It's crazy to think how much can change in four short years. High school freshmen, who are basically still middle schoolers, walk in the same halls as seniors, who are preparing to go to college. Seniors try to scare the freshmen but forget that they too were once the babies. The four years that are filled with tests, projects, clubs, sports, jobs, failures, successes, friendships and more fly by. Every high school has its own special qualities and traditions that distinguish it from the rest. McIntosh High School of Peachtree City, GA has its own traditions that help create a memorable four years. Even though several points of senior year are listed (because it was undeniably the best year), every year of high school has its own memories that will last a lifetime. If you went to McIntosh, you know these things to be true:
1. The first day of freshman year was especially terrifying.
On top of all the typical first-day-freshman-fears, you had to figure out the best possible way to get to all of your classes without walking through the Senior Swamp while attempting to avoid all possible contact with the seniors who were out to sticker you. If you did get stickered, you smiled and tried to brush it off even though you were freaking out on the inside.
2. You drove a golf cart to school.
3. You ate lunch in the Senior Cafeteria your last year of high school
and probably felt like the coolest person in the school. You bragged about the TV and yelled at any underclassman who stepped foot in your lunch room.
4. You went to the bathroom to wash your hands and discovered there was no soap.
When you went to dry your soapless hands, there were no paper towels.
5. You were genuinely upset when the french fries were replaced with baked chips in an effort to be healthier.
6. You waited in the Peachtree Parkway traffic jam for a solid 20 minutes everyday after school.
7. You showed more school spirit than normal and trash talked your friends at Starr's Mill the week of the Battle of the Bubble.
8. You cherished sleep more than most high schoolers.
Between extremely challenging academics, athletics and extracurriculars, you were lucky to even go to bed.
9. You tried to defend your school when people wrongfully called it "McIntrash."
10. You went to tailgates on the first and last day of senior year and most likely ate Chick-Fil-A at both of them.
11. Speaking of food, you probably spent all of your money eating at Chick-Fil-A and/or Starbucks before or after school.
12. The last shebang of your senior year was the infamous shaving cream war.
13. You heard "It's a great day to be a McIntosh chief" at least once every single day of the entire school year.
14. You got to get out of first period early in order to be one of the first students to ever walk across the Skybridge (Class of 2015 only).
15. As cheesy as it sounded during high school, you now know the phrase "once a chief, always a chief" has proven to be true.
Although you aren’t in high school anymore, the memories that were created at this place known as McIntosh will always be with you and the experiences have helped shape you into the person you currently are (even if you don’t want to admit it).