The Bethel-Tate band, students, teachers, and Bethel American Legion Post members form a human flag on the football field.
By Art Hunter
Editor

The senior service learning class at Bethel-Tate High School created at human flag on the football field Wednesday, Oct. 10.

Class teacher Diana Schellenberger said that the students came up with the idea during a brainstorming session as a way to recognize the Sept. 11 anniversary. The event had to be postponed due to rain, but Schellenberger said that the event was still a success.

“The students decided that they didn’t need a special occasion to demonstrate their patriotism,” she said. “The band, teachers, American Legion Post members, and underclassmen all participated. It was a wonderful experience.”

After a photo of the human flag was taken with the assistance of a cherry picker provided by Big John Littman’s tree service, the high school band played the national anthem and the pledge of allegiance was recited.

Chris Havran, one of the student organizers of the event, said that students in the class were pleased, and a bit surprised, with how the event turned out.

“I think that our school is more patriotic than we first thought,” Havran said. “The majority of the students turned out for it, and we were impressed. It was heartwarming. And it was a really big deal for us that the veterans came out. We really appreciated that.”

Another student in the class, Chip Ratcliff, said that working out the logistics of the flag was not easy.

“It was difficult, but it went better than I thought it would,” Ratcliff said. “It was like wow, that worked like we planned it!”