SHS Graduation 2013: The Power of Love

You could feel the love at the graduation of the Scarsdale Class of 2013 on June 21, the first day of summer. The weather could not have been better – under sunny skies the class marched onto Dean Field to the sounds of Pomp and Circumstance played by the high school band. The relatively small class of only 324 students took their seats and breezed through the ceremony in the civil manner they have approached their tenure at the school.

Unlike their predecessors, this class seemed determined to do it right –- and graduated without putting the school administrators and parents through any major incidents, save a food fight. They passed on the traditional "senior cut day" and took pride in a homecoming victory against White Plains and a successful senior class production of "The Wizard of Oz."

School Board President Elizabeth Guggenheimer, an SHS grad herself, told the students that they have been taught to think, know and act in an interdependent world. As they step out into the world she advised them to "wear comfortable shoes, whether they be practical to help you move with confidence, platforms, or heels to help you rise toward your goal, flamboyant to help you express your creativity, or sturdy shoes in which you can walk run or climb as you pursue your passion."

Quoting Dr. Seuss she said, "You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."

She asked them to consider two questions: "What can I do to make a positive difference now and how do I learn, work and live in a way to foster a sustainable, democratic world?" She advised them to "discover who you are and where you are going ... and to go forth and make your mark."

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Class Treasurers Lindsay Root and Jake Gibson took the stage to introduce the class faculty advisors Lauren Barton and Jason Noble. Before he turned to the teachers, Gibson thanked Max Krohn, SHS'95 founder of Sparknotes, for allowing him to get a passing grade. He then said that he originally mistook Barton for a freshman and attempted to "brook her," that is to throw her into the brook but that she was saved by Noble. Root thanked the two for organizing and chaperoning class events, and being "the only two people to attend them!" Gibson then introduced Barton and Noble, calling them the mother and father of the class of 2013.

Before Barton and Noble could begin, they were interrupted by the ringing of an iPhone followed by the recording of the familiar voice of Assistant Schools Superintendent Linda Purvis making one of her famous robo calls. Purvis said, "Because of a freak June snowstorm and a locust invasion, graduation for the class of 2013 has been postponed. The entire class has been scheduled to return for a make up next year."

Barton recounted the many class events that were interrupted by the weather ... a rainy carnival for freshman year, Hurricane Sandy at the time of the Halloween breakfast, a thunderstorm during Junior Olympics and the rain on prom night. She credited the class with persevering. Noble told the class to "Go forward and pursue something you are passionate about.... I get to make beautiful music everyday." He quoted Steve Jobs who said, "Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice." Barton advised her students to "be true to yourself, be self-compassionate, and go forth and maintain your individuality but don't ever forget that you are part of a larger family."

Class V.P. Celeste DiLauro thanked the SHS staff and gave a special tribute to retiring government advisor Neil Ginsberg, or 'Gins,' "who attended every class event and had a deep interest in the well being of others." She thanked him for "offering guidance and advice in a time of change," and said" he will be greatly missed next year."

Class President Becky Goldberg opened by saying, "Have a good life ... We did it! And then made a mock departure from the podium only to launch into a longer address. She emphasized the bond between classmates and said, "You were a source of constant support during a difficult time at SHS, the losses of loved ones. You helped in a time of pain." She told her classmates to "look back at high school through the lens of honesty" and urged them to "join something, get involved, and build new relationships." In the words of Fat Amy, she said, "We crushed it."

In his first graduation address to the community SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo gave an eloquent discourse on love. He called the graduation a "celebration of the purist form of love.... the love of parents for their children, the love of children for their parents which motivates them to fulfill their aspirations ... the love for subjects and teachers, and student and teacher relationships steeped in their shared love of learning." He told the students that "Love should continue to motivate you. Love of humanity, love of learning and the subject of your choice." He advised them to follow their hearts and study what they love, saying, "A subject chosen because you are interested will lead to work that never feels like a job and cannot be measured in dollars and cents....The key to your success will be to infuse love into your relationships and your work."

With that, School Superintendent Dr. Michael McGill "bid them go forth to grow in wisdom and to serve the common good," and the degrees were conferred on the SHS Class of 2013.