July 03, 2008 08:48 am
—
By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer
MILFORD Milford Central School Superintendent
Peter Livshin told the class of 2008 that
Friday nights graduation ceremony would probably
be the last time the students would all be
together as an entire class.
He told the 45 graduating students, who were
waiting to get their diplomas in the warm, sticky
gymnasium, that although they might see one another
in passing or later on at class reunions, they
would all be going in separate directions and
would be missed dearly by the community.
``In a very brief period of time, life as they know
it will change dramatically and will change in
many ways forever, said Livshin.
It was clear, by the speeches made by a few
members of the graduating class, that although
members of the graduating class will be taking a
leap into the outside world and taking a journey
away from the close-knit town of familiarity, the
community will always have a lasting impact in
each students heart.
Salutatorian Andrea Fournier, who has attended
MCS since she was in kindergarten, said
Milford has provided an extended family that is
rare in most other places.
``This town, this school is all I know of home,
but it is no surprise that the substance of this
place has had a huge impact on my perspective
and therefore my goals, said Fournier.
Although familiarity is hard to avoid, Fournier
said growing up in a small town has given her a
high standard of humanity that she will never
lower. She said she has grown up where compassion
thrives, and that compassion has inspired
her to ask the same of all the others she
might meet.
The community has also revealed
the importance of individual responsibility
that is required to effect change,
according to Fournier. She said she will
continue her fight for human decency
and said she is who she is because of
the community around her.
Manique Talaia-Murray gave the
Senior Address. She weighed her class
up against the ``most wonderful dances
it hosted throughout the years.
``For me, the organization of a nice
wholesome community activity epitomizes
everything this class stands for,
said Talaia-Murray, who is also the
Milford fire queen. ``As we begin our
journey into the great unknown, the
difference of hiring a DJ (disc jockey)
and coordinating the arrangement of
Christmas lights will be nothing compared
to the new challenges to come.
Life in Milford rarely changes from
year to year and the rest of the world
does not stay so stable, said Talaia-
Murray.
``Its the quick flashes of light, of the
strobe light that represent our destinies,
Talaia-Murray said.
Talaia-Murray credits the tightly
knitted net of the community for offering
her and her peers the opportunity
to flourish in an environment that is
open to change, although Milford and
its people pretty much maintain a constant
atmosphere. She said she agrees
with the saying, `` It takes a village to
raise a child, but also said she thinks
the inverse of that statement is true. ``It
takes a child to raise a village, said Talaia-
Murray.
Talaia-Murray said she has spent
most of her life in the small town, and
knows she has become who she is because
of her ``amazing teachers, peers,
and community members. She quoted
High School Musical, and said, ``We
are all in this together.
Class President Scott Seeley said although
there are a limited number of
people in Milford, each individual person
and community member has had
an impact on those graduating and taking
the next step into adulthood. He
thanked members of the community for
sitting through never-ending sporting
events and for attending various shows
and fundraisers the class had ``conned
them into. Seeley said he was particularly
grateful for being able to get away
from snowy Milford for a three-day senior
trip to Florida.
``We have benefited from you greatly
and owe our deepest gratitude. Your
support has been a constant in our lives
and will always be remembered, said
Seeley.
Seeley said many of his classmates
have been counting down the days until
graduation, but said it is hard to disagree
time has flown by. He said what
has been taught in the small town will
never be forgotten.
``Knowing these great people, and
their little town of Milford, makes me
want to go out and explore the rest of
the world to find many others just like
you, he said.
Seeley joked about his class being
referred to as the ``good class. He continued
to entertain those in attendance
by saying it was safe to say nobody in
the class had ever handed in anything
late nor talked back nor skipped class.
Seeley eventually admitted the flaws of
his peers, such as daily gossiping and
note taking in books, and said, ``Deadlines
are like dotted lines, every once in
a while you can pass when necessary.
Valedictorian Morgan Robinson said
many people could say the class of 2008
is like the North Star for the community
and the rest of the school because of
its many involvements.
However, Robinson said while there
are similarities among her classmates,
everyone has their own unique personalities.
She said each person shines his or
her own unique light on the school and
she feels her classmates are very closely
knit and pull together well.
Robinson used herself as an example
and said she mostly contributes to the
school through academics. She said she
is not very athletic, does not speak a
second language fluently, is not confident
in her public speaking abilities,
and is not musically gifted. Robinson
said she dabbled in a variety of new
things over the years, but never mastered
any specific activity.
``I am no single northern star to follow
to find a path to success or even an
important star of a constellation, said
Robison. ``I am nothing but that one
bright light, like all the other stars that
can be easily lost in the night sky.
MCS Principal Ben Badurina said
he sees the class of 2008 as having a
social conscience.
``Since the moment I got to MCS this
class has wanted to effect change, he
said. He said the class, of course, challenged
him when he began his career at
MCS, but they also accepted him warmly.
Talaia-Murray said each of her classmates
will have very different explorations,
and she expects there to be at
least one astronaut or one famous juggler
to come out of the group.
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