By Karlee Rainbolt
LHS Stuco President
LARNED — Well, Class of 2011, we’re here. For some of us it came too fast, but for others it couldn’t have come fast enough.
It’s hard to believe we will all be heading our separate ways now.
Many of us have spent the last 18 years together. We have gone through a lot of things, some good and some bad. 
I recently found this quote that I think really describes our class.
It’s called “A Part of Me — A Part of You,” by Larry S. Chenggs.
“Every moment that we are together, I am learning something and that knowledge becomes a permanent part of me. Though my feelings will be different a year from now, or 10 years from now, a part of that difference is you.
“Because of you, I am a different person, and the person I will grow to become, with or without you by my side, will have gotten there partly because of you. If you were not in my life right now, I could not be who I am right now. Nor would I be growing in exactly the same way.
“Much of what I grow toward and change with in myself, has to do with what I respond to in you, what I learn from you, what I understand about myself through you, and what I learn about my feelings in the dynamics of our relationship. I do not worry about our “future together” since we have already touched each other and affected each other’s lives on so many levels that we can never be totally removed from each other’s thoughts.
“A part of me will always be you and a part of you will always be me. That much is certain no matter what else happens.”
I think this quote describes our class very well.
As many of you know we don’t always get along, and I know many of you can’t wait to get away from some of the people you’re sitting beside.
Even though we don’t always like each other we have still influenced each other’s lives.
All of the arguments and hurt feelings have contributed to who we are now. We have made each other stronger and helped each other grow.
Although we sometimes don’t get along I know we still have a lot of great memories together. There are stories and events we have with each other that will never be forgotten.
Not only have our classmates shaped our lives, so have our teachers.
All of those homework assignments, projects, and tests have made an impact on our lives. They have caused stress, anxiety, and frustration, but after they were done there was a sense of relief, accomplishment, and sometimes pride.
Through our four years of high school we have become professional procrastinators.
Why would we want to do anything on time and not have the stress, anxiety, or frustration that comes with waiting until the last minute?
But I think sometimes it would help if our teachers didn’t assign those big projects so close to big games, performances, or didn’t wear jinxed clothing; like  Mr. Butler wearing all black when the functions or stats projects are due, and Mrs. Fleske wearing the cursed brown dress both days of a two- day final.
Through the hard times of high school we have stuck to together and made it through.
As we move on with our lives many of us will grow apart. We won’t talk to each other every day or even every week. We are going to make new friends, but we will never forget the old ones. We are going to tell stories to our new friends about our old friends and our memories together will never die.
The good things and bad things we went through together have shaped our lives.  Today is our last big event together, and three months from now many of us will be starting the new chapter of our life. Many of us will start college, some a full time job, and some of us…still undecided.
No matter which direction we decide to go, we will always be with each other. We will stay in each other’s thoughts and hearts. Even if we don’t get along now, we still will always care about one another. Five years, 10 years, even 20 years from now those disagreement won’t matter, and you probably won’t even remember what they were about.
They will have just been small steps in the journey of our lives.
We will leave here today as the Larned High School Class of 2011, and no matter where we go we will still always be the Larned High School Class of 2011.
Today we are going to say our temporary good-byes…
“Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na,
Hey, Hey, Hey, Good-Bye.
Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na,
Hey, Hey, Hey, Good-Bye.
…But remember they are only temporary. Congratulations Class of 2011. We did it!