Community Is 'Very Proud' Of Fort Lee High School Class Of 2016

What a glorious day: Tuesday, June 29, 2016!! Approximately 241 students were graduated from Fort Lee High School. Everyone was gathered in front of the Fort Lee Community Center. From the moment of arrival, one could view the smiles and the congratulatory atmosphere. Cell phones were hyperventilating from the excessive use, every parent trying to capture as many of the students as possible in order to preserve the memory of this joyous event.

The black and orange caps and gowns flowed, with hand drawn designs on many of the caps. The young ladies laughed and cried, while the young men discussed where to go after the ceremony. A platoon of Fort Lee policemen were there to keep order, sharing in this momentous occasion.

There were some negatives. In order to guarantee a decent seat for the graduation, one had to arrive at least half an hour early, by 5:30 P.M. By the time that the doors were opened at approximate 6:15 P.M., the line looked like Black Friday at a giant Walmart sale. Fortunately, the weather was comfortable, so the suffering was minimized.

2013 was the last time that the FLHS graduation ceremony was held at the Lewis F. Cole Middle School field, which has sufficient room for all the attendees to be seated. That particular scenario was beautiful, with a panorama of students seated on the football field. Outdoor ceremonies are weather dependent, and the speaker systems are imperfect, so the situation is not ideal. From 2014 forward, the graduations have been held indoors. However, in my opinion, an outdoor setting is far superior to the use of a giant sardine can, i.e. the Community Center, for the ceremonies, with one exception. The stream of photos of all the members of the 2016 graduating class gracing the walls of the Fort Lee CC was awesome.

The Fort Lee Community Center was not designed for this type of ceremony, i.e. to accommodate such a large crowd. The Commencement was held in the gym, with seats extending throughout the gym, leaving a center aisle open for the graduates to enter and exit. The entire front seating section was reserved for the graduates, the Fort Lee High School faculty and staff, and Borough Council members. Parents and family members that arrived late were relegated to the far left and far right seating areas, with a number of latecomers seated on bleachers in the rear of the gym. Of course, that does not include the unlucky 150 parents and guests standing against the side walls throughout the entire ceremony.

Board Pres. David Sarnoff’s speech was succinct, efficient and well presented, with his most poignant point being that graduates should remember to “give back” to the community. Superintendent Ken Rota’s presentation was unfortunately “canned”, nothing really unique or memorable incorporated into it. Fort Lee High School Principal Lauren Glynn’s words were clearly heartfelt, demonstrating a strong affinity for the students, having known many of them from her days at the Middle School.

It had been suggested to the Board President on several occasions to recruit a celebrity guest speaker. However, he dismissed it with little enthusiasm. Several Board members appreciated the idea, but it was never seriously considered. Perhaps in the future, the Fort Lee BOE will wake up to the reality that high schools and colleges are actively recruiting celebrity guest speakers throughout the U.S., for the obvious reason that it makes the occasion more memorable for the graduates.

Class President Cameron Seker got the ceremony going with his espousal of the senior class mantra: “It’ll buff out”. The graduating class appreciated the quote, but the parents in the audience may have been a little lost until being enlightened later by the students. Apparently, this phrase refers to the fact that, in the long run, everything will somehow work itself out.

Riela Ann Popp’s Salutatorian dissertation was inspirational, as would be expected. She spoke clearly and enthusiastically, emphasizing a bright future for her peers. But Ivy Xue stole the show. Her Valedictorian speech may have lacked a bit of cohesiveness at times, but she gets a “10” for creativity and originality. Her “cosmic” analysis may have lost a few members of the audience, but for those of us who appreciate uniqueness, a “sugar cube” will never again represent a trivial object that sweetens lemonade.

The march to the podium was the highlight of the evening. The best and the brightest, the star athletes, the future artists, the music majors, the video game mavens, and the drama kings and queens paraded onto the stage to collect their diplomas. One could only admire the amazingly diverse group of students beaming, as they looked forward to a bright and successful future. As each name blared from the speaker, the audience responded with cheers, shouts, and whistles. Finally, the last student’s name was announced; the commencement ceremony was now engraved in the annals of Fort Lee history. Superintendent Ken Rota made it official with his pronouncement of State approval for all graduates. The caps flew into the air at every angle imaginable.

The parade of students exiting the arena was a wondrous sight to behold: parents embracing their kids, students hugging each other, flowers everywhere. Ecstasy permeated the building, inside and out. The exhausting and exhilarating experience of high school was now a remnant of the past. Onward to bigger and better things, the future was waiting!!

Many of us have had the pleasure of watching these kids grow and mature into outstanding young adults. This day could be nothing less than unbelievably spectacular. On a personal level, we are looking forward to our 2nd son matriculating to Wesleyan this fall. This thought is both terrifying and gratifying.

The Community of Fort Lee can be very proud of the Fort Lee High School Graduating Class of 2016.