Generations of Panther Nation
(Pictured above) Licking Valley football players being recognized at a pep rally (1980s)
What does it mean to be a Panther? For some, athletic glory or club participation define their time spent within the walls of Licking Valley. For others, being surrounded by family and friends within our rural community makes Hanover, Ohio home. Still, some of us wander the halls, eager just to pass required classes and leave for good.
Often times we get too caught up in the latter, stressed out about state tests and what comes after high school. In the fleeting three minutes we have between classes, we share quick greetings of hello, figure out where we need to be, then rush off to class in a stampede of students. We probably rarely, if ever, stop and think about the generations of students that filled these halls before us.
When asked what word would describe his high school experience, current LV teacher Mr. Miller said it was “volcanic”. He graduated from Valley in 1987, and (elaborating on “volcanic”, said that high school was “sometimes quiet, sometimes exploding with new adventure”). A typical outfit you might see walking the halls in the 1980s would be “brightly colored jams (printed mid length shorts) paired with vibrant t-shirts, deck shoes with no socks, Risky Business- esque knockoff Wayfarer sunglasses, and (similar to many of our male student athletes today) a gold chain”. Mr. Miller’s favorite school lunch was a common favorite, haystacks. The biggest lesson he learned in Highschool?: “That even when you’re trying on different identities, you have to cling to eternal truths ,with white knuckles, no matter what”. Mr. Miller states that his favorite year of high school was his junior year.
1995 graduate and current English teacher here at Licking Valley, Mrs. Adkins gave an in- depth view to what it was like to attend our school in the 90s. The 90s were a time of grunge and permed hair. Mrs. Adkins described a typical outfit she would wear, “Eastland loafers on bottom, pegged jeans, and oversized crew neck sweatshirts”. The one word to describe her High School experience is “amazing”. Her favorite school lunch was called a “panther burger”, which she described as being similar to a big mac- complete with special sauce. Mrs. Adkins enjoyed her Senior year of Highschool the most, and stated that the biggest lesson she learned was that one should “be kind to everyone, because everyone is going through something”.
The 00s doesn’t seem like it was too long ago, and the halls of Licking Valley probably didn’t look too much different than they do today. However, times have changed, and I wanted a firsthand account of what High School was like a decade ago.Krystal Stoneking, a 2008 graduate and current girls basketball coach, says her favorite year of high school was senior year. She explained, “It was my best basketball season and senior year is always special. I made lots of memories”. When asked what the biggest lesson she learned in high school was, Coach Stoneking immediately gave credit to her time on the basketball court. “ I learned that if you really want to accomplish your goals in life you really have to put in the work to make it happen, it’s not going to be handed to you just because you want it, you have to give everything you can to accomplish that goal”. Her hard work certainly paid off, as Stoneking continued her basketball career at Indiana Wesleyan University, followed by professional ball in Australia. She is now a member of our athletic hall of fame. Our local basketball legend’s favorite lunch? You guessed it; the crowd favorite, haystacks.
Throughout the interview process for this article, I was consistently reminded of the school pride that runs deep in our community. Each individual interviewed seemed to recall their time going to school here at LV with positivity and nostalgia. The common theme mentioned about our community is the unity and support we show to one another. Mrs. Adkins elaborated (with the risk of sounding cliche) “We put the unity in community”. Mr. Miller and Coach Stoneking both mentioned how our “supportive our community is” and how “somebody has always got your back”. This seems to be what attracts people to our district, and keeps them coming back. Being part of the Licking Valley district means sticking up and supporting one another,especially in times of need, and this has certainly been a tradition in our community for years. All in all,many generations of students are proud to be Panthers. We, as the current student body, should continue to carry the legacy of togetherness and Panther pride.