenage spirit, drastic measures of protest were proposed, but cooler heads would prevail.

Administration failed to account for one glaring error: International Baccalaureate tests. Palmer has been an IB school since 2000, under the guidance of principal Wolfgang Winter. PHS was recognized this year by Newsweek magazine as one of the top schools in the nation, based on the number of students taking higher learning courses such as IB.

However, the IB biology tests were scheduled for an hour after graduation, and the time had been changed. Fearful of putting students who represent the school in the highest manner in jeopardy, graduation was changed.

“Although I’ve lived in the borough for 17 years, I’m a relative newcomer to Palmer,” said Morgan. “I’m really impressed with how strong the kids’ connections are.”

Things went back to normal at Palmer High, but everyone went back to their routines with an understanding of the level of school spirit that flows through the blue and white halls.

The last graduation (presumably) ever to be held in the PHS gym will go on as scheduled on May 18, 2011 at 7 p.m.

Tim Rockey is a senior at Palmer High School and contributes to the Frontiersman sports and schools sections.