Airport has change of plans for graduation; Mrs. Bailey assures all will be fine

This spring, Airport High School plans to change location for graduation. It will take place at the AHS Mooneyham Stadium. “Out of the ten graduations I’ve been in charge of, this will be my first at Airport,” Mrs. Bailey, science teacher at AHS, stated. The ceremony will start at 8 a.m. on the morning of June 2, 2017,and according to Mrs. Bailey should last around an hour.

Because of the change in location, many students are asking “Why Airport?” Mrs. Bailey, also the graduation coordinator, is equally uncertain about why the changes were made. “[Airport] actually doesn't pick where it's held…” and “doesn't really know who decides the location.”

Mrs. Bailey has taught for 17 years, all at AHS, but has only been in charge of graduation for 10, after being asked to. For 7 of those years, graduation had been held at the Coliseum at Carolina and then the Colonial Life area for two. This year will be the first in the Mooneyham Stadium, at least in recent memory

Brookland-Cayce High School and Airport are the only two high schools in the district. BC was actually the first to graduate in their stadium starting last year and continuing to do so this school year.

Mrs. Bailey does advise that females “don't wear heels” as they might sink in the turf and might make it hard to walk up a ramp.” She also thinks the most important thing to do is stay aware of what's going on and pay attention for announcements. “Stay on top of the details, including attendance, debt, and paying off jostens,” Mrs. Bailey expressed. Although it's a stressful position to be in, Mrs. Bailey is used to it. “It's a routine now,” said Mrs. Bailey, “it's sometimes gets hectic, but I get lots of help from people.”

In order to rent out the coliseum, it would be around a couple thousand dollars. The district rents out the building for only two schools, Airport and BC. With that being said it's probably the most budget wise decision for graduation to be held at the schools despite it being unpopular among students. But, this money could be used for more resourceful things like remodeling and students use for better school supplies.

Many seniors don't like the idea of having graduation at our stadium. One of the more frequent concern is parking. During the school day there is just enough parking spaces for the students, but where will the family of the students park? Another worry is the weather. What will happen if it's raining, or how will older family members be able to withstand the heat if it's too hot? Students are very outraged and frustrated with the new location, as many voice their options, some even stating it as “dumb.”

And Mrs. Bailey believes it will be all worth it in the end. “My favorite thing about graduation is to be able to see all the students I taught, on their special day,” Bailey said. And though graduation is approaching, students shouldn't worry as there's still plenty of time left to get everything they need accomplished.

Also, If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mrs. Bailey by email at smbailey@lex2.org.

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