Well, to start off with our current yearly activities since it has been requested... I guess to see if ISS has changed very much. We still have D-day and it was improved last year by our commissioners with the truly awesome D-weekend!!! This is where all the students have the opportunity (and nearly all take this opportunity) to stay on campus all weekend long. We have games and lake fun (but since the lake is drained we will probably just play some indoor soccer, football, roof-ball and buc-buck) and competitions between the grades like a Latin egg toss, a talent show in the awesome theater and even random games of tug war, find the 8th grader that's the most annoying and thow him in the lake (or mud now I guess). At night we have a movie in the theater or gym (depending on if people would like to have hard floors but closeness and late night movies (feels old style I guess is the appeal) or nice seats a huge screen and surround sound in the theater. It really is a great experience being with you friends just having fun on campus.
As for people who asked me if the lake was just drained without any warning the answer is "no." We held a town meeting to discus the effects and time it would take for it to drain (we even had a joke pool of money to see who could guess how long it would take). Mr. Polard, our resident biology teacher, thought (and I agree) that now would be the best time to drain the lake. Mainly because it was very low on water and winter is fast approaching. Another major reason that I for got to mention (I had just gotten back from selling at the Alabama game for the choir and was tired) is that the dam that was holding the lake in place had major cracks in it and could have possibly broken when the cold weather came. They plan to have the lake completed and refilled for POP-OUT fair (yes we still have it and neat shirts too) in the spring. I can't wait to go swimming in a lake that is clean and has healthy water.
As for does DR cooper still give time quizzes, as of this year he stopped them. Sadly my grade (we are juniors now) was the last grade to experience them.
New traditions all over the place now. It has become popular to play ultimate Frisbee in the dorm circle every afternoon that buc- buck is not being played. We have an all girls volleyball team, softball team and a guys baseball team now.
Our commissioners this year are excellent not only because of all the organization they have done with the faculty but the new ideas they have come up with. My grade lead by our class reps last year came together to try and all ace DR Coopers final exam by compiling a 50+ page European study guide for every chapter in the book and all the notes we had taken. We have Wednesday night movies in the dorm circle TV room for all the boarders also now (but this is not really new). I feel that the school is running very smoothly. One thing I have noticed this year is that clubs have taken off and are actually doing things like going to oak mountain, cleaning up the road side and lots of other things I could not even describe. BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE TO COME. As I come across other things I have missed, I will be sure to send them to you, I am only involved in a few clubs so these view points may be bias, I am sure there are people in school that did not come to the dance or hates buc-buck but that's what we will use the lake for when it comes back :-).
Shane Quinty
Class of 2002