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A Shining Light: Freeport seniors carry on school tradition

Isabella Russo lets her sky lantern fill in advance of releasing it Wednesday at Freeport Community Park.

The laughter rose into the darkening sky at Freeport Community Park on a chilly Wednesday evening almost as far as some of the sky lanterns did.

And that was the point.

To be together. Again.

To have some sense of normalcy. Again.

To feel part of a senior class. Again.

The lantern launch was largely moot.

For the 114 seniors at Freeport Area High School, the common things that typically bind them together have been fleeting since the coronavirus pandemic hit and canceled in-person classes March 13.

They went their separate ways that day, not knowing when — or if — they would ever be together as a group again.

Some of them did congregate on the open soccer fields near Laube Hall, igniting lanterns that were more symbolic that literal.

“It was very important to come out here,” said senior Ricky Hunter. “At least we see some of our graduation class. We're having fun. We haven't seen each other for a while. It's a chance to have a little bit of something normal.”

This is an excerpt from a larger article that appeared in Sunday's Butler Eagle. Subscribe online or in print to read the full article.

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