By Maddy Anand, Packet Media Group
A pipe band led the Lawrence High School commencement ceremony Thursday night. Following were administration and faculty, then the graduates in twos, with girl pairs holding hands.
The auditorium was overjoyed as each pair would walk onto the floor and find their seats. Many had decorated their mortarboards with the name of colleges they would be attending in the fall, phrases about the time they spent in high school, designs, nicknames, sports jersey numbers, thank yous to mom and dad, and even balloons.
Senior Class President Erica Levin opened by welcoming everyone to the ceremony and discussing the different important moments in life. “This milestone took 13 years, yet believe it or not, this is just the beginning,” she said. “Although there are many moments in life that feel like this, there is absolutely nothing like this.”
This was also an important and emotional night for Principal Dr. Jonathan J. Dauber, who is bidding farewell to the high school and some of the students he has known since the fourth grade. “Its been a tremendous pleasure and honor for me to have been your principal for all that time. We all know how rare that is,” he said while deviating from the norm of talking at the podium and walking in between the two columns of graduates.
“What the experts tend to say is that you have the two most important days of your life. The first is the day you were born, the second is the day you figure out why… wherever I am, wherever you are, when you have that moment I want you to reach out and tell me.” Lastly, he thanked them for the best seven years of his professional life. “You guys know I love you, and I’ll always be around for you,” Dr. Dauber said.
Valedictorian Linda Luo said she remembers playing “Pomp and Circumstance” over and over again in the concert band as she “jealously watched past seniors relish in their final moments as high schoolers… and now our time has arrived,” she said. “We are always going to remember our time as Lawrence Cardinals, being a part of a complete mosaic of individuals with different cultural and economic backgrounds, set of values and personalities. Our diversity is our strength.”
Salutatorian Olivia Davis talked about how the future may be unpredictable, but learning is constant. She also addressed how this graduating class was the cut-off for the “technology free” generation. “Although on the surface it may seem like a curse… it has actually proved to be a strange blessing. In our time at Lawrence schools, we have learned not only how to find the right answer and acquire information, but how to merge appreciation for the learning process and interpersonal communication with the increased efficiency that technology provides.”
The student government kicked off the class gifts by presenting Dr. Dauber a varsity jacket for being their “coach.” It announced that it would also be building a picnic table for future students to use and making donations to the class of 2016, 2017 and 2018 to offset prom costs.
The student government proceeded by reading the names of their peers as they walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and say final good-byes to Dr. Dauber. After Dr. Dauber said closing remarks and the graduation choir sang, the graduates turned their tassels and the air was filled with propelled hats, balloons, silly string, and cheerfulness.
