Whooping Llama

Here’s a story I recently had published in the Coal Valley News, the Boone County weekly I’m interning at this summer. Click on the thumbnails below for a larger view.

On Thursday May 22^nd, the eighty-nine members of the Sherman High School class of 2008 completed their high school educations at Sherman’s eighty-first commencement ceremony.

WVU Student Body President Jason Parsons spoke to the graduating seniors, advising them to pursue their dreams no matter what anyone might say. Parsons, a Boone County native and 2005 Sherman graduate, said students should be proud of their Boone County heritage, adding “Route 3 can take you anywhere you want to go.”

Accompanied by guitarist Justin Daggs, Cody Elswick and Miranda Boggs performed the Ryan Cabrera song “I Will Remember You” for their fellow graduates. Senior Michael Workman also performed, playing and singing an original composition he dubbed “Graduated Me.”

Honor students Emily Carden and India Stone, Salutatorian Brittany Stumbo, and Valedictorian Caraline Griffith then took their turns at the podium, all speaking of new paths and new adventures. They thanked their teachers, parents, and friends and reflected on their class’s accomplishments and the memories made.

In her speech, Stumbo admitted that members of the class may never cross paths again, but assured them “whatever path we choose, we’ll take our memories with us.”

Griffith evoked the classic Walt Disney character Jiminy Cricket in her final advice to the soon-to-be-former classmates. Just as Jiminy told Pinocchio, the Valedictorian urged her class to “let your conscience be your guide.”

One of the seniors, Brazilian exchange student Lais Minussi, received a very special honor at last Thursday’s ceremony. Principal Allen Halley presented Minussi with the Distinguished Mountaineer Award, sent and signed by Governor Joe Manchin.

The award commended her for “her expression of good will and respect to the people of the Mountain State.” Minussi said she felt like a “fish out of water” upon arriving in West Virginia earlier this year, but thanked Sherman students and staff for welcoming her into their family.

Halley then offered his last words as principal to the class of 2008: “Today your high school journey will end, and you must choose a path…and we’ve heard a lot about that tonight. No matter what path you take, remember that your journey began here at Sherman Senior High School,” Halley said.

Governor’s Cup weekend was a busy one here at UC, but students weren’t too busy to give their time to a good cause…and have some fun while they were at it.

On Friday evening, eighty-six students from several campus organizations constructed a box village on the riverbank behind Riggleman Hall. In an Extreme Home Makeover-like fury, boxes were painted, taped together, and covered in plastic to keep out the elements. Then, with pillows, blankets, and laptops in hand, the students in.

The cardboard community would be their home-away-from-dorm for the next 24 hours.

This makeshift camping expedition was all a part of UC’s first-ever Box-a-thon, held to raise money for Scottie’s Place (a camp for homeless children). Organized by seniors Vida Cooper and Leah Bowes, the fundraiser raked in approximately $1,700 for the charity.

Scottie’s Place was named for a homeless boy founder Jo-El Wadsworth met in a national forest, where the boy was living with his father. It was her first close encounter with America’s homeless, one that led her to set up a summer camp for children like Scottie in rural West Virginia.

“It’s up on a mountain, away from society, away from all of their problems. They have full meals, places to sleep and plenty to do—plenty of great friends and help from caring adults,” says Cooper. “It’s an awesome environment and a safe-haven for these kids.”

Public Policy major Rachel McMillion said her decision to rough it on the riverbank was an easy one: “I heard about it when Vida was announcing it and I just thought it was a really great cause, and a fun thing. This is a great way to show the community what people have to go through.”

Cooper says she hopes this fundraiser will become an annual Governor’s Cup event, and with 1.4 million homeless children in America today, charities like Scottie’s place will always need the help.