By: Grant Phelps; Valedictorian, Morgan County High School

When I try to sum up the last four years of high school, two words come to mind: “One Morgan.” These words are at once a mantra that rings through every playing field, the glue that holds every team and organization together, and the interpersonal dynamic that transforms our high school from a sterile institution of cinderblocks and steel into a home of knowledge and creativity. “One Morgan” is more than a simple motto or a passing chant. It is a mindset, a sense of community, and a sense of family. It transcends stereotypes, individual interests, and paltry squabbles to unite teachers, staff, and students into a group of scholars and friends who share both ideas and encouragement.

For all of us in the class of 2009, the end is in sight. Together, we can proudly claim roughly 700 cafeteria lunches, almost 150 Friday afternoons, and over five thousand hours of shared memories. We’ve had our share of arguments, and on more than one occasion we’ve drawn lines in the sand like bickering siblings. Despite these ephemerally divisive differences, after it’s all said and done we’ve been able to come back together as a class and as a family.

Of all of the things we’ll have to leave behind as we go our separate ways this coming fall, I think what we’ll all miss most about this school is a team of dedicated teachers, is a group of intimate friends, is a place to explore shared interests, is a haven of intellectual freedom. In essence, this concept we struggle to define and with which we hate to part is “One Morgan,” a holistic, synergetic organism that thrives as a single body and a single experience. As we begin to explore the next stages of our lives, I exhort us all to remember our times together as “One Morgan” and never to forget our days here at Morgan County High School.