DHS seniors ready for big night on Friday

On Friday evening the Du Quoin Class of 2021 will do something the Class of 2020 was denied - march into Van Metre Field as a group and sit together on the field as they celebrate their graduation.

Just in time for commencements across the state, Illinois has moved into the "bridge" phase of the Recover Illinois plan, allowing outdoor venues to have a 60% capacity.

Accordingly, the high school has abandoned its plan to give each student a set number of tickets, and are throwing the gates open.

"Sixty percent of capacity will accommodate everybody who wants to come," Superintendent Matt Hickam said Thursday. "We won't do a head count, there's really no need for one. And people who are vaccinated don't count against the capacity limits anyway." Hickam said the weather is looking good for Friday evening, although contingency plans are in place. The ceremony is expected to start at 6 p.m. and go to about 7:30 p.m. He said if bad weather comes up suddenly, the gymnasium will be set up ahead of time. But if it's just going to be a quick storm, their first choice would be to delay the ceremony and let the storm blow through, and then resume the commencement outdoors.

Hickam had words of praise for the Class of 2021, which will graduate 114 members. They faced the brunt of the pandemic, he said - what with losing the last quarter of their junior year to remote learning and three-quarters of their senior year - but persevered despite the disruption.

"They've done extremely well under the circumstances," Hickam said, adding that as a rule kids are frequently more resilient than adults tend to be.

"It's a very talented class as a whole," Hickam said, adding they've been like that for essentially all 12 years. "They've had some really impressive academic accomplishments, there are lots of scholarships. This Scholar Bowl team is probably the best in the history of the school.

"It's been a really good group, and if anyone can weather this storm (pandemic), they could."

The Class of 2021 boasts five valedictorians, with identical, blazingly bright GPAs after seven semesters of high school.

The valedictorians will speak at the graduation ceremony. They are brother and sister Guy and Katie Indorante, Emily Boyett, Elizabeth Davis and Elizabeth Loyd.

Principal Tim McChristian will emcee the commencement, and students and parents will be welcomed by Senior Class President Addison Carver.

Hickam said some seniors do not have the credits to graduate with their class on Friday but are expected to finish high school over the summer.