Every graduation has certain traditions – the throwing of the caps, the awarding of diplomas and the playing of “Pomp and Circumstance.” At their graduation Friday night, Hillsboro-Deering High School’s 96 graduates turned a few of these traditions on their head.
Senior Parker Noyes tossed a pair of aviators he had been wearing for the duration of the ceremony into a crowd of his classmates after receiving his diploma.
Before the traditional “Pomp and Circumstance,” the school band played the “Imperial March” from Star Wars as the teachers walked in. As the students left, instead of being sent off by the traditional graduation song, they walked out to the band’s rendition of Earth, Wind & Fire’s 1978 hit “September.”
And instead of receiving flowers themselves, each student presented flowers to family members and loved ones.
Salutatorian Nicolas Casavecchia said the Hillsboro-Deering community was like a family.
Casavecchia said this family atmosphere helped the class succeed together.
“I hope that you will take pride in our accomplishments together,” he said. “But tomorrow, pivot your view towards new and exciting things in your future.”
Like in any family, Casavecchia said there was a bit of a sibling rivalry between him and his classmates.
“I have never heard of, nor met anyone more capable and more motivated than you, especially Alicia Lester and Gina Costello, they were my fiercest competition for valedictorian and we all know how that turned out,” he said.
Valedictorian Gina Costello, said she fully expected to lose the battle between herself and Casavecchia.
“I hate Nic,” she said. “For twelve years I’ve been waiting for him to get himself together and beat me for valedictorian … but here I am.”
Costello similarly said the senior class was tightly knit.
“We’ve been together for so long that we’re like a giant family,” she said. “We know everything about each other, probably too much, and we seldom get along. When we have, we’ve been able to pull off some amazing things.”
These accomplishments, Costello said, included succesful dances, academic accomplishments, and athletic feats.
“Whether we realize it or not, we made our mark on this school,” she said. “Now we get to pass that legacy down to the underclassmen, let’s hope they can handle it.”
Principal Jim O’Rourke, said the students’ accomplishments were especially remarkable because of the challenges they faced.
“Over the past four years we have thrown many educational challenges at you … asked you adapt to changing curriculum and grading procedures,” he said. “While you have sometimes seemed frustrated, you seem to relish the challenges and this is a testament to your abilities.”
Through these challenges and changes, the school has grown even closer together as a family, English teacher Sara Paquette said.
Sara Paquette, who delivered the commencement address, said one of the graduates, Maggie Atkins, has called her mom since her sophomore year.
Paquette said she was not alone in this familial type of address by students.
“I’ve heard you call Mr. Swasey and Mr. Denslow as your ‘school dad,’” she said. “I love when I hear you refer to Mrs. LaRoche and Ms. Synan as your ‘fun aunts.
Paquette left the graduates with parting words from the Harry Potter novels, a book series from which, she said, you could get any lesson you ever wanted.
“Great mentors can change your life, from your family to your teachers to your coaches,” she said. “Friends are everything, they are the family that we choose, so choose them wisely, now and in the future. Most importantly, heroes come in the most unlikely forms, from the brave to the smart … from the scared to the awkward, everyone is capable of saving the day, of being the light and the change in the world.”