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06/20/2017 12:00 AMFor The Morgan School’s first commencement ceremony at its new location, everything went off without a hitch—with the exception of the weather, which threatened an interruption at any moment. The 128 members of the graduating class took it all in stride, gathering on June 13 to listen to one more round of speeches before their high school careers were done.
With thunder claps audible overhead and the intense humidity, the speeches were cut a little short. Maryann O’Donnell, in her first year as superintendent of schools, skipped her speech, as did Board of Education Chair Annaliese Saviano.
Although the rain held off, Principle Keri Hagness cited the weather and made her remarks brief. She said she wanted to “thank this class of 2017 for challenging me.” A humorous moment followed this remark when an unidentified student yelled out “we love you Ms. Hagness!” Laughter and cheers from the students and crowd followed the outburst.
Reflecting the high school careers they’re leaving behind and the adult world they are about to enter, the speeches from the students had quotes from both Buddha and the movie Legally Blonde.
Valedictorian Julia Horan used part of her speech to acknowledge the time spent at both the old school and the present school, urging her classmates to remember the times and experience at both schools.
“Make a point to live in the present, deliberately acknowledging who you’re with,” said Horan.
Horan also invoked her fellow graduates to make the most of their time.
“Time is no longer the enemy, it can be the greatest ally,” Horan said; she also quoted the Buddhist saying that tells people to “live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”
Lindsay Harden and Autumn Johnson, student representatives of the Board of Education, thanked the faculty and teachers they had who “pushed us along the way...What you did for us went beyond the call of duty.”
“You must always have faith in people, but most important you must always have faith in yourself,” said Harden, quoting the character Elle Woods from Legally Blonde.
After the speeches, it was time for Hagness to do what called her “favorite part”: informing the members of the Class of 2017 that they had met the requirements set by the Board of Education and were ready to accept their diplomas.