Senior year. It means so many different things to every one of Dakota’s 3,100 students. As the year begins, the worries of where to apply, who to ask for homecoming, how to get the most out of the year, or how to get out of high school as fast as possible.  To some students, their senior year is all about having the most fun as possible; players see this year as vital to get recruited for colleges and to come out of high school as a champion even without a ring. The final year can be a stressful time for students with deadlines every other week with what seems like tons of papers and forms to sign. Not to mention the eagerness to find a job or to keep a job. As much as Junior year was crucial to academics, senior year is the first stepping stone to life outside of the only place we have known for all our lives.

However, Dakota High school is full of enormous ways to leave all our worries behind in the classrooms and enjoy the wonderful programs. From an abundance of before and after school clubs ran by students and teachers for all interests that embrace our student body to the new initiatives set to help students in the hallways and in life, Dakota is alive with spirits. A gigantic example of the spirit in Dakota is the Friday nights. Every home football game is the stage to thousands of people from the community who support the students that attend Dakota. It seems like every home game was activities for all. The latest football game brought the experience to a new level. After the first full week of school, the staff was welcome to relax at a wonderful staff barbecue with food grilled by Sibley and performances by the drumline and choir. The staff at Dakota is an example of the student body itself, with brand new teachers to those ready for their “Senior year.” After the barbecue comes the main event it’s: the game. Ending with a 20-point win over Mott the Cougars are constantly fighting to show how much they want to make their school proud of them. The halftime started with a field flooded with so many children eccentric for their own chance to perform on a widely known field, such as ours. The community also took a moment and recognized the amazing State Champions, Dakota’s very own softball team. The ladies fought to show the state how much their sweat and dirt full days pay off. Not to mention, the performance of the marching band with the eighth graders from Iroquois and Seneca. They performed Spider-man and Jurassic Park with a special guest star joining them on the field. The night roared with excitement and pride within the community. This night embodies senior year. Students came to support each other and help pass along the excitement and love they have grown to have for the high school. This school does all they can to invite students in, encourage them through it, and help them take their first steps to their own lives. Students, like Meredith Steele, find it hard to believe the years are almost over but still can’t wait to make the most out of this last year. These nights are the small treasures that people look back on their life and remember that life’s worth experiencing.