PRINCETON: PHS told: Pursue your passions

By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
   Parents hungrily snapped pictures, friends cheered and grandparents dabbed away tears as the Princeton High School Class of 2012 gathered together as students for the last time.
   More than 350 seniors graduated on Monday afternoon at the high school. As the school band fired up “Pomp and Circumstance,” the seniors, clad in blue robes and mortarboards, walked with their classmates.
   Ofry Shatzky, the class president, greeted the graduating class and emphasized the importance of following their individual passions in life.
   ”Passions define you as a unique individual and allow you to leave your mark on the world. The time after high school is the time to explore our inner passions we yet even know exist,” said Mr. Shatzky. “I promise in the pursuit of your passions you will truly find who you are.”
   He told his classmates they would not be defined by who they were in high school and that the real challenge is discovering their identities.
   ”To find who you are, be true to your passions and always remember you’re a proud graduate of the Princeton High School Class of 2012,” said Mr. Shatzy, amid cheers and applause.
   The audience listened to Around Eight, an a cappella music group, perform before Principal Gary Snyder introduced the three seniors who gave the senior address: Handy Pierre, Sadik Shahidain and Lucy Fleming.
   Their fellow students selected the students — something that has never been done before.
   ”The students used ballots and a voting process,” said Mr. Snyder. “This class left a legacy on how they chose their speakers.”
   If he had to describe the class of 2012 in one word, Mr. Pierre referenced Charlie Sheen and said it would be “winning,” which elicited chuckles from the crowd.
   Mr. Pierre praised the spirit of his classmates and likened their spirit to a feeling of togetherness. Mr. Pierre said he felt this spirit a mere two days into his freshman year.
   ”Our friendships don’t have to be lost here,” he told them. “As long as we take the spirit of the Class of 2012, we’re bound to be more successful than anyone ever anticipated.”
   Mr. Shahidain defined “achievement” for his fellow classmates and friends.
   ”Achievement is a personal observation — we give value to our actions and no one can mandate that what you do doesn’t matter,” said Mr. Shahidain. “I have seen you all achieve — I have seen the desire in your eyes and the passion in your hearts.”
   Ms. Fleming acknowledged the frightening aspect of the future. Whether it was from her orthodontist or a message in her yearbook, she told the audience all she kept hearing was “Have a great life.”
   ”Where do I find that? Where do I get one?” she asked. “Can I go out and get one at McCaffery’s? Maybe they deliver.”
   To Ms. Fleming, a “great life” simply means doing things that create happiness — whether it’s eating chocolate chip cookies, the relief of finishing a paper at 3 a.m. or those hugs when neither person ever wants to let go.
   ”I’m not going to tell you to have a great life — I’m going to tell you to do the things that make your happy,” she said. “The future comes at us every day, unafraid, and we shouldn’t be either.”
   Mr. Snyder thanked the teachers, staff, faculty and parents and congratulated the seniors for being the 83rd class to graduate from Princeton High. He described the Class of 2012 as a “colorful group.”
   ”Your colors have formed a tapestry at the Princeton High School,” he said. “The world awaits your talent and spirit.”
   Before Superintendent Judy Wilson handed out the diplomas, she advised the students to be confident in their creativity.
   ”I want each of you to think of yourselves as the most creative person you know, because you’re creating yourself, your future and your own story,” said Ms. Wilson. “That is powerful.”
   The seniors then walked in single file to receive their diplomas. Name after name elicited hoots, hollers and whoops from the audience.
   The crowd stood in unison as the seniors placed the yellow tassel to the left — signifying the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. As they officially became Princeton High alums, they flung their mortarboards in the air —eager to follow their passions and go onto create their legacies.