Believe it or not senior year is here for the class of 2016. Being a part of this class I can speak for all of us when I say where has this time gone. Just yesterday it seemed as if I was that little freshman taking a tour of this great big school. Elder seemed like a brand new world and now many of us call it a second home. The past three years have been spectacular and we all expect nothing less for our fourth and final year.

The class of 2016 has always been surrounded with a lot of hype. Ever since grade school this class has been known for their wide range of talents. Each year this class never fails to disappoint the Elder community in every aspect of life.

What about senior year though? Senior year is known as the year where everyone begins to slack off and take it easy. Although that may be true about some classes, this class has that “never say die” attitude about them. We all take the school motto of Altiora very seriously. I caught up with three seniors, Jordan Dirr, Tommy Kraemer, and Jake Rinear to see what they have to say about this class and their own expectations.

First, I caught up with Band President Jordan Dirr. Jordan started off by saying how the band this year has a lot of veterans with a promising group of new members. “We came in first in a competition last year and that’s what we are really trying to build off of. The main goal is to win another competition this year,” said Dirr about the bands’ expectations this year.

When asked about his own personal expectations Dirr would like to maintain his spot on the honor roll all year. He also would like to learn how to play another instrument. When asked what his future plans were Dirr said, “I would like to go into the military, most likely the Navy.”

Secondly, I caught up with the big man on campus Tommy Kraemer. Being captain of the 3-0 Panther football squad so far Kraemer has high expectations for the team. “I think we have the capability to do something special. It’s always been a dream of mine to get a state ring and I think this is the year it can happen,” said Kraemer.

Now the 6′-5″, 315 pound offensive lineman had some personal goals of his own. He said he really wants to work on his technique every snap. He also said he plans to physically dominate everyone he plays. If you’ve been to a game this year, you have seen that he has done just that to every man he faces.

Since he is headed to South Bend to attend the University of Notre Dame, I asked Kraemer if expectations were high for his academics. He said that in about eight months his work load is going to increase, and he is trying to get better at time management.

Finally, I caught up with Class President Jake Rinear. Rinear ran one of the best campaigns, with help from his chief of staff Jack Vetter, many of us have seen in our lifetime and loves the diversity of talents that this class brings. “The football team was just ranked #1 in the AP poll. Soccer is #2 in the city. With all the incredible actors and singers, the musical is going to be fantastic. This class has endless potential,” said Rinear. He also added that maybe Tito will maybe get a haircut. Only if we are lucky Mr. President.

Jake is a part of the Mock Trial team and is optimistic about their season this year. They lost some of their key members such as Luke Jett and Brad Murphy but have lots of key talent stepping up. He added that they are always looking for more bodies on the team.

As for Jake’s personal expectations he is working his tail off to get into a few selective colleges. He hopes to leave a legacy behind here at the school that has helped him in so many ways. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for the support of the teachers and students that make this place truly special. I just hope that I can leave Elder knowing that I made it just a little better than when I came here four years ago,” said Rinear.

The expectations for this years’ senior class or nothing short of spectacular. As you can see this class is filled with individuals who go above and beyond to reach their goals. They don’t settle for mediocrity; they strive for greatness. This is going to be a special year and I cannot wait to see it unfold.

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