Scarsdale Graduates 371 Students at 102nd Commencement

Who knows where the time goes? That was what was on the mind of many at the graduation of the SHS Class of 2019 on a sunny, warm June 26 morning. Senior Class President Benjamin Klein told his 370 classmates, “It is crazy how far we’ve come, and how quickly time flew by”…. “We were fighting over crayons until high school, when we were fighting over parking spots.” He remembered a decade ago receiving an official Scarsdale School district email address containing the number “19” and asking the teacher for the significance of that number, only to learn that it was the year he would graduate.

Now that year has arrived, and 371 students, proud parents, grandparents, the faculty of Scarsdale High School, Principal Ken Bonamo, Superintendent Thomas Hagerman and School Board President Scott Silberfein gathered on Dean Field for the school’s 102nd commencement exercise.

The day portended to be a hot one, and this year the school was prepared. Video monitors of the proceedings SVAC was on hand with water for all.were set up in the Board of Education room and older residents were encouraged to watch from inside. Outside, many brought umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun – and the most coveted seats proved to be the farthest bleachers in the shade. We even spotted two onlookers in the stands wearing what they admitted were pajamas over their heads. SVAC was well-prepared and liberally distributed water bottles to all. Though the temperature soared to 88 degrees, the ceremony appears to have proceeded without any incidents.

Opening the ceremony, School Board President Scott Silberfein took his cue from the senior class play Bye Bye Birdei and spoke about “putting on a happy face.” He said, “Happiness should not be taken for granted …. Finding happiness is not easy but the pay off is huge.” He advised the graduating seniors to seek happiness in their lives and quoted the Dalai Lama who said, “Happiness Keeping cool with pajamas on their heads.is not ready made – it comes from your own actions.” He encouraged the grads to be flexible, saying “If you’re not happy with your major, change it. Study abroad … if you’re not happy in a relationship – take action.” He said, “These are choices we make everyday.” He offered parting words from Monica Geller of the television series “Friends”, who said, “Welcome to the real world, it sucks but you’re going to love it!”

Aidan Londa and Aliza Mehlman introduced Class Advisors Carol D’Angelo and Michael Egan who thanked the class for “making this year the best it could be.” Egan asked the students to look around and reflect on their parents and teachers who helped them along the say, and Ms. D’Angelo quoted Hemingway, saying, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.”School Board President Scott Silberfein, Superintendent Thomas Hagerman, SHS Principal Ken Bonamo

The two then broke into song, doing their own version of “Telephone Hour” from Bye Bye Birdie singing “What’s the story morning glory. I heard they’re really cool
They got through without bail!”

Ishwar Mukherjee and Isabelle Riback expressed gratitude to everyone at SHS, including deans, secretaries, coaches, class advisor, the custodial and security staff who are the first to arrive and the last to leave, the youth outreach team, the nurses, librarians and technology staff, the lunch staff and finally to their teachers “who treated them as individuals – not just as students.”

Class co-treasurer Joey Lane introduced class president Ben Klein who said, “As we all know too well, graduating from Scarsdale High School is no tiptoe through the tulips. The work we’ve put in, the hours we’ve spent, the tests we thought we would fail but somehow found our way to pass -- what we’ve accomplished is truly something to be proud of.”… “Out there, in the real world, it may be hard to find ourselves... to find our places in society. But what will also be a challenge is Class President Ben Kleinremembering to be ourselves. Because being yourself, and living a life that fulfills you is the single most important thing one can do. Enjoy every minute. Because life is more precious than any of us know. He concluded, “As we each move forward in life, on our own path… no matter how good or bad things may seem at any given moment, nobody can take away the fact that we succeeded in one of the most rigorous and competitive high schools in the country. Scarsdale. Our home.”

Principal Ken Bonamo gave a reflective speech about being discerning readers and consumers of information. He noted that prior to the internet, only a handful of trusted and respected publishers could spread the news. He said, "If your book was picked up by Norton or Random House or a university press, or your article was printed by the New York Times or the Atlantic Monthly, then the typical reader could assume a certain quality, a veracity of facts, rigor in argumentation, even beauty of presentation." Though news was reliable, Bonamo noted that those without a publisher had a hard time disseminating their message and minority voices were underrepresented.

He said, “In the last twenty years this arrangement has been disrupted by the internet which makes publication and dissemination of ideas remarkably quick, easy, and inexpensive—in other words, accessible to all. Nearly anything can go viral—a blog post, a tweet, or a video—thus allowing the most popular ideas to spread the fastest without having to pass muster with a censor or a fact-checker or a stodgy old editor of a publishing house or a newspaper."

He continued, “I hope we at SHS have given you the skills to be discriminating users of information and technology …. Surely we dont's want to go back to the days of the daily paper and evening news cast.” However he said, "The swirl of torrents of information—some reliable, much of it not—requires curation on an infinite scale and a discerning skepticism on the part of the reader or viewer."

He warned the students to not only “Watch your diet of information but also to contribute to structures and actions that foster the spread of real facts and rigorous analysis that promote the common good.".."Remember that rigorous debate is rooted in a deep understanding of facts and analysis."

He continued, "Regardless of what side of any one question you take, in order to advance the cause you will need courage. As the energy of your youth matures into the wisdom of age, you will continue to find your voices and ways in which you can make your marks."

With that, Superintendent Thomas Hagerman certified the graduation of the 371 members of the class of 2019 and bid them to “go forth and serve the common good.”

The members of the class of 2019 filed to the stage to receive their diplomas and when everyone was a grad they threw up their mortarboards with glee.

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Graduation coverage sponsored by Julia B. Fee Sotheby's of Scardale: