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County's seniors moving on
In farewell addresses, grads celebrate, say goodbye and proclaim they are grateful for Facebook
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by DARWIN WEIGEL
Calvert High School graduate Thomas Grochowski plays the National Anthem on his guitar at the school's commencement ceremony last Wednesday.
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They wore the usual caps and gowns, hugged the usual proud families and sang the usual graduation songs — "Seasons of Love" was a particular favorite, sung not once but twice. The advice and reflections, however, at the 2009 graduation ceremonies were actually quite varied, with many speakers being unafraid to be self-deprecating, sarcastic and, in some circumstances, brutally honest.
"There is one task I'd like to complete before I leave this wonderful school: My [last] name is pronounced Ech-e-ondia," said Kira Echeandia in a "reflections" speech at The Calverton School's graduation on Saturday at the school's Huntingtown campus.
The graduations for each public school were held last Wednesday and Thursday at The Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro.
Huntingtown High School Senior Class President Samantha Riley used her speech to declare her love on a few different levels.
"It's a miracle that we can wake up at 6 a.m. when we have senioritis … it's a miracle that [physical education teacher] Mr. Henshaw can look so good in those striped shorts," said Riley, closing her speech saying, "We've been lucky enough to find the miracles in each other and to adhere to the last four years."
Patuxent High School valedictorian Sandy Carter noticed a miracle of her own at her school's graduation Thursday.
"Ladies, I ask you, how can we find all these white dresses here in Southern Maryland?" Carter said in her speech, making a joke about the white dresses all female graduates must wear under their gowns.
And it was not just certain students straying away from the conventional, as Calvert County Board of Education President Eugene Karol said in his speech that he was not going to give students advice, but rather tell them what is certain. He said that life is short for even those who live the longest; procrastination has no place in one's short life; and that life is too short to be indecisive.
"If you don't make decisions, time will make them for you," Karol said.
Superintendent of Schools Jack Smith did, on the other hand, give some traditional advice telling students to "seize the day"… to an extent.
"I do believe in ‘carpe diem,' but I know it has a cost," he said. " … ‘Yes' or ‘no,' it's always going to be up to you. Take care of yourselves."
There was one graduation theme that did not go out of style this year: friendships.
"In the big picture, high school does not really matter. What does matter are the relationships we form in high school," said Huntingtown salutatorian Charles Vasko, who continued that while his peers should hold onto high school friends as long as possible, they should not let the past define who they are.
Calvert High School valedictorian Julian Hassinger used his speech on Wednesday to express that a strong community can be just as powerful as individual relationships saying, "What I do know is that even if I don't know each of you personally, I'm proud to be counted among you."
He wasn't the only proud one.
Carla Adams of Dunkirk, whose daughter is Calvert Association of Student Councils president and former student representative to the board of education Jasmine Adams, brought black and white checkered flags to Jasmine's graduation from Northern High School on Wednesday.
"She's very happy that everyone made it to the finish line together," said Carla of the flags, which Jasmine used in her campaign for student member of the board.
"This is my last one [out of three] to graduate and I just want to say thank God we made it," said Nadean Williams of Chesapeake Beach, whose daughter Shanelle graduated from Huntingtown High School on Thursday.
Jen Andreasen said that she was in an interesting position as both an English teacher at Calvert High School and parent of a Northern High School graduate, Charlotte Andreasen.
"It's very strange because I'm used to being behind the scenes and not as an audience member," said Jen Andreasen, who laughed when asked if she gave her daughter the same advice she gave her students, "Yes, but she's probably less likely to listen."
Graduations were also a time for principals and administrators to have the class of 2009 as a captive audience one final time.
"You started out as freshman the same year I started as a first year high school principal and we grew together, I hope," said Patuxent High School Principal Nancy Highsmith, who, like Calvert High School Principal Susan Johnson, praised this year's graduates for a successful implementation of the one-hour lunch program.
"You were role models to younger classes, demonstrating good choices during that time," said Johnson of the alternative lunch program, which will be implemented at Huntingtown and Northern high schools in the fall.
The Calverton School head of school Daniel Hildebrand took advantage of the smaller graduating class of 44 and gave a few personal words on each student.
"Joe shows up to work and then disappears. Where does he go? To the firehouse," Hildebrand said of volunteer fireman and 2009 graduate Joseph Addison III.
Like many large-scale ceremonies there were a few bloopers at each of the events.
Some local leaders were asked to stand up twice in one ceremony, while others were not asked to stand up at all. The most substantial glitch, however, occurred when the fire alarm was accidentally pulled by a small child at Patuxent High School's graduation, causing the microphones to need to be reset.
This occurred during salutatorian Julia Smith's address, shortly after she said she remembered her mother telling her "Yes, Julia, disappointment does happen, but sometimes you have to hitch up your britches and trudge through the manure."
Despite the flaws, at the end of every ceremony the same thing happened: students graduated.
"It still feels like I'm in school; I'm sure it'll hit me tomorrow," said Hillary Berche minutes after receiving her Calvert High School diploma.
She said that it's her friends she'll miss the most.
"I'm going to miss them, but I'm going to Facebook them every day," Berche said.
Northern High School graduate Matthew Newton echoed Berche, saying his favorite part of high school has been "going to school with people you've gone to school with your entire life. When you go to college you have to start over."
Jessica Murnin said that following her graduation from Huntingtown High School, her aunt is taking her on a cruise.
"It feels great [to be done]. I was nervous about today but now I'm only excited," she said.
Zakary Juckett had a particular group to thank upon his graduation from The Calverton School.
"My group of four friends, the nerdy buddies … has been my support group for as long as I've been here," he said.
And Patuxent High School graduates Cindy Stone, Jasmine Guy and Angelina Hopkins, who are going as close as College of Southern Maryland and as far as the Art Institute of Portland, Ore., said that though they will miss each other there is one thing they won't miss: "the drama."
"I think that goes for everyone," Stone said.
Even with this concept so often associated with high school students, teachers all across Calvert County seem to believe that the class of 2009 is in pretty good shape.
"This class had more kids with ability … for as long as I can remember," said Calvert High School science teacher Kathy Dangin.
"They're smarter than I was when I graduated; they're ready."
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