In the photo above, class valedictorian Jackie Billings shares a hug of celebration with a classmate.

AHS says farewell to 100 graduates

The classic 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz" concludes with a graduation ceremony of sorts.

After being exposed as a fake, the Wizard, unable to give the Scarecrow a brain, instead hands him a diploma. Like the tokens the Wizard gives the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, the diploma is awarded as a symbol of qualities the character has already evidenced.

Subsequently, Dorothy, having learned that finding happiness is not a matter of physical relocation, is transported back to Kansas by repeating the phrase "There's no place like home."

References to that familiar story — especially that climactic line — were a recurring theme in speeches by five Alleghany High School 2003 honor graduates during last week's commencement program.

AHS' 100 graduating seniors lined up and received their diplomas during the ceremony, held May 30 at Woodruff Field. After several wet-weather days, the rain took a respite, as partly cloudy skies allowed the school to enjoy its first outdoor graduation ceremony in at least three years. An estimated 800 people attended.

At the conclusion of her oration, Miranda Ramey had her classmates stand, close their eyes and click their heels as Dorothy clicked the heels of her magical ruby slippers. "Imagine where you want your new home to be," she instructed them. Ramey herself was wearing bright red shoes for the occasion.

Her speech was the most lighthearted, as she recounted humorous Alleghany High School's Class of 2003 (photo above) throws its mortarboards in the air soon after being officially graduated. The class of ‘03 was graduated on May 30 during a sunny evening ceremony at Woodruff Field in Sparta and was made up of 100 graduating seniors, including 54 boys and 46 girls. The top five students in the class, all females, offered speeches centered around references to the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz." About 800 local residents, friends and family attended the graduation ceremony. After the event, several members of the class paused for hugs, photographs and moments of reflection.

Get the rest of this article in this week's issue of the Alleghany News! Back