With all the hype surrounding tomorrow's Island Cup game between the Vineyard and Nantucket, it's easy to overlook that at its core, it's only a ga

They have won prestigious awards in art, journalism and sports and have played a stronger role in student government than any class before them, taking the first strides against racial tension in the school.

When the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School class of 2006 graduates on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. under the shelter of the Tabernacle on the Camp Ground in Oak Bluffs, 204 young men and women will leave their school a better place than when they first arrived.

Complicated Rank and Grading System Now Slated for a Possible Overhaul by Administrators and Students

By RACHEL NAVA ROHR

High school class rankings yield one winner come graduation, and the competition to become valedictorian requires some strategy at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. Taking a class called Stock Market or Sports Management could push you ahead. Architecture and Island Cooking don't help or harm, but Journalism or Introduction to Law could set you back.

For the first time, this year the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School junior prom will require not just a ticket to enter, but a green light from a breathalyzer.

After alcohol use caused problems at last year's prom, high school principal Margaret (Peg) Regan considered cancelling this year's prom and revisiting the issue the next year, but at the students' request, Mrs. Regan instead collaborated with juniors to make prom safer.

The students manning the phones at the Hebrew Center on this January night are there to kick off the first night of the 2006 SafeRides season. The student-run program provides a free and confidential ride home to any student of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School who is not in a condition to drive safely or who wants to avoid being a passenger with an unsafe driver.