By Jennifer Bradley, Staff Writer
The Sun Bank Center in Trenton was decked out in green and gold as the West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South Class of 2012 proudly displayed their school colored caps and gowns during their graduation on Friday, June 15.
The graduates were not the only people filled with pride at the graduation. Family and friends rose to their feet and welcomed the graduates processing in with clapping hands and celebratory cheers.
Teachers and administrators smiled as they looked warmly upon the students they helped to nurture throughout four years.
”I can’t recount every locker jam and every lunch period spent frantically eating to reach lab on time, but I can say congratulations, we did it,” said the senior class speaker Divya Ramesh. “Regardless of where we are going, I hope we always stay true to ourselves always growing and learning as we have for the past four years.”
Valedictorian Peter Ku recounted several memories he had with the class and mixed in some humor to elicit laughter from the audience.
”There’s something out there for everyone, so don’t settle,” he said. “Carpe the heck out of the diem.”
Each senior class officer then shared his or her insight about graduation.
”The present will always be a blur, but if you know where you came from, if you remember what you’ve learned, you’ll know exactly where you are headed,” said senior class vice president Jeffrey Yu.
Senior class secretary Rachel Epstein chose to give advice to the graduating class by discussing bumblebees. She said bumblebees can’t fly because their bodies are too heavy to support, yet they fly nevertheless.
”For bumblebees there is no self-doubt, there is no fear,” she said. “Do not let your fear of failure overpower your dreams.”
Senior class president Cathy Han was the last of the officers to address the class. She called the Class of 2012 “master jugglers” because of their ability to juggle friends, academics, extra-curricular activities and more.
”Here at South we take care of each other,” she said. “A distinguishing characteristic of high school south is our overwhelming sense of community.”
School Principal Roseann Bonino said she thought the distinguishing characteristic of the class of 2012 was passion.
”You are a class full of personality and passion which you bring to every aspect of your lives,” she said. “Whatever you do you put 100 percent of yourselves into it. Now bring that passion and set the world on fire.”
Ms. Bonino also said that the Class of 2012 was the most spirited class she has ever witnessed. She went on to highlight the class of 2012’s athletic, musical and academic accomplishments.
Robert Johnson, the vice president of the Board of Education, was the last to speak. In his speech he said that the world that the graduates are being sent into is full of economic turmoil, political strife and other challenges.
”So why do we celebrate?” said Mr. Johnson. “You’d think we’d be in mourning when we send you out into the world.”
Mr. Johnson answered this question of celebration later in his speech.
”We celebrate because although things may be a mess, that’s not a reason to despair,” he said. “It’s an invitation to get engaged and get involved. We celebrate today because we know that you can meet those challenges. Forget about the fact that things are a mess. Don’t yield to despair. Do your part, great or small, to write the history of your generation.”
