Emmaus HS Class of 2012 'Restored Dignity' to Graduation
About 550 Emmaus High School seniors received their diplomas Sunday at Stabler Arena.
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East Penn School Board President Charles Ballard proclaims the Class of 2012 officially graduated at the Emmaus High School 122nd commencement ceremony, held at Stabler Arena on June 10, 2012.
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The Emmaus High School commencement ceremony went off without a hitch, as about 550 seniors received their diplomas at Stabler Arena on June 10, marking the end of their high school careers.
Also attended by members of the class of 1962 in celebration of their 50th anniversary of graduation from the school, family and friends of this year's graduates cheered and applauded politely in support of the Class of 2012.
Graduating senior Lydia Gail Brough was named to the EHS Hall of Fame, an award started in the 2006-07 school year that is granted to a student each year showing exemplary scholarship, leadership, service, volunteerism and “an insatiable thirst for knowledge.” Her portrait, unveiled with the announcement on stage, will hang with past Hall of Fame winners in the school's library.
Various student speakers offered their perspective on the momentous occasion of their commencement as well.
Class president Taylor Leidheiser encouraged his classmates to, “Find something you're passionate about and pursue it with all your heart,” while National Honor Society president Jason Graybill reminisced about his years in school at Emmaus.
Student speakers Paras Kahn and Britt Gilbert also offered their thoughts, with Kahn interposing his with the philosophy of Kahlil Gibran and Gilbert urging fellow Class of 2012 members to seek their dreams and happiness, rather than just money in their future careers.
Additionally, student speaker Alicia Anders represented Lehigh County Technical Institute.
In a break from the usual, graduates were called to the stage alternating last names starting with “A” and “Z”, with the last students to receive their diplomas having surnames in the middle of the alphabet.
After receiving their diplomas, the Class of 2012 was declared officially graduated by East Penn School Board President Charles Ballard.
Additionally -- and in contrast to last year's graduation -- EHS Principal David Piperato noted the politeness and good behavior of graduating seniors and the audience at the end of the ceremony.
“Thank you for bringing dignity back to Emmaus High School,” Piperato said.
Lanya
8:49 am on Monday, June 11, 2012
This was the first year in at least 10 years that there were not inflatable beach balls being bopped around during the ceremony by the students, thanks to all of the security checks and the fact that the teachers were sitting with the student body this year.
Only one family managed to get an airhorn past the bag check (and it was quite obvious who they were when their particular student graduated, so I hope they were just a tiny bit embarrassed that they were the only people who could not follow the rules). And to the girl who pulled out the silly string after the graduation was over - I'm glad you waited until the ceremony was over, but you still looked immature spraying that stuff all over your just-graduated classmates. Oh well.
Overall a very nice job this year, Emmaus - you DID restore dignity to this ceremony and as an alumna, I hope it is a tradition that sticks!
Mariella Savidge
9:37 am on Monday, June 11, 2012
What do you think made the difference this year, Lanya? Why was this year different from last?
Lanya
10:49 am on Monday, June 11, 2012
I was not at last year's ceremony, however I graduated in 2002 and attended my siblings' graduations in 2005 and 2008 as well as yesterday's ceremony.
The big difference this year was that the administration finally cracked down. The school had a student committee to create solutions for how to stop the problem of disrespectful behavior at the ceremony. According to my sister, a member of that committee, many student solutions were used, including the bag inspections and alternating the reading of the graduates' names with brief speeches. They would read 100 names or so, then pause for a speaker. Then another 100 names, then another speaker. It kept the boredom (and therefore the rowdiness) of the crowd at a minimum. Additionally, the administrators decided to seat teachers at each end of each row of students.
Also, a very clear announcement was made before the ceremony began, informing the audience that no disrespectful behavior would be tolerated and the ceremony would stop if people got out of hand. Security guards were visible throughout the arena.
Some people might think it was overkill, but for the parents who actually got to hear their child's name on graduation day this year, it was a wonderful thing.
Mark Spengler
3:16 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
Thanks to the class of 2012 and their families for the wondeful commencement ceremony yesterday. It was an honor to be there.
Diane Krier
4:36 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
I was very Please with the way the Class of 2012 handled themselves... They showed the maturity in how this affair is to be handle.... Unlike the Class of 2011... I am very Proud of all of the graduates....I've attended 2 before this one and must say this was the best by far.... I sure hope future graduating classes follow in this years graduating class footsteps.
Señora Risi
6:52 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012
Yesterday was beautiful. As class co-advisor I was so proud of the graduates who acted maturely and respectfully, their final act that of restoring class to the Class of 2012. It was a great year and they took a lot of hits with rules being changed this year but they rolled with them and had a great Senior Ball, senior picnic, Baccalureate ceremony and graduation. They made us all proud to be their teachers and administrators and they have left their legacy. Thanks guys!
Sra Risi
Karen
9:13 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Who were the Valedictorian and Salutatorian? Why does Paras have a purple stole and why is the honor student in the back wearing a Hawaiian lei?
Mariella Savidge
9:37 am on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
All excellent questions! Readers? Can anybody help us out with the answers?
Andrea
11:35 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
EPSD no longer identifies a Valedictorian or the Salutatorian. The school goes by class rank. Class rank is determined by arranging the GPA's of all students in a graduating class in order from highest to lowest. The rank is reported as a percentile number, e.g. 72nd percentile. In the percentile reporting method, several students will occupy each percentile score, and no distinction will be made among the students in each percentile score. This means that no student will be identified as first, second, fifteenth or seventy-second in the class. I beleive the students on stage make up the high honors students.
Lanya
11:30 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Andrea is right - valedictorians no longer exist. It's not politically correct anymore apparently!
Andrea
11:30 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
I attended the graduations of my two children for the class of 2010 and 2011 and it upsets me as to how the entire class of 2011 were portrayed as undignified based upon a few individuals and their actions. Based upon the information my child had been given, the 2011 class were not informed of how to dismiss after the ceremony. In addition, I was upset with the email I recieved from the prinicipal about the class at graduation the following day. What a shame that the 2011 class was not remembered for giving their undivided attention to all 4 of their speakers, the respect and cheering they shared for their fellow graduate who was brought across the stage in a wheelchair or the classmate on who had on a neck brace and walked across the stage on crutches after having been involved in a horrible car accident just a few weeks ago. The entire class gave him a standing ovation. Funny I don't remember any of that being shared with the public. Also the individual who had the airhorn was not stopped by any of the faculty who sat along the perimeter, I would have thought someone would have tried to intervene. The sad part is, he was only given a 3 day in school suspension. To me that didn't teach him anything about the doing right from wrong, just 3 days to sit. I am sure the maintenance department or the kitchen crew could have used his help. I am glad the school district has finally involved parents and the students to be involved with the planning and strategy of graduation.
Hollywood141
9:52 am on Monday, June 25, 2012
Sounds like Graduation was turned into a police state. I can see wanting order but I think it was overkill. Then they stopped calling the kid's names in order. How would you know when to get your camera ready? I hope by the time my kid graduates they at least call the names in order .
WRVinovskis
7:21 am on Tuesday, June 26, 2012
They did call the names in order. They had two lines going, one on each side of the stage. The first line began A to Z. The second line began Z to A. They called names alternately back-and-forth to keep things moving along. My younger son and I tracked the alphabetical list in the program and tried to guess where among the M's would the final name be called. The honors students on the stage were the only names called out of the regular alphabetical listing. As someone whose initials occur toward the end of the alphabet, I can appreciate the school district's efforts toward a more egalitarian approach to recognizing its graduates.
Andrea
10:29 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012
Due to the size of the class, I don't believe they have called the names in order for a few years. The kids enter from both sides of the stage. which is why they start from both ends of the alphabet.