Naugatuck High School Class of 2014 Graduation

Naugatuck High School is still in the middle of a renovation, so graduation was held on Tuesday evening at Waterbury's Palace Theater for the second year in a row. The Class of 2014, dressed in garnet caps and gowns, filled most of the center orchestra seats after they entered from sides of the grand Palace stage.

Seated on the stage were a large number of dignitaries, including burgesses, Board of Education members, Rep. Rosa Rebimbas and Rep. David Labriola and many NHS teachers in academic dress. The graduation directors were teachers Michelle Russell and George Macary, who worked with Palace Theater staff to make the graduation a success. Some of the high school faculty members gave up their onstage seats to hover near the graduates.

The NHS Concert and Symphonic Bands, minus the senior members of course, played the traditional processional under the direction of Robert Hughes. The Air Force JROTC in full uniform presented the colors. The senior members of the Chamber Singers sang the "Star Spangled Banner" arranged by Bill Moffit  as they were directed by Mahlon Peterson.

NHS Principal Janice Saam gave the opening greeting and thanked all of the above. Mrs. Saam had graciously issued an invitation to all the teachers in the borough schools to attend the graduation. During her remarks, she asked the teachers seated in the audience to stand so that the graduates could applaud them. Linda Salvatore, Gordon Rossi, Robert Trosan and myself had great seats to watch many of our former students mark this academic milestone. Thank you to Mrs. Saam and her staff for including us in the ceremony; I hope to be able to continue to attend graduation even after I retire many years from now.

Salutatorian Yun Chao Chen took to the stage to present his address. This Chen brother reminded us that he had finished in second place (to his brother) and proceeded to give a sometimes serious, sometimes funny speech that included Avatar references that I did not understand, but his classmates clearly did. His comment that what high school graduates do to their parents is "relieve you of your life savings" brought a smile to many in the audience.

Mayor Robert Mezzo opened his address by remarking that the salutatorian was "a tough act to follow." The mayor thanked all the teachers for a job well done with these "confident graduates," but mentioned by name the significant number of educator retiring from the high school this year. He quoted the book "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" and thanked the graduates for the inspiration they are for the future.

Jake Morrissey, who will attend Harvard in the fall, was the class essayist. He spoke of the ups and downs of high school, the wins and the losses, and tripping while walking up the stairs. He called his classmates "a bunch of good people" and reminded them of the gift that their life is.

Board of Education Chair David Heller was asked to present a number of scholarships to the top ten students in the class, but he began by asking for a moment of silence for instructional aide Donna Deitz, who recently passed away and NHS teacher Rebecca Cruz, who is battling pancreatic cancer and was in attendance. He also recognized outgoing Superintendent James Connelly and incoming Superintendent Sharon Locke. He also invited three members of the high school boys swim team, who just so happened to be the highest ranking students in the class, to lead the class in a Naugy cheer.

Assistant Superintendent Christopher Montini attended graduation despite the fact that the due date of his next child coincided with the ceremony. Mr. Montini presented many more seniors with various scholarships. Mrs. Saam reported that at Awards Night over $89,000 in scholarships were given out, bringing the total amount to $110,000. Assistant Principal Eileen Mezzo asked the 100 students that had received a Principal's Award to stand and be recognized.

The valedictory address was given by Yun Yue Chen immediately before the presentation of the diplomas. This young man, who like his brother will attend Dartmouth, apologized immediately for not being as funny as his brother and referred to himself as "an awkward nerd." In what he called his "original" speech, he congratulated his classmates on "conquering high school" and thanked everyone who helped them do so, including the lunch ladies and the security personnel.

Diplomas were presented by Mr. Connelly to the National Honor Society members first, then to the class officers. All told, almost 300 students crossed the stage to shake the hand of the superintendent, grab their diploma and accept the congratulations of their principal. Thomas Pompei, Dean of Students and Athletic Director, and James Leary, Dean of Students, shared the name reading duties and did a commendable job with some difficult pronunciations. These gentlemen also reported what each graduate had planned for the future, whether higher education, the work force or the military.

Special congratulations to my former students Robert Blaskewicz, NHS Band Drum Major Cortney Els, Natalie Garcia, Stephen Hiney, Matthew Jackson, Eagle Scout Eric McNulty, my Schoolhouse Rock costar Alexandria Molligi, NHS Band Drum Major Megan McSweeney, and Chavel Rennalls. Mr. Jackson had the honor of hugging his aunt Mrs. Russell and his mom, burgess Laurie Taf Jackson, on the Palace Stage.

Congratulations to theater friends Alexandra Hernandez, Maple Hill grad and SHR costars Preston Bogan and Evan Toms, Jason Begin, Bailey Anderson, Angela Buckley and Angelena Taccariello. Best wishes to my Cub Scout guys Daniel Capone, Joshua Corbo, Thomas Douty and Thomas Robinson.