MHS Seniors Told To Keep Integrity

Millburn High School administrators had been hoping for a sunny day for graduation, and they got it on Monday as 320 seniors finished their high school careers.

It was a hot afternoon on the football field, but it was a celebratory atmosphere as the Class of 2010 was told to keep their integrity and to follow their passions.

Matthew Bond, class president, in a speech that evoked a number of chuckles and laughs from his classmates and the large crowd in the stands, said there are plenty of reasons not to listen to the advice speakers give graduates.

Every senior has succeeded and failed during high school and made great strides to being better people. The most valuable lesson the seniors learned at Millburn High School was to think as individuals and make indpendent decisions.

"What I am advocating is for you to trust your own beliefs," he said. "Don't let anything compromise them."

The class had a hard lesson last fall when they sat by and let a harmless tradition continue, Bond said, citing the hazing incident that grabbed national headlines. The seniors didn't question it and the result was they were publicly lambasted. He received a Facebook message from a man in Vancouver who criticized him for being silent when he was in a position of power.

But that incident became a defining moment for the class in developing its character, he said. The seniors learned to not act without thinking. The result is the ambassador program where seniors will help guide incoming freshmen in the fall.

The senior class did countless positive things from sports championship runs to raising money, but none will have any significance in 10 years when they attend their reunion. It's their integrity that will have stuck with them.

Schools Supt. Richard Brodow, who is retiring at the end of the month after eight years in his position, received an honorary degree from the class. He told the class in his heart he has always remained a teacher and he leaves his career knowing his dreams and passions are filled. He urged the class to follow their dreams and to find their passions.

"I believe in you, and so does everyone else," he said.

Monday's graduation was the first held at Millburn High School in several years. Previously it had been held at Codey Arena.