Yesterday, our very own student council put on an assembly to honor the veterans of Atlantic Iowa and involve the high school in the day’s celebrations. The assembly consisted of an honoring of the flags by some Boy Scouts from the high school. Then our choir sang the national anthem, which was followed by a playing of the medley and honoring of each branch of the military by our band. Lastly, the guest speaker, Elizabeth Reid, gave her speech, leaving the crowd with a message to ponder on: Don’t take for granted the opportunities that you have.
The Student Council had been planning this event since the beginning of October. Sophomore member Keaton Schroeder said, “It’s been a lot of work to bring this event together, but I think it will all be worth it, honoring the veterans.” Members had to decorate the auditorium the morning of, and helped Hyvee with the Veteran breakfast served starting at 6 am. They worked hard to correlate all the moving pieces and people, but the assembly was a success.
Sophomore Callan Kluever, a Boy Scout, carried the American Flag. He said, “We have been practicing doing the flag since I was in first grade.” Kluever and the other Boy Scouts were honored to be given this opportunity. “I was excited to get to do this for the veterans,” Kluever said.
The music department of Atlantic High School has also prepared for this event weeks in advance. Freshman choir member Catherine Debord said, “It was super fun and so special because of the veterans present.” The national anthem sounded beautiful and represented the choir well, as did the medley performed by the band. Band member and Taps player sophomore Dominic Elings said, “I appreciated the opportunity, and I would like to do it again.” He not only played the medley but also Taps with duet partner freshman Hunter Kinzie. Kinzie said, “It was a fun learning opportunity for soloists to show their gratitude.”
Reid, the guest speaker for the assembly, was a former member of the Army. She served for four years after receiving an ROTC scholarship and graduating from Dartmouth College. She also served as a platoon leader at age 22. Her central point in her speech was to inspire the students. She said,“I was nervous to come and present to the high school.” Reid had, in a previous year, presented at the middle school and had glowing reviews. She said, “I wanted to honor the veterans who were here and thank them for their service.” Her speech used a quote from John F. Kennedy: Ask not what your country, ask what you can do for your country. She applied this to high school kids’ lives. Reid said, “Ask not what your parents can do for you, but what you can do for your parents…Ask not what your teachers can do for you, but what you can do for your teachers…Ask not what your community can do for you, but what you can do for your community.”
The high school was honored with 6 community veterans in attendance for the assembly. Four of them were members of the Cass County Military Veterans. They largely appreciate getting to see the students and are filled with joy when high school students decide to pursue a future serving the United States. They feel very honored to be invited to the assembly and appreciate the thought and dedication that goes into making an event such as this possible.
