By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The scattered afternoon showers did little to dampen the spirits of Lawrence High School’s graduating Class of 2011 at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton on Friday.
Proud parents, family and friends gathered outside the arena doors on a sultry afternoon, waiting to enter for the 7 p.m. graduation ceremony. And when the doors finally opened, the crowd rushed inside.
Meanwhile, clad in “cardinal red” caps and gowns, the soon-to-be LHS alums waited patiently until school district officials Superintendent of Schools Philip Meara, LHS Principal David Roman and the Lawrence Township Board of Education made their way to the podium.
Then, two by two, the seniors stepped off to cross the floor to the folding chairs in the middle of the arena as the LHS Concert Band played Edward Elgar’s traditional “Pomp and Circumstance.” Some decorated their mortarboards with messages “Me 1. High School 0.”
The crowd roared as the last of the seniors took a seat. The seniors clapped their hands and watched as the color guard from American Legion Post 414 and the Trenton Ancient Order of Hibernians Pipe Band which preceded the administrators left the arena.
Senior class president Tina Moon welcomed her classmates and their families. She thanked the high school administrators and staff for their collective help in putting together the graduation ceremony.
”Wow. We are finally here. Seniors, are you excited? Take a moment to let it out,” Tina said, as her classmates took her up on that offer and cheered for themselves.
Tina acknowledged that there have been “hundreds” of graduating classes that entered the Sun National Bank Arena feeling that they were more special than the other classes, but “I know we truly are the best class because we capture the spirit of tomorrow’s leaders.”
The Class of 2011 has tremendous enthusiasm, energy, wit, drive, confidence and style, she said.
”I am so excited for our 20-year reunion in 2031. I’ll be able to say, ‘I knew it. I told you so,’ because I already know who some of you will become. Sitting among us now there are future teachers, doctors, builders, craftsmen, CEOs, artists, those who will serve our country and perhaps even a future president,” Tina said.
She said she hoped that each of her classmates would meet his or her individual and unique potential. The Class of 2011 has some of the smartest, funniest, kindest and most innovative minds “to ever fly out of the cardinal’s nest,” she said.
Taking the stage for a few minutes to address the Class of 2011, Dr. Roman acknowledged the retirement of Mr. Meara, the superintendent of schools. The school district has undergone “phenomenal changes” under Mr. Meara’s leadership, he said. “Thank you, Phil,” he added.
Dr. Roman turned back to the seniors, reminding them that he has been asking them about their hopes and dreams, and their “big ideas,” for the past couple of weeks.
”Aren’t you glad you are graduating,” Dr. Roman asked the seniors. “One day, you will have a family and you will be sitting here. You’ll think and ponder, ‘Where has all the time gone.’ To prepare you, here are some words of wisdom that will get you through life.”
Everyone dies, but not everyone lives, Dr. Roman said. Stop pretending to find life’s calling, he said, because “it speaks to you.” He also told them that they are responsible for their own actions, deeds, successes and failures.
”Today, you begin to develop your life story. I wish you a joyous life and lots of love. So, my friends, farewell. Now, go get your dreams,” Dr. Roman said.
But not before Kelly Kremer, the class valedictorian, and Katherine Welsh, the class salutatorian, offered some insights and advice to their classmates.
Quoting Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Doug Marlette, Kelly said everything including education has been “commodified.” People think that everything worth knowing is testable, quantifiable, and measurable. Performance is everything, she said.
”Think about it. All you have to do is look at the star athletes and the celebrities and say, ‘Yeah, it’s true for them. Performance is everything.’ But is that really true for us? We have taken countless proficiency tests so we could get here and earn this diploma. Yet how much of what they are testing is going to apply to our future,” Kelly said.
The members of the Class of 2011 are more than the sum of their resume or their accomplishments or their list of skills, she said. The class is much more than that more than what the numbers and tests say they amount to. The Class of 2011 is the future and “we are now,” she said.
The diploma that she and her classmates would receive later in the ceremony isn’t just a piece of paper, Kelly said. It represents opportunity the same chance as anyone else to change the life each was born into, she said. That opportunity is why education is so valuable, she added.
But the most important lessons learned in high school are the ones that dealt with triumph and failure, and how to cheer up one’s friends when they are “down” and how to cheer them on when they have almost reached their goal, she said.
”We make our own dreams and our own standards,” Kelly said. “Maybe we used to think our parents’ standards were too high, but as we take this step forward, isn’t it more true that we set the highest bar for ourselves?”
”Don’t we yearn to distinguish ourselves, prove our individuality and our worth? This is not the time to rest on our laurels, but instead to rise up to meet the challenges ahead of us,” she said.
And then, stepping aside from the podium, Kelly took a photograph of the Class of 2011, seated together for the last time in the arena.
Katherine greeted the school district officials, the faculty and staff, and the parents, friends and loved ones and the Class of 2011, noting that “we have arrived at a bittersweet moment of change, excitement, reflection and celebration.”
”For the past four years, we have committed ourselves to our studies. We have explored our passions and interests, and we have contributed to our school community in many different ways. This moment is the culmination of it all. This moment is none other than our graduation,” she said.
She and her classmates arrived at LHS with “big dreams,” but no idea how to achieve them. But they discovered the trick to achieving those dreams carving their own path, she said.
”It was on this path, on this journey to finding ourselves, that we gained insight and knowledge and came into our own. We faced obstacles, any of which seemed impossible. But through our perseverance and with the help and guidance of those around us, we emerged victorious to sit here today,” Katherine said.
While she and her classmates learned much in the classroom, there were some things that could only be learned from one another, she said. They have shared the ups and downs of life, laughter and happiness, sadness and loss, she said.
Passing on some final words of wisdom, Katherine said her second grade teacher recently mailed a package filled with pictures, writings and projects from that class. She also wrote a letter to accompany the package and offered some advice.
”She wrote, ‘Appreciate the significant people in your life. Make wise choices. Don’t miss opportunities. Use common sense. Keep a positive mental attitude. Set goals and look forward to meeting them, but enjoy the journey as well.’ Enjoy the journey, Class of 2011,” Katherine said.
Then it was Mr. Meara’s turn.
”You guys are ready. This is it. It’s official. I accept the principal’s recommendation and recognize the students before me to be the graduating class of 2011,” Mr. Meara said, as beach balls began to be tossed in earnest when the first of more than 280 seniors lined up to receive a handshake and a diploma.
Forty minutes later, the last member of the Class of 2011 walked quickly across the stage to receive a diploma.
And with a turn of the tassel, the Class of 2011 was history.
