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Vol. LXI, No. 26
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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Vol. LXI, No. 26
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Wednesday, June 27, 2007
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To the strains of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance march, more than 300 members of the Class of 2007 wearing the traditional blue robes assembled on the lawn in front of the high school tower as Princeton High School's 78th Commencement Exercises took place last Wednesday, June 20.
Following the salute of the flag and the singing of the national anthem, Class President Rachel Snyderman, who graduated with honors, welcomed the assembly.
Ms. Snyderman described the shared experiences of the class that had endured four years of ongoing school construction that began in earnest in 2003 as she and her classmates arrived. "Our lives — just like our soon-to-be former school — will be under perpetual construction," she said. "When you're lost in an impossible maze of hallways, or maybe just a little off track, it's the greatest thing when you run into a familiar face — a smiling familiar face — that points you in the right direction …. Let's not let anyone in our class wander a hallway lost without help or direction."
Noting that the Class of 2007 had the highest average SAT scores of any public school in the state, Ms. Snyderman praised the "architects of our successes": parents, friends, and the school administration and faculty, and thanked retiring teachers Maureen Shea, Mark Volpe, and Ethel Wood.
"We are graduating today from not just any high school, but from proud, historic Princeton High School, nationally recognized for its challenging academics, strong faculty, community involvement, and high-achieving student body."
Praising the many talents of the "007" class, Ms. Snyderman quipped to the PHS administration and members of the board of education: "When we leave, you might as well just turn out the lights on the Princeton Performing Arts Center."
"I'll skip the part about reaching for the stars," she added. "Class of 2007, we did it."
The assembly then heard addresses from three students chosen by the senior class — Robert Borchert, Helen Lopez, and Rachel Wenitsky.
Mr. Borchert spoke on the subject of "Spirit," Ms. Lopez on the subject of "Achievement," and Ms. Wenitsky on the "Future."
Interspersed with her thoughts about globalization and, more lightheartedly, her hopes for the return of the boy band, Ms. Wenitsky, who will undertake studies at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, began with her own future. "As some of you know, next year I'll be majoring in acting. So, unlike most of you, who have chosen serious, practical fields of study, in my future, I'll either be famous, or a waitress, or homeless," she said.
Describing her peers as a diverse and talented student body, she said that while the future may be unpredictable, as PHS graduates they would be well-prepared to handle it. To demonstrate what the Class of 2007 had learned, and also as a wry comment on the multiple practice sessions involved in pre-commencement, Ms. Wenitsky cued the seniors to rise as one and then to sit down again. She did not disclose how long they had practiced to achieve this performance, but the demonstration was a deft display of student unity.
A capella groups, Around 8 and Cat's Meow, sang "Be True to Your School," and "And So It Goes," respectively.
The construction analogy ran through the proceedings with Principal Gary Snyder holding aloft a section of yellow construction-site tape. Principal Snyder also joined the school in 2003.
"When we arrived from our various places, we knew there would be a construction project ahead of us, but we didn't know that it would be perpetual construction," he said. "Nevertheless, at the time, I said we would keep our eyes on the ball. I studied blueprints while you studied calculus. Through it all, you succeeded in every way. The construction project known as the class of 2007 is complete."
Having received their diplomas from Mr. Snyder, Superintendent of Schools Judith A. Wilson, and members of the Princeton Regional Board of Education, the graduates stood to sing the PHS Alma Mater:
"Now stand and sing with heart and voice
Our Alma Mater's praise!
Let all who know thy guiding hand
To thee, the chorus raise.
Our friendships hold in memory
Thy tow'r against the sky
And evermore our hearts will sing
In praise of Princeton High!"
The school orchestra played the recessional, the Triumphal March from Verdi's Aida, and the graduating class, parents, and members of the high school community dispersed.