Good evening and welcome to the
commencement exercises for Springfield
Township High School's class of 2019. My
name is Chuck Rittenhouse and I'm the
very proud principal of our wonderful
high school. At this time I ask that all
students, faculty, and guests please
remain standing or stand for our
national anthem which will be sung by
our combined choirs. Gentlemen please
remove your caps there is a flag both
here on the stage and above the clubhouse.
Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
and the home of the brave?
Please be seated.
Thank you to our combined choirs for
such a rousing rendition of the
star-spangled banner. Members of this
board of school directors, Dr. Hacker
administrators faculty staff all guests
and especially our students, it's once
again my pleasure to welcome you to our
2019 commencement exercises. At this time
it gives me great pleasure to welcome
you to our, to
introduce our first student speaker, the
president of the class of 2019 Dean Hanlon. (Applause)
Before I begin I want to thank
all the teachers administrators and of
course my fellow classmates. Each of you
provided me with the opportunity to
serve not only as your class president,
but as a student at Springfield Township
High School. You've all had a tremendous
impact on my life and I cannot thank you
enough. Standing before each of you I was
asked to answer the simple question what
makes a Springfield student? Although I
could respond in my own way from
personal experiences and opinions, I
wanted to shape my answer in a way
reflective of all of you. We're all
unified in very clear ways, but we are also
very different. In the most explicit ways
we are unified simply because we are
students. We are unified because we are
in a similar place and are all looking
to take the next step in our lives.
Whether this step be college, the
workforce, the military or a gap year, we
are all attempting to move forward and
make our own unique impact on the world.
There are the more obvious similarities
each student in Springfield shares. Many
of us are athletes, performers, artists or
activists. We enjoy spending time with
friends, count down the days until the
next summer, and cannot be more happy
when we hear Dr. Hacker's poem declaring
a snow day. But despite all of these
obvious similarities, the greatest
quality of a Springfield student is our
differences. In our class we are very
passionate. we each have our own
identities and ideas about who we are
and who we want to become. But in spite
of all of our different passions
we have always accepted each other. While
we hang out with different people and
pursue different interests, a Springfield
student is never afraid to dare greatly.
Whether it be voicing our opinions,
raising money for charity, playing a
sport, competing in robotics or painting
the next masterpiece,
these small examples merely force out of
the brilliant things that this class
will achieve. The other day I was
flipping through old pictures of my time
at Springfield and I came across the
class picture taken at the end of fifth
grade. At the same time I was thinking
about this speech wondering what trait
we all could possibly share and how I
could just explain it in just a few
short minutes. Since kindergarten, even
since the fifth grade each of us have
been forming our own identities. We
discover new opinions change our
appearances and we find passions that
are unique to us. However these
differences make each of us who we are
and they teach us to work together. We
stand as one during sports games and are
by far the loudest student section no
matter the score. We collaborate on
projects and build off of one another in
discussion. We might spend our entire
launch period debating who the real G.O.A.T.
is, Jordan or LeBron, or even our own
political opinions, but a Springfield
student well unique always finds a way
to see the other side and to work
together. Each student in this class and
in this school is very different, each
with their own set of strengths and
weaknesses, but what makes a Springfield
student is our ability to grow together.
But despite all of these differences and
the inevitable movement apart into our
own identities, we move closer together
because above all a Springfield student
is part of a community. While I've known
most of you since our first color day
and daily nap times, those who are new
also feel like old friends. I cannot
imagine the amazing things that the
Springfield class of 2019 will do - the
places we'll visit, the people we'll meet
and the experiences will have, but one
thing is certain. Wherever you find
yourself in your ups your downs and even
your in-betweens you are always a
Spartan and we are family. Good luck and
congratulations to the Springfield class
of 2019. (Applause)
Thank You and congratulations Dean. Our next
student speaker Emily Walsh is the
salutatorian of the class of 2019.
(Applause)
Hello everyone and congratulations to the
Springfield Township high school class
of 2019. It is truly an honor to be
graduating among such an extraordinary
class. There is much we have accomplished
over our four years here that we should
be very proud of. Some say that our
generation is the first generation to
not be as successful as our parents, but
how do we measure success? Is it by our
bank statements or can we measure
success in more intangible ways? We are a
class of doers. We are a class of
innovators. We are a class of
compassionate leaders. Although these
things can't be measured by numbers
their impact will be our legacy. We have
taken the idea of inclusivity and spread
it throughout our school. I'm proud to
say that we have succeeded in making
each and every individual feel as they
are an important part of this community.
We have supported and been active in
movements such as Unified track and
Unified gym classes. This is where those
who may have varied needs from us can
feel just as a part of something as we
are. We've been able to understand that
although the life of someone else may
not look similar to ours, we can
still appreciate and accept how they
choose to live and communicate. Can this
be measured with the monetary value? No.
But it makes us better human beings and
to me, that is success. Our class has
continued to make an impact in our
school and community through our
involvement and spirit. We are lucky to
have a school with countless diverse
clubs and activities that our class has
taken full advantage of. We have people
ranging from performers athletes artists
filmmakers debaters service members
musicians, academic
leaders and the list could go on and on.
None of these can guarantee us a high
paycheck that we can say we earned, but
they are what define us as people and
give us the values to make us successful
in the future. We can also sit back and
reflect on all of the accomplishments we
have made as the class that shaped us as
people. It is both a blessing and a curse
to have grown up together since Erdenheim and Enfield  combined in fourth grade.
We may have gotten a little sick of each
other over these nine years but it did
give us a lot of time to grow as a
family. We've seen our fair share of
stress and pain disappointments on the
athletic field undesirable test grades
balancing work school sports and clubs
the stress of college applications and
so on but through all that we have
shared times of glory. We've had two
teams become district champions. Theater
performances sent to Nebraska. Artists
become award winners, thousands of
dollars raised for various charities and
organizations, and we have united in
times of grievance when our very own
Nick Bond and Colin Delaney passed. Over
the years we contributed to the spirit
and inclusiveness that defines
Springfield and us the class of 2019.
Together what defines us is what we have
done to make each student in our school
feel appreciated and accepted while
continuing to be passionate learners
wherever we are.
This may not bring us the net worth we
all expect to gain as we continue on in
the future, but it will make us
successful in leading great lives and
making a difference in the world. Thus
our generation will be as successful as
our parents if not more. Again I'd like
to congratulate the Springfield Township
high school class of 2019 on finally
being done. I wish you all the best
wherever you may be headed next year.
Thank you. (applause)
Thank you and congratulations Emily. our
next student speaker, Charlie Beall is the
valedictorian of the class of 2019.
(applause)
Gee, it's been a wild ride.
We all started kindergarten around 2006
and thirteen happy, sad, fun, boring, easy,
hard years have passed. These years are
fresh in our memory now but our lives
will for the most part diverge as we
seek new endeavors. When we're all old
these now salient years will only make
up a small fraction of our existence.
I've been immensely fortunate to spend
some of my existence here with all of
you. Through these 13 years I've been
part of a school community that gave us
the chance to learn grow and meet many
great people. Yet despite all the changes
over the years
there's been one concept that's
continued to transfix me. When I went to
kindergarten I was obsessed with Star
Wars to the point where I thought the
prequels were actually good movies. What
particularly interested me was the force -
an invisible entity that binds
everything together and that can be used
to do almost anything. In high school I
realized there was only one way to stay
true to this interest and that was by
studying physics. I quickly learned that
an ultimate force is the stuff of
fiction and there are instead several
different types of forces that we
experience. These forces were
disconcerting to me. I didn't like the
idea that there's something called
gravity that always pulls us down or
something called friction that resists
motion or something called tension that
is slack sometimes but gets taut as soon
as we try to push too hard.
And unfortunately we all inevitably
experience the effects of these negative
forces. No matter where we go in life
there will always be something pulling
us down, hindering our forward progress
or causing tension. It's difficult now to
balance these forces and it will always
be difficult. Thankfully these forces
aren't the only ones out there. I later
learned there's something called the
electric force which binds together
atoms and molecules the bedrock of our
existence. And something called the weak
force which in spite of its name allows
the Sun to shine. And something called
the strong force also within atoms that
increases in strength if another force
tries to counteract it. These forces are
all much more powerful than any of the
external forces from before. So wherever
we go in life there will always be these
positive internal forces keeping us
together in a subtle but stalwart way
even if the negative external forces try
to tear us apart. Furthermore I cannot
think of a person in this class who
doesn't have a passion for something. For
each of us there was a curiosity that
set this passion in motion. To pursue it
we explored and analyzed what we
discovered. We essentially perform the
scientific method of observation
experimentation and reflection. Granted
many of us may see the teaching of this
method as redundant, since we were forced
to learn about it at least five times.
But this method with this method
humankind has uncovered the most
profound truths and scientific laws that
define our reality. So I may not know how
to best deal with all the intimidating
forces in life, and you might think you
don't know either. Yet if you continue to
explore the world, if you continue to
learn by putting your own method in
practice, those forces may not seem so
formidable after all. It'll likely take
more than a simple formula but seeking
out harder problems and bigger
challenges as we've done at Springfield
will give us new strategies and insights
on overcoming life's misadventures. And
with this our lives will surely feel
fulfilling and exciting. I'll leave you
with two quotes. The first is from a
philosopher who lived long before
physics got its start Lao Zhu. He said, "mastering others is strength, mastering
yourself is true power." And for the
second so as not to risk copyright
infringement, I'll say may all the forces
be with you. Thank you. (Applause)
Thank you and congratulations Charlie. It is now my
distinct pleasure to introduce Dr. Nancy
Hacker, superintendent of the School
District of Springfield Township. On
behalf the entire high school community
I'd like to publicly thank and
acknowledge your support, leadership and
guidance during the school year. Please
welcome Dr. Nancy Hacker. (Applause)
Thank you
Dr. Rittenhouse. One year you're going
to give me the honor of allowing me to
speak first so that I don't have the
difficult task of following these
wonderful students speakers. Good evening
and welcome to all of you to this year's
graduation ceremonies for the wonderful
class of 2019. To the parents and the
families of our graduates I congratulate
you and I salute you for your
involvement and commitment to the
education of your children. Graduates
would you please take a moment to join
with me in recognizing the hard work and
efforts that your families have put
forth on your behalf.(Applause)
I would also like to welcome our honored
guests Commissioner Maxwell from
Springfield Township, the members of our
board of school directors, administrators
faculty and staff who've chosen to be
here this evening to celebrate this
wonderful event. I have a very unique
opportunity here knowing that you are a
captive audience and I'm speaking to the
graduates. Without pockets in your gowns
I assume you're not carrying your cell
phones and that for one brief moment in
time you are offline and obligated to at
least pretend to listen to me. More so
than any other time in history you as
students are bombarded on a daily basis
by information that comes to you via
social media and of course, your cell phone.
Texts, Tweets, Instagram, Facebook posts, Snapchat, LinkedIn posting,
instant messages, how else do you spread message about the bear in the community?
Messages instantaneous as are
the responses to it. Young people now
have ways to communicate with one
another that were unimaginable when we,
your parents and many of your teachers
were in school. The ability to locate and
retrieve information at your fingertips
is a powerful tool. Think of it - in the
days before cellphones we use something
called a rotary phone to call someone.
And I'm not sure if you didn't see the
show Bye Bye Birdie or you weren't in it
that you even know what a rotary phone
is. We had to find a payphone if we
needed to call someone if we were out
somewhere and by the way that meant you
had to have real money on hand in order
to use it. You needed a map to go
anywhere in your car that you didn't
know how to get to. There was no such
thing as an app called Google Maps, no
MapQuest,
no Waze. Clothing was only bought in
stores and online shopping with the
wonderful ability to do instant
comparison pricing did not exist. Amazon?
That was the name of the South American
River. Not a company that could deliver
virtually anything you could ever
imagine that you wanted or needed right
to your doorstep within 24 hours. Need
information? Google it in an instant. No
need to go to the library to look it up
in a reference book as my generation did
in something called the Encyclopedia
Britannica. So this year in order to help
us older folks understand you and your
generation a bit better, many of us in
the district especially in the high
school read a book by Jean Twenge, a
personality psychologist at
San Diego State University. Twenge wrote a
best-selling book entitled iGen: why
today's super connected kids are growing
up less rebellious, more tolerant, less
happy, and completely unprepared for
adulthood. The book not only addresses
how the everyday pace of life and
communication has become so much faster,
but also how you has a super connected
generation known as the iGen, differ from
previous generations. Twenge argues that
with the advantages of instantaneous
information and communication, come many
pitfalls as well. The addictiveness of
being connected can result in cravings
for attention adulation or affirmation
of who you are. In an instant a message
can be posted tweeted or sent which can
cause devastating harm to someone's
self-esteem integrity or reputation. The
result of upset emotion or even a
momentary lack of judgment can wreak
havoc and have critical consequences.
Behind the screen it is far easier to
engage to insult to intimidate to
complain to criticize. Statistics show
that your generation is experiencing
more unhappiness, loneliness depression
and feelings of inadequacy and it is
believed that this may primarily be a
result of a lack of face-to-face social
interaction.
Perhaps most critical is that with the
ease of messaging via technology, coupled
with the ever-present desire and
curiosity to see what everyone else is
saying, the art of conversation becomes
lost. The ability to engage in meaningful
dialogue, one on one in person, means you have to be
informed. You have to learn how to think
on your feet. And you can't depend on an
opportunity to look something up or
think too long about a response before
you reply. More importantly conversation
means you must look someone in the eye
and your facial and bodily expressions
are evident. This forces you to learn the
social skill and the art of engaging in
respectful dialogue to really listen to
another individual and to learn to value
opposing perspectives, an art
increasingly and unfortunately becoming
lost. Taking the time to engage in civil
discourse means taking the opportunity
to talk out issues and concerns. Each
person has the chance to speak. Each side
has the chance to listen. With the
opportunity for reasonable discussion
born out of a desire to learn and
understand. Former President Barack Obama
once famously said, "I believe that if we
stop talking at one another and start
talking with one another we can get a
lot done." So my purpose here today is
really not to ask you to give up your
cell phones, but instead hopefully to
inspire you as you move forward to the
next stage of your lives beyond high
school, to inform your beliefs and views
before instantaneously hitting send.
Acknowledge that there are, and will
likely always be, alternative views that
do not align with yours. Learn to listen
to them with an open mind. Learn that you
and others can view the world very
differently without becoming personal
enemies and without rancor or criticism.
Television journalist Ted Koppel perhaps
phrased it best by saying, quote: "aspire
to decency. Practice civility towards one
another. Admire and emulate ethical
behavior wherever you find it. Apply a
rigid standard of morality to your
lives.
And if periodically you fail as you
surely will, adjust your lives, not the
standards." Graduates, as you transition
from this stage of your lives to the
next, find meaning and the ability to
communicate with one another.
Periodically put down the phone. And
revel in the simple joy of seeing a
smile in response to something you've
said. Remember that both the Roman
philosopher Cicero and William
Shakespeare were purported to have said
and I quote that the eyes are the window
into your soul but if you don't look up
into someone's face you'll miss that
opportunity. So to the class of 2019 I
encourage you at least momentarily look
up from your phones and open those
windows into the souls of others. I wish
you the best of luck and congratulations
on your accomplishments and on your
graduation. Thank you. (Applause)
Thank you Dr. Hacker. Students, as a
senior class you've had such an
extraordinary school year including:
acceptances to outstanding colleges,
universities, trade schools, branches of
the US military, or pursuing a job in a
field of interest. The National
Association of Music Merchants named our
district as one of the top school
districts again in music education in the
entire country. 18 varsity teams
participated in postseason competition.
Dozens of our student athletes achieve
League, state, and national recognition
including a suburban one championship
in boys lacrosse and a district
championship in baseball and swim medals
at the PIAA state championships. Fifteen
Spartan student-athletes are
participating in collegiate sports next
year, an astounding number. Springfield
was designated again this year is one of
the most challenging high schools in
America by the Washington Post.
Our musicians and artists achieve local
district state and national honors and
recognition and will continue to do so
at the collegiate or next level.
Outstanding AP scores and level of
participation including outstanding SAT
scores and achievement in National Merit
Scholarship Program. At the senior award
ceremony yesterday we distributed 85
academic and athletic awards totaling
more than sixteen thousand dollars.
Twenty one of our outstanding seniors
attended the Eastern Center for Arts and
Technology with some of our students
achieving perfect attendance, student of
the month, and dozen of other local, state,
and national awards. We had a lot of new
programs this year including our Unified
Sports program. Entertaining plays and
concerts. 11 students graduating tonight
have parents who work on our outstanding
school district. 6, yes 6, exchange
students from Italy, we will miss you and
we welcome many of their parents this
evening who flew here for this ceremony.
And a safe and fun school year perhaps
most importantly.
I'd also like to thank the MIP
foundation and two anonymous donors who
saluted our graduates at the dozen of
pink flamingos you see around campus
this evening and the awesome notes was
great to see that on our campus today.
I'd also like to acknowledge that one of
our staff members will be retiring next
week and I asked her to stand at this
time and I think she's probably standing
she's down there working at the
concession stand, instructional aide Deb
Berger we thank her for her 24 amazing
years of dedicated service, thank you
very much. Each year students at
Springfield are given the opportunity
select a faculty commencement speaker.
This year the students selected Mr. Matt
Taylor. Mr. Taylor has been a social
studies teacher at the high school for
four years. Students and guests please
welcome your selection for faculty
speaker, Mr. Matt Taylor. (Applause)
Thank you.
Dr. Hacker, Dr. Yannacone, members of the
administration and school board, faculty,
family friends, and most importantly the
class of 2019, thank you for allowing me
this opportunity to share in this
wonderful celebration on this beautiful
late spring evening. I can only assume
that I was asked to speak by the class
of 2019 as some sort of well-thought-out
maniacal plan to perform perhaps the
greatest senior prank in the history of
secondary education. Now the beauty of
this plan of course is its simplicity - 
give a fool of microphone, a captive
audience, sit back and watch the hilarity
unfold. There ought to be Benny Hill
theme music playing in the background. I
think I've just dated myself a little
bit that's okay. And if this master plan
of yours all hinged on selecting a fool
well you certainly got the right man for
the job
and I'll do my best not to let you down.
On this date June 12th 1935, Senator Huey
Long from Louisiana gave the longest
speech in the history of the US Senate.
Not quite 16 hours
and a staggering 150,000 words. Now leave
it to a politician to find a way to
waste yet another thing that belongs to
the people our time. But don't worry I've
no plan to break any long-winded speech
records here tonight and I fully
anticipate that we should be getting out
of here around midnight or so. Now it's
been over 22 years since I graduated
high school and honestly I really don't
remember very much about that day. You
see I wasn't the intellectual dynamo you
see standing before you this evening.
back in the discman and Starter jacket
days, even had a sweet Nike earring, and
in fact some would have even described
me as a self-proclaimed know-it-all and
a knucklehead and that's if they were
being kind. So class of 2019 as I
prepared this address I couldn't help
but return over and over again to the
essential question just how on earth did
it come to be that we all arrived here
this evening. A Springfield Township
residents some of us born and raised as
transfer students new to the district
and is international foreign exchange
students from many parts of the world.
All of you polished accomplished and
purposeful. And me a guy from Northeast
Philadelphia who at your age and a few
more than I would like to lead on was
the embodiment of attitude
hardheadedness ready to fight at a
moment's notice and in many ways the
poster child for Billy Joel's 1976 hit
song an angry young man. I hope I've
grown a little, but not too much, and
after considerable reflection and
soul-searching I came to realize that
our journey and mine in particular to
this evening was made possible by a lion's share of a character trait
that is frequently viewed in negative
connotation - stubbornness. I'm sure you're
all shocked to learn that I'm stubborn.
But I know who isn't - some of my
department members in the history
department over there and the rest of
the faculty and some of the
administrators sitting behind me.
Now class of 19 you unwittingly endorsed
this character trait, and we'll get back to
that in a minute.
But before we extol the benefits of
living in stubborn X excuse me a
stubborn existence, a short trip down
memory lane is an order. Upon arriving in
the fall of 2015 we all had a lot to
learn about our new surroundings, you and
me alike. I was as new here as you were.
We grew together we learned to lay,
excuse me lay of the land and in our
first year I even had the opportunity to
teach a section of freshman honors world
history. Some of you were in that class
and I am sorry. Although the first year
provided me with only a limited exposure
to the class of 2019 as a whole, I was
very impressed with your capabilities
and willingness to apply constructive
criticism, take academic risks and learn
to be comfortable being uncomfortable. As
sophomores that's when we really got to
know each other
and by my calculations, and mind you my
experience is history not statistics, I've
had the privilege of teaching
eighty-three percent of the class of
2019 at least once. So get you some of
that. And for those of you that didn't
have the misfortune of experiencing the
endless barrage of Taylor-isms consider
yourself lucky.
However the unofficial poll of the class
of 2019 claim that brotherman, Kemosabe,
an enthusiastic "boom" every now and again
are my personal favorites and I stand
guilty before you. Now as you entered
your junior year our relationship only
grew stronger. We both matured into our
roles here at STHS. You began that
most critical of academic years and at
times the pressures of it all seemed to
get the best of you. That year you
honored me again by asking me to speak
at junior day. It was a privilege to work
with the organizers of that event both
during the planning and execution and I
was amazed by how far you all had come
in such a short period of time. It really
was a coming-of-age moment for you and
it allowed me the opportunity to begin
to reflect upon what exactly was
happening between us.
It was only in creating the speech that
I became fully aware that in teaching
you I was able to see the potential that
existed for me those many years ago but
was only fulfilled through life
experience. I had to learn the lessons of
perspective purpose leadership service
humility dignity and gratitude my way
through the greatest Thresher and an
equaliser of all-time, life.
There was no handbook no blueprint for
me to follow. I had to walk my own path, made
my own choices my own mistakes earn my
own scars, and with apologies to Robert
Frost that certainly made all the
difference for me. Without knowing it,
I accidentally stumbled into the perfect
storm of life's circumstances that gave
me the confidence to do things using
something called qualitative distinction.
Essentially this means that what we do
and how we do it and why we do it has
passed a stringent evaluation that's
been selected as the best option
available for that individual person at
that specific time. It also means that
I'm far more comfortable making a value
judgment or digging my heels in or
standing my ground on issues I believe
in than I would have been without those
experiences. Yeah I know just a
long-winded overeducated way of saying
I'm stubborn I know. Now while these seem
like interesting personal and
ideological factoids, the connection to
our relationship and journey to this
evening is striking. I witnessed your
initial astonishment with the candor and
direct nature of our classroom
procedures structure and methods of
communication but with time came
appreciation and clarity and as you were
entering your senior year I had grown to
embrace the pursuit of establishing your
own benchmarks of value, your own
standards by which you measure your
actions and reactions throughout your
life. Furthermore I learned through your
feedback, your support, your thank-you
notes and even your gifts, that what I
did always thought was just my way of
thinking or acting is actually the
bedrock of establishing a purpose in
life. Little did we know that being
stubborn may actually lead to an ethos.
Now educators often talk about a hidden
curriculum, those lessons that are being
taught without intention. And what I've come
to learn is that those lessons are all
the more meaningful in our modern
society when convenience has replaced
quality entitlement has replaced
gratitude narcissism has become a virtue
and where seeking consensus is confused
for leadership. The only way those hidden
lessons can actually be manifested is if
we believe in something, if we stand for
something, but we must do it from a place
of authenticity and instinct in fact it
can't be a conscious decision at all
otherwise the lessons aren't hidden and
they simply become another opinion or
perspective rather than a living
breathing example. Theodore Roosevelt
said that my success so far has only
been won by absolute indifference to my
future career. Now that's a man who truly
understands the meaning and value of
qualitative distinction and being
stubborn. being stubbon's not the same as
being closed-minded - it means that you
have considered the choices, evaluated
the variables and made the decision. Of
course the world is full of those who
don't bother to fully evaluate their
position prior to drawing a hard line,
but I will warn you that those people
make good pawns and they're easily
manipulated. Internet trolls love those
people. I always believed that the
purpose of Education was to learn to
think for yourself, and what can be a
better model for developing that skill
than being accountable for the choice
you make after doing so, See it takes
stubbornness to hold an ideological line
against provocation. Stubbornness to
pursue your life's work for the right
reasons. Stubbornness to develop honest
and meaningful relationships in your
personal life. Stubbornness to choose
your attitude and outlook, victim or hero
taker or giver, fearful or confident,
jealous or appreciative. For those who
still doubt the power of a stubborn
existence, you don't think it took
stubbornness for Lincoln to fail the bar
exam seven times and lose eight
elections and not quit? For Marines to
fight for five weeks over a tiny
speck of an island off the coast of
Japan called Iwo Jima? For Jackie
Robinson and Harry Aaron
to persevere is african-american
baseball players during the civil rights
era? For countless musicians like
Kendrick Lamar to lock themselves into
the studio for days, weeks, or even months
at a time bowing to not leave until they
have an album made? Or for Anne Frank to
go the extraordinary length she did to
write her diary, which by the way she
received as a birthday gift on this date
in 1942. Of course it does. Of course it
does and ironically enough, stubbornness
isn't to be avoided.It should actually be
embraced as the only way to accomplish
what was once a dream. You can't stand
for anything if you're willing to
compromise for everything. Frequently
throughout your life you have been and
will continue to be pressured to conform
to somebody else's standard of behavior
or way of thinking. Be stubborn in the
face of that. Resist the urge to conform
without thinking of acting without
believing of telling without seeing. That
doesn't mean that you should fear
mistakes in the defense of your beliefs.
Make them, but darn it make your own
mistakes, not somebody else's and own up
to them when you do and be genuine when
you seek forgiveness. But when that
moment comes bear witness to your
beliefs and take pride in knowing that
anything worth having is worth defending.
And perhaps Ben Franklin said it best
when he said well done is better than
well said. If in some small way I could
have been a living example of Mr.
Franklin's belief over the past four
years, even if by accident, I'm proud to
have done so. A lot has been made of my
reference of using Kemosabe in class
and if I answered this question once I
answered it a thousand times. It means
that I'm a trusted friend - Kemosabe means
trusted caring friend.
Well, you have one in me, and you have one
in me forever. Tonight's not the end of
anything, but rather the beginning of
everything. Stubbornly and relentlessly
pursue your dreams and live your life. I
wish you the best of luck in all you do.
Thank you, congratulations and for one
last time let's clap it up for the class
of 2019.
Thank you.  (Applause)
Thank You Mr. Taylor. At this time the Springfield Township High School combined choirs and bands will
play the selection "Overcome" By Bill
Locklear.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome
We shall overcome, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.
We''ll walk hand in hand, we'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We'll walk hand in hand, some day.
We shall overcome, we shall overcome
We shall overcome, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe,
We shall overcome, some day.
(Applause)
Thank You Mr. Gottesman, Mr. Puntel, and all of our talented musicians for singing and
playing this evening. Can we have another
big round of applause for our talented students?
(Applause)
Dr. Hacker, Superintendent of Schools, Dr.
Taratuski, President of the School
District of Springfield Township Board
of Directors, on behalf of Springfield
Township High School faculty and
administration, it is my honor and
privilege to certify to you that these
members of the Springfield Township High
School class of 2019 have met all
graduation requirements established by
the Pennsylvania Department of Education
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and
by the School District of Springfield
Township Board of Directors and are
eligible to receive their high school
diplomas this evening. Dr. Hacker. (Applause)
Dr. Rittenhouse, therefore based upon your
certification, and I believe you, the
students seated before me and behind me
are therefore eligible to receive their
diplomas momentarily and is my privilege
and honor to present them for receipt of
those diplomas to the board of school
directors of the School District of
Springfield Township, Dr. Taratuski.
We will now begin awarding diplomas for the
class of 2019. As this is a formal
ceremony I respectfully request that our
guests refrain from the use of
noisemaker horns or other distractions.
Please keep in mind that each student
deserves to have his or her name her
during the ceremony. Will the students in
the first row please stand at this time.
Grace Jean Alderman
Eric Daniel Archinow
Joshua Asher
Paul James Asman
Ross Eric Cobert Baer
Jayden Howard Barnes
Grace Ann Barraclough
Charles Stephen Beall
George Willard Beall
Katelyn May Bennett
Amanda Lindsey Blackton
Tyler Jagger Borowiec
Kaya Zanayah Brady
Daria Joy Brandt-Moses
Lily Brandt-Moses
Amanda Rachel Brown
Julian Anthony Brown
Kyler John Brunner
Alexander Burick-Moheb
Shawn Bryant Burrell Jr.
Bashir Earl Bynum-Bryant
Jaden Cayla Callands
Tommaso Aldo Enrico Capra
Kevin Douglas Case
Andrew Cavanaugh 
Benjamin Josiah Chapman
Johnny Choe
Ryan Robert Chybinski
Damian Paul Cirelli
Noah Irving Cohen
Andrew Joseph Congdon 
Emily Anne Cooney
Nicholas Joseph Cope
Sophia Aubrey Copeland
Zachary William Coppol 
Sean Patrick Cornely
Samantha Costello
Caira Maureen Cox
Jayla Emerald Crawford
Alyssa Regina Croumbley
Caedmon MacGuire Curry 
Jeffrey Miles Kutcher
John Edward Dailey
Morgan D'Amico
Adreyannah Monique Davis 
Dylan Bryce Davis
Isiah Giovanni DeJesus
Charlotte Frith deKerillis
Olivia Tracey DePaul
Juliana Mae DiCesare
Mason Samuel Dickens
Elijah Dixon
Max Thomas Doll
Dillon Francis Donnelly
Christian Patrick Donohue
Kris Dubbini
Justin Ashton-Lee Dunbar
Zechariah Benjamin Edmonds
Morgan Evans 
Michael William Ewing
Caitlin Rose Flynn
Ethan Russell Ford 
Jacob Freedman
Rylee Rose Gallagher
Gabrielle Rae Gaskin 
Juliana Therese Gaul
Beatrice Giola 
Maxine Gongon
Caroline Hart Gozzard
Joshua William Groover
Collin Matthew Guckin
Warmes Maxwell Haynes
Dean Henry Hanlon
Sydney Francis Hannings
Knoll Hartner
Joshua Michael Hatch
Kyra Erin Haugh
Chase Lannon Heppard
Davis Robert Hinds
Taylor Alexis Hodge
Caroline Horn
Molly Elinor Hynes
Tommaso Remo Iacovone
Samantha Ann Irvin 
Pryce Michael Jamison
Hannah Marrie Jannamon
Dior Lauryn Johnson
Shareef Ali Jones 
Julie Marie Kelly
Connor Gregory Kendrick
Kevin Francis Keown
Alexis Gabrielle Kingcade
Benjamin Knox 
Wilson Kelley Krewson
Justin Lee
 Andrew Thomas Lieberman
Shawn Patrick Lips 
Austin Tyler Little
Jada Florence Logan
Ashleigh Lauren Lowman
Derek Ryan Mancke
Dylan Thomas Mancke
James Zackary Mascaro
Mitchell Ryan McCann
Kathryn Paige McCullough
Andrew Patrick McHale
Meghan Elizabeth McKelvie
Joseph William McLaughlin 
Cole Albert Meadows
Jack Daniel Meder
Dre Nittany Meyers
Cassandra Marie Mirarchi
Jasear Mitchell
Kaitlin Teresa Moyer
Brian Miles Murphy
Thomas Joseph Nadolski 
Ian Cassidy Nash
Jason Ryan Needhammer
Daniel Neifert
Meghan Marie Nelson
Dominick Charles  Niemira
Siobhan Erin Nolan
Joseph William Nypower
Griffin Scott Olsen-Allen
Michael Jack O'Malley
Veronica Gloria Panara
Imani Elise Parker
Dalton Patrick Patterson
Jordan Joseph Pauls 
Maxwell Hamilton Perry
Sophia Michelle Perry 
Sarah Virginia Potocki
Edward Joseph Pratt
Carolyn Kelly Price
Kirtland Raphael
Anna Caitlin Rebeck 
Devon James Reid
Benjamin Ford Rittenhouse
Andrew Roberts
Scott Oriel Rochman
Lily Constable Rodger 
Emily Katherine Rodriguez
Troy Francis Rumer
Annie Isabelle Ryan
Shelby Ryder
Wendell Sanders jr.
Leor Saunders
Alice Schillaci
Matthew Lewis Schmidt
Collin Ray Schmitt 
David Patrick Scott
Delaney Alexandra Scutti
Hannah Nicole Sebenick
Sullivan Alexander Shackleford 
Emmett Liam Shanks
Caroline Joan Shelly
Kyle King Smith
Melanie Sage Sophy Smith
Tyler Davis Solomon
Samuel Vincent Steele 
Carter Evans Stepney
Sam Warren Stine
Blake Thomas Stoudt
Ellis Anna Strutton
Grace Meredith Talbot
Scott Patrick Tisoskey
Travis Tolbert
Elena Toscano
Jacob Trader
Chakubuta Tuhenya
Brianna Elise Twyman
Emily Alexandre Walsh
DeJaun Eugene Waters
Adam Joseph Weissman
Brandon Avery West
Sarah Rose Wexler
 Reina Kimberly Wiley
Imani Kiera Williams 
Ryan Christopher Williams
Tyra Williams 
Ryan Dalton Wilsback
Jeffry David Wiskoski
Julian Mohamed Woods
Annalyse Elizabeth Grace Woron
Samantha Deaver Wynne
Veronica Mary Yeakel
Myzerra Kelly Zanni
Amy Zou
(Applause)
May we all please give the newly-minted
class of 2019 another round of applause.
Before we close I'd like to thank the
many individuals involved in making
tonight's ceremony possible. The entire
board of school directors, central
administrative staff the senior class
officers Dean Hanlon president, Max Perry
vice president, Sarah Potocki secretary, 
Max Doll treasurer and their wonderful
advisors Mrs. Sheahan Mrs. Lawler, it was an
outstanding senior leadership group this
year if we have a big round of applause
for that please. Our technology
maintenance and custodial staff who
worked tirelessly
each and every day did a great job
setting up of this afternoon and this
evening, the High School PTA board of
school board Board of Directors Sharon
Panara,
Megan Amara, Betty Messer, Jennifer
Hoagland and Sarah Koppel, our
outstanding transportation and food
services departments are wonderful,
teacher and teaching and support staff
of all of our buildings and central
administration and a special thanks to
those staff marching this evening, our
dedicated coaches and administrators, our
security personnel, the Springfield
Township Police Department or Ambulance
Association, all of our local fire
departments who are joining us tonight, our
Township Board of Commissioners, Mr. Don
Berger Township Manager, my outstanding
assistant principals Pierre LaRocco and
Scott Zgraggen, our athletic director Joe
Ferraro yeah well let's give them a
round of applause as they make me look
good thank you.
Really good. All of our awesome
parents and families and perhaps most
importantly the wonderful administrative
assistants at our high school Denise
Buchanan, Sue Nelson and Tara Kane, they
make the school run every single day. At
this time I ask everyone to please stand
and join us in singing the Springfield
Township high school alma mater. The
words are in your program at the bottom
of the first page.
Here now today, we pause to pray
Springfield, that long and fair thy days may be!
So in this way, we tribute pay
And pledge our hearts forever more to thee.
Truth we pursue with the help of thy hand
Honor we gain through the might of our stand.
Forward today, proudly, we say,
Springfield will carry on to victory.
Victory.
All right thank you everybody that was
excellent I appreciate it.
Seniors please remain standing. At this
time I'd like class president Dean
Hanlon to join me for the ceremonial
turning of the tassel. but but of course
I still got you for ten more minutes.
Before we do that a reminder students that
after you turn your tassel and throw
your cap in the air I ask that you
gather your cap, do your best to get back
to your seat, and then we were assess out
of the stadium in an orderly fashion. We
will process off the field in the
following manner order. I'll lead the
procession with all the individuals on
the stage followed by staff our
dignitaries and finally our students.
Students you will then walk through the
staff recession line with - we will be at
the fence line as we go from right to
left my right to left and you'll be able
to then proceed to the concession stand
for your diploma. Students will be able
to pick up their diplomas and the
concession stand immediately after the
ceremony. And students be reminded this
is a non-smoking facility, especially
with the expensive new turf field and
track. Dean Hanlon your class president.
All right guys Springfield class of 2019
we made it!
Again students if you could
gather your hats please and return to
your seats. Do your best please.
We will now process
off and once again you'll have the
opportunity saying hello to speak to all
the staff here this evening but do not
start processing yet.
