The School Newspaper of Cherry Hill High School East

Eastside

The School Newspaper of Cherry Hill High School East

Eastside

The School Newspaper of Cherry Hill High School East

Eastside

Members of Class of 2012 leave Liacouras Center as graduates

Members+of+Class+of+2012+leave+Liacouras+Center+as+graduates

Yesterday morning, just before 11 a.m. in Philadelphia, Mr. Tim Keleher, conductor of Cherry Hill East’s Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, raised his arms and his musicians began to play “Pomp and Circumstance.” For the last time as East students, the 479 members of the senior Class of 2012 processed onto the floor of Temple University’s Liacouras Center and into their seats.

Hailey Edelstein (University of Pennsylvania ’16) delivered the opening address, which was followed by SGA President Adam Rosenthal’s (Indiana University ’16) and Class President Max Cohen’s (University of Michigan ’16) speeches. All three of these speeches urged the class that graduation was not the end of the road they had traveled together for the past four years, rather, just another obstacle their class must overcome together, although in different places.

Winnie Cheng (University of Pennsylvania ’16), one of the Class of 2012’s five valedictorians, by way of a random lottery pick, was given the honor of delivering her class’ Valedictory Address. With fellow valedictorians Emily Hsu and Yunfei Liu (Princeton University ’16), as well as Jasmine Hwang and Tim Yoon (University of Pennsylvania ’16) by her side, Cheng gave a speech about the advantages of failure and its role in the lives of students.

Following the presentation of class awards and speeches by both class advisors, Mr. Greg Gagliardi and Mr. Anthony Maniscalco, Rebecca Mulberg (The New School ’16) gave the Senior Address.

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Principal Dr. John O’Breza then presented the class to assistant superintendent Dr. Lawyer Chapman, who addressed and certified the class. President of the Board of Education Seth Klukoff then accepted the class.

Each senior then ascended to the stage to receive their diploma, officially marking the end of their time as students at Cherry Hill East.

Jackie Susuni (George Washington University ’16) closed the ceremony with the Closing Address, which she began by saying that the feeling of graduating had officially “sunk in” for her and her classmates, and that they were ready to take on the real world ahead of them.

The Wind Ensemble and Orchestra then played once more as the Class of 2012 made their way off the floor and into the world as graduates of Cherry Hill East High School.

Bradley Krell (Franklin and Marshall College ’16) may have best summed up the feeling of many of his classmates after graduation when he said, “I just can’t believe the past four years went by so fast, it’s surreal and I guess it’s finally hitting me that I’m graduated.”

Krell and his 478 classmates, as was made clear at yesterday’s ceremony, are not only ready to become the next great leaders of the world, but they are also extremely willing to take on that task.

Eastside congratulates the Class of 2012 on four fantastic years serving the East community and wishes each and every graduate the best of luck in every endeavor they face in the future.

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