Now its time to look ahead for 351 graduates
By: Courtney Gross
PLAINSBORO Some called it bittersweet, with the capacity to bring tears to their eyes and butterflies to their stomach. Others described it as unbelievable and exhilarating. Still more were looking forward to what lies ahead.
The excitement and sadness echoed throughout West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North’s football stadium, similar to the speakers’ voices bouncing off the metal bleachers as 351 seniors waved their final goodbye Wednesday.
Under a practically cloudless sky on the first day of summer, members of North’s fifth graduating class paraded down the Knight Stadium track to take their seats for the last time as high school seniors. Blue and white balloons were strung along the bleachers a few escaped during the ceremony and floated toward the evening sky.
Family and friends lined the track, waving at the passing graduates decked in blue robes and white sashes. Some seniors wore sunglasses and gave faculty high-fives as they made their final pass through high school.
Doreen Ho, the senior class president, welcomed the audience and complimented the class’s willingness to adapt. From its split with Grover Middle School to embracing the new version of the SAT, the class of 2006 has shaped tradition at North, she said.
"Yesterday, we were high school seniors," Doreen said. "Today, we are high school graduates. Tomorrow, you’ll be living legends."
The 2006 class valedictorian, John Chang, compared their experience to a shooting star, bright but fading. Although some of their paths will never cross again, he said, members of the class will all remember their graduation ceremony. Everyone has grown tremendously and will continue to grow, he said.
"No longer are we the class of 2006, but of 2010," John said.
The 2006 class learned quickly that there are ways of life beyond the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, senior speaker Rajiv Ramakrishnan said. The class had to witness the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, as well as the death of classmate Stephanie Au-Yeung this year. Through these experiences, he said, class members have forged one identity while still embracing their individuality.
The faculty and administration at North congratulated the 2006 class for its growth and wished it all the success in the future. Board of Education President Hemant Marathe encouraged the students to set an example for others as they live their life.
The school’s principal, Michael Zapicchi, also offered advice to the class. He asked the students to foster more communication among people, especially during an age of globalization. The students should recognize that poverty occurs in our own backyards, he said.
"Skip the text-messaging once in a while," Michael said. "It is people, the human connections we make, that matter most."
Following the senior class officers’ final farewell, the graduates placed their tassels on the right side, just before hundreds of blue caps went spiraling into the air.
To some graduates, the conclusion of the past four years has not yet sunk in. John Byrnes, a former forward on the basketball team, said this season was a great way to end his tenure at North. He will be attending Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., in the fall and hopes to study political science.
"It’s been a lot of fun here," John said. "I’ll probably end up missing it along the way. By probably, I mean I will."