b'The Best Day atColumbia High SchoolCelebrating the schools accomplished graduatesBY ELLEN DONKERThe 2019 CHS Hall of Fame ceremony. L to R: Ibtihaj Muhammad, Mary Arevalo, Zachary Singer, Hannah Brownstein, Darius Thomas and Bisa ButlerE very year at Columbia High Schooland the community were notified about the selec- and special guests took their seats on the platform. (CHS), a committee comprised oftion. After that date, anyone passing the school andSome years, the faces arent known to the students. advisors, student council members,stopping to read the electric sign out front could seeBut this time, there was no mistaking Ibtihaj Mu-and school staff takes on an impor- thatOlympicfencerIbtihajMuhammad,classofhammad and Bisa Butler, known as one of CHSs tanttask.Meetingbehindclosed2003, and quilting artist and former CHS art teach- beloved art teachers until she left in June 2018 to doors from October until June, theer Bisa Butler, class of 1991, were being inducted. pursue her craft full time. An added surprise was membersreviewastandinglistofSocial studies and psychology teacher Phil Mc-notable CHS graduates, adding names for consider- Cormick, who headed the committee with teacher ation. After researching the background of each per- Monica Soliman, exudes enthusiasm when he talks son, they commence several rounds of voting, withabout the Hall of Fame. He says, Its my favorite the goal of choosing two graduates to induct into theday of the year. Hall of Fame is a celebration of what CHS Hall of Fame.makes us [CHS] awesome.Senior class president Zachary Singer, who servedThisyear,theinductionceremonytookplace on the committee along with 14 other students, saysduring two periods in order to accommodate the en-they were sworn to secrecy until the day before thetire student body. While the jazz band played a few big reveal on June 5. Thats when students, facultynumbers, students filed into the CHS auditorium 12/ matters magazine / school 2019'