32nd year of Arkansas Governor’s School ends
Arkansas Governor’s School ended Friday with cheers and tears.
And all that took place within 20 minutes in the Hendrix College dining hall.
The tears followed an extemporaneous performance of “You Are the New Day” by AGS choristers led by Dr. Bill Higgins of Henderson State University who has taught choral music at Governor’s School for five years.
“It was a going-away song,” Higgins said as he beamed at his students who sang the song a cappella on the spot.
“The song was my message to them,” Higgins said. “Their brightest days are right in front of them.”
There was much hugging among the students who perhaps hadn’t met each other before they arrived at Hendrix four weeks ago.
They have lived and studied together, attending lectures, films and working in chosen disciplines, such as chorus, art, social studies, computer science.
The hugging and crying turned into cheers as the students called for the dining room staff -- the cooks, the servers, the clean-up crew -- to come into the hall to receive applause and appreciation for four weeks of keeping their appetites quenched.
They presented the staff with a huge banner signed by each of the 400 students.
There was more hugging.
The final event Friday night was a softball game between the students and staff. It’s been a tradition for 31 years.
Members of the staff defended their record: 31-0.
(Staff writer Becky Harris can be reached at becky.harris@thecabin.net and 505-1234.)
