Red Wolves have their last howl together
Published 2:43 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008
June 15 will forever be etched in the memories of the graduating seniors from Cedarcrest High as the day they left the
protection of the school to face the challenges of the real world.
As they walked down the aisle toward the stage, parents
cheered, friends yelled and grandparents proudly took photos of the
graduates adorned in the gray and maroon caps and gowns.
Following close behind were the teachers and administrators who
spent the last four years with the students and watched as they grew from
insecure freshmen to confident seniors.
And though the 140 graduates might have come from different
elementary schools, hung out with different friends or had different
interests, the one thing they all had in common was that they survived the
last graduation requirement — senior project.
In his speech, keynote speaker Mark Lovre did a parody of
the dreaded task that probably added a few gray hairs to the heads of many
seniors.
“How many of you ever thought about giving a big speech,” he said
in a monotone voice. “Oops, I shouldn’t start with a question.”
“Can I start again?” Lovre asked the audience, mimicking what
some students might have said during the oral presentation portion of the
assignment.
Lovre’s “project” was on the education of students _ how the
teachers labored for years making sure that each student had the opportunity
to learn and achieve their ultimate goal of graduation.
He stressed the importance of this milestone and encouraged the
graduates to reinvent themselves into the people they’ve always wanted to be.
“This is the only chance you’ll get to consciously decide who you
want to be,” he said. “There’s no clean
slate like the one after high school.”
Then, Lovre relayed his last six recommendations to the class of 2000.
• Go away, see as much of the world as possible;
• Meet people who are not like you;
• Try something stupid;
• Keep your mind open, don’t make snap judgments;
• Find the innocence within yourself; and
• Set goals and plan for them, but be open to change.
Valedictorian David Li also imparted words of wisdom to his
fellow classmates. Li explained that he nixed his first speech because it was
filled with too many clichés. So he decided instead to tell everyone what he
did on his big day.
Li said that he woke up that morning and took extra care in brushing
his teeth because he could see that some cavities were forming. Then, he
went to McDonald’s and ate pancakes with a friend who suggested that he
should have ordered an Egg McMuffin. Li returned home later that day and
wanted to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but the jar lids were too
tight. Luckily, his mother was there to help him get them open.
The offbeat account of Li’s day had a purpose, however. He said
the tooth brushing symbolizes the need to stay focused in order to achieve
your goals. Regarding his friend’s breakfast suggestion, Li said it’s important
to take control and live your own life. And when his mother opened the
jar, it was a reminder that you should allow those who love you to help
in times of need, he said.
“Today is the day we move forward to our bright tomorrows,” Li
concluded.
Then Nicole Morck, Jarod Martin, Josh Trick, Mitch Higgins,
Natalie Hendricks, Katie Power, Jessica Luce, Charlie Shisler and Shannon
Stewart performed their version of the song titled “Graduation.”
“As we go on we remember all the times we had together,” they sang.
“As our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.”
