By JOYANNA LOVE/Senior Staff Writer

Chilton County High School juniors and seniors are excited for new challenges in AP courses and Friday night football games this year.

Allie Lightsey, CCHS senior, said she was excited about her physics class.

“Math is my strongest subject, and physics is really a math-based science and … I’ve always kind of struggled in science,” Lightsey said. “I know it’s just going to blow my mind because that’s all I’ve heard is physics blows your mind. It’s going to be kinda hard but I’m excited for the challenge.”

Zoey Collum, a CCHS junior, said all of her core classes are AP courses this year.

“I’m nervous, but I’m really excited just to take on that and to obtain college credit,” Collum said.

She is also looking forward to her Spanish class.

Riley Locke, CCHS senior, said he took some AP courses last year, and is excited to add to that “with college right around the corner.”

Other potential challenging classes also have him excited.

“I’m excited about calculus. I’m excited about biomedical science, and classes that I know are going to be harder, but I know I will learn a lot from them,” Locke said.

He said he thinks it will be challenging balancing his course load with extracurricular activities and applying for college.

Sydney Collins, a CCHS junior, said she is looking forward to her AP English class.

“I am looking forward to the challenge because I like to write,” Collins said.

She will also be working at Associated Foods during the school year.

Catherine Cleckler, a CCHS junior, is excited about her AP biology class.

Lightsey and Locke are also running to be officers in SGA this year.

“One of my favorite things about the SGA is all the volunteering things that we do,” Lightsey said. “I have kind of grown my interest over the years for volunteering, so I am really excited about that.”

Locke said he was secretary last year and enjoyed it. He is also president of Tiger Robotics.

Collins will also be involved in SGA.

“In SGA, I really enjoy going out and helping the community,” Collins said.

Her favorite event is volunteering at the field day for Clanton Elementary School.

She said she enjoys FCCLA for the same reason.

“I’m looking forward to doing a lot of clubs,” Cleckler said. “I am treasurer of our FFA this year and I am Key Club president.”

She said balancing everything this year might be a challenge.

Students are also excited about Friday night football and graduation.

“I’m really excited about the football games actually this year because I am not cheering this year. I have cheered every other year. So, I get to be on the other side of the game,” Lightsey said.

Collum is also looking forward to Friday nights because she is on the varsity cheer team again this year.

“I am so excited about homecoming. The parade and getting to decorate the float with my class,” Collum said.

Graduation is foremost on Lightsey’s mind, and she said she is looking forward to it. However, Lightsey also wants to enjoy every moment of her senior year. Even in her excitement, Lightsey said she is also sad to see high school come to an end.

“It’s always kind of hectic (on the first day), but I’ve had a good first day,” Lightsey said. “I think it has been one of my best first days.”

Collum agreed.

Locke said there are a lot of new teachers this year “but they all seem pretty cool and really nice.”