By Caleb Chase
No, it wasn’t the hashbrown casserole. It wasn’t the taco salad, the pecan pie, or even the dozens upon dozens of meatballs. Mind you, the parents of Johnson-Brock students can cook up a storm, but that isn’t what will be remembered from Johnson’s activity banquet.
It might have been the school history that was made. An 11-1 football season, 13 national Future Business Leaders of America qualifiers, a boys’ basketball MUDECAS title, the third one-act state appearance in the past four years, and a record year for the journalism staff at the state competition including a State Runner-Up trophy name but a few of the notable awards from the banquet.
As the evening started, people patiently waited for their chance to snatch a bite to eat out of the humongous spread. Pies gleamed, enchiladas sizzled, and fruity desserts hung luminously as eager eyes scanned the potential nourishment.
However, as the activities began, it became apparent that no one was there for the food. Awards were predominantly given to the senior class. Mary Alice Karel for instance had a hard time eating because she was called forward to accept a medal so often.
To speed things up, English teacher and speech coach, Karen Wolken, started off by suggesting that everyone in attendance should try using the “one-clap” often used at speech meets. After an award is given, everyone claps all at once to save time but still show respect for the award winner.
At Johnson-Brock, academics come first followed by activities. This was apparent as one third of the junior and senior classes were honored for earning above a 24 on their ACT. However, there certainly isn’t a problem with getting students involved outside of the classroom. It wasn’t uncommon to find a student who was active in half a dozen groups such as Tessa Wellsandt who was on the journalism staff, one-act stage crew, volleyball team, basketball team, FBLA, speech team, and president of the National Honor Society Chapter, senior class, and Eagle Activities Association. Despite our smaller Johnson-Brock population, the FBLA chapter boasted 79 members.
As the year winds down, it always becomes a scurry to wrap up the classes, get the final tests taken, and prepare for the summer vacation, but the activities banquet offers a chance to stop and bask a little bit in the well-deserved glory of several hard working learners.