Saratoga News

Cover Story

Photograph by Stephania Bednar

Saratoga High School salutatorian Sivakami Sambasivam embraces assistant principal Karen Hyde after receiving her diploma during graduation ceremonies.

Senior Moment

Commencement ceremonies mark the end of high school for Saratoga seniors

By Michele Tjin

Ahh. The smell of sunscreen lingering in the air. The sight of students walking down the street with pots and pans. It can only mean that another graduation season is upon us.

Saratoga High School held its 46th commencement exercises on June 14, where more than 300 students were commended on their last four years. For several of the students who addressed their class and the audience, the ceremony was a chance to reflect. Some poked fun at the intense academic climate the school is known for, while others remarked that they have seen their share of administrators revolve through the principal's office.

Like all graduating classes before them, this class was not short on talent. Students applauded their peers for their achievements on the tennis courts and on the stage; for leaving their mark with the written word and with mathematical symbols.

Varun Sivaram in his valedictory speech said senior year will live forever through memories.

"Our class has drawn close and tight- knit. We cling to classmates we will never see," he said.

But it's the reading of the graduates' names that captures what the ceremony is all about. One by one, the students walked across the stage as their names were methodically read aloud. Friends and family made as much noise as they could, while their seniors scanned the audience for faces they could recognize.

The intensity of the din grew as the senior class officers neared the end of the alphabet. A pocket in the audience let out a loud whoop for Martha Louise Wheelwright, and there was a hubbub for Byron Ming-Yiu Wong, Michael Layne Wyatt and Jennifer Ann Yip. But the longest applause and the loudest air horns were reserved for Rovene Anne Zaika, the last graduate to hear her name called out. As she walked across the field, she symbolized the end for the class of 2007, prompting the seniors to release all their pent-up exuberance with a toss of their caps in the air.

"It was intense, when we heard the last name, and everyone threw up their hats," Aditya Ullal said.

Senior year wasn't always the magical year that people made it out to be. For Sachi Hartley and Cassie Bac, they didn't sense what made senior year special until the last three weeks of school. For Angela Juang, she was never as busy as she was during her final year.

"But it was also the most fun year," she said.

After a long afternoon, there was nothing left on the field but streamers and empty water bottles. High school is now a memory for these students. All good things must come to an end.