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Members of the Madill High School Class of 2020 gather in the parking lot of Oakview Baptist Church for a parade in their honor May 15. Both the students participating in the parade and those helping organize it had to contend with heavy rain that evening. Matt Caban • The Madill Record
May 15 was the original date for the Madill High School Class of 2020’s graduation ceremony. However, the outbreak of the coronavirus caused schools across the state to reshuffle their calendars.
Although graduation has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 6, the administrators at MPS and the city at large wanted to celebrate the seniors with a parade May 15.
Even bad weather couldn’t prevent the Wildcat faithful from showing their appreciation for this group of seniors.
We caught up with a pair of seniors as members of the Class of 2020 gathered in the Oakview Baptist Church parking lot to prepare for the parade.
First up was senior Rayne Adams, who was driving his Papa’s white Jeep.
With the rain hitting on and off all day, Adams thought he may not take the Jeep after all.
“I mean since my original thoughts were, ‘oh it’ll be a sunny day.’ I didn’t think not having doors on a Jeep and half of the roof gone, I didn’t think it’d be a problem. So we’re trying to figure out if it would work and waiting for the weather to clear up.”
Adams had some signs on the Jeep.
“I thought about [doing] thank you posters and stuff,” he said. “But honestly I just made these today. It was kinda last minute.”
Adams said he was glad to have a celebration for the seniors on the original graduation date.
“Whenever I originally heard about the parade though I thought it would replace graduation,” he said with a slight laugh. “But I’m very thankful that’s not the case and so I think it’s really cool despite mother nature wanting us to not do it.”
Adams said he is very excited for the graduation ceremony slated for the first weekend of June.
“That is something I did not want to miss out on this year especially after hearing that prom was officially cancelled,” he said.
Adams wasn’t concerned about missing prom as he originally did not plan to attend.
“This year there was supposed to be state speech on the same day so I didn’t have a tux or anything,” he said. “I was just gonna show up in a business suit. Call it good. It wouldve been a time to hang out with my friends. You know, one of those last hurrah memories you have for senior year. The main thing I’m gonna miss out on is the senior memory timeline that the student council puts on to look back at all the memories from back in Pre-K all the way to senior year.”
During our interview, one of Adams’ friends and fellow ested persons may appear and be heard, and th ders and grant such relief as it deems fair, reas speech team members, Bryce, Gambel, came to say hello.
This meant an interview and his perspective on the evening and time away from friends.
“I miss going out to do whoever knows what,” Gambel said.
He said the thing he’s missed in the past has been his speech family.
“Just all those people who helped me get through the four years,” he said. “Just all those people who helped me get through the four years,” he said.
Gambel said he was excited to see everyone again at the Gambel said he was excited to see everyone again at the parade and to hear their future plans.
However, the new date for graduation has thrown him for a loop as he is scheduled before to be in Colorado to begin pyrotechnician internship.
“And then after that I’ll start hey my so actual working to get a pyro license and go on to do shows and stuff,” he said.
Gambel said he wants to eventually run a soundboard for large concerts and eventually work in movies.
“I wanna blow something ney up for in a movie,” he said. up for in a movie,” he said.
The rains came again but even harder just as our interview ended.
The parade started at Oakview Baptist Church, went south on 12 th Street, continued onto Lillie Blvd and went around the square before returning to the church.
A statement posted to the Madill Public Schools Facebook page on May 19 thanked all involved for their support:
“Our Senior Celebration was a huge success on Friday night. This would have never been possible without the City of Madill giving their consent for the parade. Thank you to the Madill Police Department, Marshall County Commissioners, and Mary Ann Hale who graciously monitored our signs on the Square which recognized our Seniors. A huge thank you to the Madill Maintenance Staff for placing the signs on multiple occasions. We appreciate Sam Jordan and KMAD radio for working tirelessly on the recordings and media which honored the students and allowed our faculty one more time to give words of encouragement to the graduates. We appreciate our entire community for supporting our Seniors of 2020. As always, It’s a GREAT day to be a Wildcat!”