BRHS seniors depart new high school

By: Cara Latham
   BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — In the late 1980s, a gallon of gas cost $1.12, a brand new home cost about $140,000, "Roseanne" and "The Cosby Show" were the top television shows and stamps cost 25 cents.
   And everyone used them because they couldn’t send e-mails yet, Bordentown Regional Schools Superintendent John Polomano pointed out June 21, during the first commencement ceremony held at the new Ward Avenue high school.
   Mr. Polomano said he did so to show the 160 members of the Class of 2007 that when they were born, things were much different, but that their parents adapted as time moved on.
   "We’ll never see these days again, but I bring all these things as example, to show you that your parents had to adapt to make life good for all of you," he said.
   He said that while students might be scared to leave high school and move on to the next part of their lives, their success is directly related to their ability to change and adapt to the world, just like their parents did.
   "If you adapt and change, life holds many wonders," he told the class.
   He also told them to aspire to achieve their goals and dreams, and to always "stand for something."
   "The race you are about to enter is a marathon, not a sprint," he said. "Depend upon our school for support, but remember, it is your own ambition, desire and dedication that will lead to a lifetime of achievement and happiness."
   The graduation ceremony, which took place inside the new high school auditorium, was not delayed or affected by a passing thunderstorm. Students from the high school band provided the music, and at one point, graduating band members joined their fellow musicians to play one last song to close out their high school years. The senior chorus members also performed one last time for the audience.
   The theme of entering into an ever-changing world was echoed by other speakers during the ceremony as well.
   Salutatorian Nila Csapo encouraged her fellow classmates to "break out of their shells," and begin tackling the world on their own, not always having the ability to rely on their parents, families or the comfort of the school district they spent so much time in.
   "My deepest wish for all members of the Class of 2007 is that each one of us will take life by the reins and not be intimidated by the overbearing society we live in," she said.
   Valedictorian Casey Boyles spoke of how the students are coming to a personal crossroads, comparing the process of leaving the comfortable halls of the high school to driving on the four major highways that converge in Bordentown. Some of them will travel down Route 295, toward their independence, Casey said. Others might leave town via routes 206 or 130, and others might take the New Jersey Turnpike. Some will head to college, some to the job market and others to the military, she added.
   But, "whichever road you take after tonight, remember that on that path, anything is possible," she said.
   She also said she doesn’t believe that after commencement, the students will be driving off into "the real world," because while there is more responsibility ahead of them, "we spent four years of our lives living at Bordentown Regional High School."
   "Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself," she said, quoting John Dewey.
   Casey urged her classmates to continue learning in life. She said, though, that "before you hit the gas, remember, take the lessons from your family, friends and the faculty of the school with you," she said. "They have guided you, and taught you how to drive."
   High School Principal Fred D’Antoni echoed this sentiment.
   "Indeed your life changed during your four years at BRHS," he said. "As each of you prepare for this next significant phase of your lives, it is important to reflect on the knowledge and skills you mastered here at Bordentown, and put them into perspective.
   "You must, in essence, become lifelong learners," he added. Of the lessons the Class of 2007 learned at Bordentown, he said, "take them with you, build upon them and become the next generation."