James Van Over celebrates his graduation from Saratoga High School
By Tim Persyn
The band struck up "Pomp and Circumstance" on a crystal-clear, warm spring afternoon, and members of the audience rose to their feet. Soon, the Saratoga High School graduating class of 1996 began making its way down an aisle of freshly cut grass through the gathering audience, and this year's edition of the school's commencement exercises began.
The ceremony began at 4:30 p.m., June 14, on the upper lawn at Saratoga High. Every seat was occupied when principal Kevin Skelly, outfitted in academic garb, walked to the podium and welcomed the audience. As the band struck up "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," the crowd of camera-wielding friends and families settled in.
Leaders of the school community sat on a platform that occupied the center of attention. Here, with the school colors flying in the background, the graduates received their diplomas.
The first student to address the graduation was Rita Bosworth. She closed her speech with a comment on what she felt when she tried on her graduation cap. "Right then," Bosworth said, "I knew that it was finally my turn to go through with the beginning of the rest of my life."
Skelly then introduced the valedictorian of the class, Connie Ing. He said of Ing, a national winner in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search who will be attending Yale University, "She's destined to make an enormous contribution to the world."
Judging from the graduation program, which included three pages of honors and awards that the class of '96 has earned, Ing probably won't be alone in making significant contributions to society.
As the adults in the audience tried to keep the little ones corralled and as groups gathered in the back to enjoy refreshments and conversation, the students' addresses continued.
Julie Cohen reflected on the uniqueness of the moment.
"Never forget this feeling right now of being young, creative, intelligent, and strong and that the dreams we treasure now have the rest of our lives to come true," Cohen said.
Following Cohen, Julie Patterson illustrated the importance of attitude by relating humorous anecdotes. She explained, "The spirit of Aldous Huxley found compensation even for going nearly blind. Being able to read Braille, he told a friend, meant that one could read in bed with the book beneath the blankets, and keep one's hands warm even on the coldest nights."
Next, senior class officers distributed gifts to members of the community who had made particularly valuable contributions during the past four years.
Then Brian Chin, the final student speaker, took the podium. He described a time when he wondered if he was ready for his future. "I asked my dad what he thought. 'Dad,' I asked, 'am I prepared for whatever's out there?' His reply was simple. 'No, Brian, but no one ever is.'"
At last, it was time for the graduating class to receive their diplomas. "I present to you the class of 1996," said Principal Kevin Skelly, and the crowd cheered.
As their names were read, the grads stepped to the platform, accepted their diplomas and walked down the steps with clenched fists, as members of the audience called out to them.
The weather got slightly chilly as the sun headed for the horizon and the readers moved into the latter sections of the alphabet.
Soon after 6 p.m., the last of the graduates' names were read. After the last name was called, Skelly went to the podium one last time and announced, "Congratulations to the class of 1996, who are now high school graduates."
Then, graduation caps went flying into the air, the ceremony ended, and the future began.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, June 19, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved