By Jessica Stahl
This was the first time graduation was held at Hofstra. Although some students missed the traditional location of Fireman's Field, the scorching heat made both spectators and graduates thankful for the climate-controlled arena. The decision to move the ceremony into Hofstra Arena was made after graduation was moved into the South Side gym two years in a row due to rain.
Many of the graduates were showing signs of fatigue as they gathered in the basement of the arena to put on their caps and gowns and receive their sashes and tassels. After attending the prom the night before, most had not slept more than a couple of hours. Loreen Lawrence had been up since the previous morning, when she picked up her cap and gown at the high school and got home just in time to begin preparing for the prom, from which she returned with only an hour to rest before heading back to South Side for rehearsal.
Once the ceremony began, however, adrenaline kicked in as the graduates got caught up in the moment and in the conflicting feelings that arise on such a day. For Kevin Krsulich, the fact that he was graduating was both surreal and ridiculous. Class president Christina Ferrara captured the emotions of her classmates in her address as she told them, Everyone is ready to move on, but a part wishes I didn't have to go or at least not right now.
The joy and lighthearted spirit of the evening showed through, as the graduates tossed beach balls and blow-up dolls and adorned themselves with leis. Phil Anderson, an accomplished percussionist, had a drummer doll perched on his hat.
But the tone turned solemn as speeches to the class offered words of caution and advice for the future. Salutatorian Alex Kardon spoke about the increasing pressure on young people to appease others and the negative effects that can have. He told his classmates to concentrate instead on making the most of their own lives, telling them, Happiness is not the means to an end, happiness is the end.
Valedictorian Hilary Fleischer also offered some advice to the class. She related a story of a young girl searching for something she could do to make the world beautiful. Fleischer told graduates that though they may be clueless about how to beautify the world ... [if we] keep an open mind ... we will each discover a personal way to make this happen.
Principal Carol Burris drew the speeches together, offering her interpretation of the seemingly contrasting messages given by Kardon and Fleischer. She told her students that sustained happiness is about a meaningful career that blurs the line between work and play while reminding them to live a life that affirms that you are on this planet to serve, not to be served. As Assistant Principal Francisco Argiz prepared to present the class with their diplomas, Burris brought the ceremony back to a playful and celebratory mood, referencing the Harry Potter books as she praised, You are the house of Gryffindor, not Slytherin.
The students then walked across the stage one by one to receive their diplomas, for some the culmination of 13 years in the Rockville Centre school system. Rachelle Clayborn captured the sense of accomplishment in reaching this milestone as she raised her fist triumphantly in the air after hearing her name called. Some hugged Burris enthusiastically and others waved proudly to family as they crossed symbolically into their futures.
The members of the class of 2003 have many paths ahead of them. Some will be leaving home to attend college in the fall, others will be studying at home, and still others plan to enter the workplace. Many, like Giovanna Altube, who plans to attend Dowling College and eventually become an interpreter for the deaf, will use their talents and experiences to help others.
Despite their many different futures, however, as the students watched a senior video filled with pictures of the many triumphs and friendships of high school, they seemed to echo the sentiments of student government president Liz Piselli. In her closing address, Liz reminded classmates how it is special to grow up in a community where you know all the people you go to school with and often know their families and even what car their parents drive. She told the graduates that they are more than a class. They are a family.
