Dylan Burke

I have been going to Latin all my life; I am a lifer. Recently, the term lifer hasn’t hasn’t had as much relevance because many students don’t think of where one went to middle and lower school. Yet during our celebration of Latin’s 125th year, a lifer’s experience was very different than one of a student that had come in high school.

When the school’s band came walking up the sidewalk, playing our fight song, I found myself trying to think of a time when the Latin School was not a part of my life. This may sound like a weird thought when large, over-the-top balloons and a marching band were right in front of me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. We finished the march and stopped in front of the Lincoln statue where selected alumnus, the band, and Mr. Dunn stood on the makeshift stage. The memories of lower school like the fifth graders walking us to assemblies, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance followed by “America the Beautiful,” the peace sign in the air to tell us when it was time to quiet down, Ellis Island day, the sumo wrestling in the fourth grade, and the fifth grade play flooded my mind. There have been so many different, interesting experiences that Latin has given me. Our school has irreversibly shaped my childhood and my life.

My final verdict on the celebrations is that they were awesome. It was the perfect amount of over the top fun and unity. Fellow lifer Tommy Elzinga thought that the birthday was great also. He felt that “Mr. Dunn put on a show,” which both impressed him and reminded him what the Latin school is all about.