Commencements back to DTE

By James Hanlon
Leader Staff Writer
High school graduation was mostly back to normal this year with a single event back at DTE Energy Music Theater in Clarkston rather than four successive ceremonies at Wildcat Stadium.
Capacity was limited, graduates spaced out every other seat, and the band performed Pomp and Circumstance via video, socially distanced in the high school Performing Arts Center. But, 392 graduates walked across the stage together to receive their diplomas as one class.

“A year ago we had one thing in mind and that was to make sure you were able to go to school and do it in a classroom,” said School Board President Tom Donnelly in the welcoming remarks. “(Superintendent) Throne said it would take a village to make it happen. It would take every single student, every single family member, every single teacher, every single administrator, every single bus driver, every single employee, everyone, in order to be here in 2021 at DTE – and by the way, you are the first event in this space since the lockdowns of COVID over a year ago! And you deserve it, it’s probably the greatest thing happening all year in this space.”
Donnelly thanked the village, Team O, for making it happen. And he congratulated the class of 2021, not just for their diplomas, but for overcoming the misery and confusion of last year or so.
“YES! YES!” Superintendent Tim Throne shouted, throwing both fists in the air. “We made it! And I say ‘we’ on purpose. We made it work. You made it work. Our employees made it work. Your parents made it work. It was work, and we made it.”
Throne gave the graduates one final lesson. “Watch your words. They can either build relationships or tare them apart. Fear or faith? Your choice. Who do you want to be when you grow up? Whatever you decide, you will become. Thus endeth the lesson.”
Not wanting to make everything about COVID, senior speaker Emma LaBarge asked her fellow graduates, “Do you like who you’ve started to become? Seriously, would fifth grade you be proud of who you are today? If not, here’s the perfect chance to start from scratch. High school is stressful, I don’t have to tell you that. We often do things we’re not proud of because, A: it makes us look cool, or B: we’re scared of being judged for said thing. So, if you realize you’re not super proud of who you’ve started to become, then do yourself a favor and stop caring about what other people think.

“Be who it is you want to be. Do what it is you want to do. Be passionate about what it is you want to be passionate about and don’t give anybody else a say in the matter.” Graduating summa cum laude and top scholar, LaBarge will attend Angelo State University in Texas this fall.
I always thought that finishing high school, graduating and this moment would feel different. More of an end,” Valedictorian Lauren Schiller said in her speech. “We finally finished the climb, and now we’re at the top of the mountain. But instead, all I see are peaks ahead to be climbed, more success to be achieved, more triumph to be had. This isn’t an ending. It’s a beginning.
“That’s exciting and exhilarating and maybe a little overwhelming and it’s tempting to start climbing right away, eyes focused on the summit and all the success and triumph that awaits us at the top. But life isn’t just lived at the summit, no matter how beautiful the view is. Life is lived on the climb.”
When they look back at their time in high school, they will remember today, their day at the summit, but they’ll also remember the little moments that made the climb. “Now, obviously, dream big and chase after your dreams,” she said, “just don’t forget to look up every once in a while, take it all in.”
Echoing a line from Shakespeare, high school is prologue, Shiller said. “While the relationships we formed, experiences we’ve had and the memories we’ve made, while the Wildcat spirit will always be with us, high school is over now. We have new mountains to climb. So let’s turn the page, pick up the pen and write the next chapter. Just don’t forget the lines and sentences, all the little details that go into writing the next chapter.” Schiller will attend Hope College where she will double major in communications and business.
As is tradition since 1930, the Oxford Cup was awarded to two seniors at the top of the graduating class who have shown the best all-around development. The selection of the top male and female student is made by the junior class, senior class and members of the high school faculty. This year’s cup went to Jordan Hung and Trent Brown.
“Absolutely amazing students,” said Principal Steve Wolf. “They’re two students who are incredibly involved in our building, care a lot about their fellow classmates, worked their butts off the last four years. They’re involved in everything and they’re everywhere. I couldn’t be more proud than to have those two students represent and be placed on the Oxford Cup forever.”
In his address, Wolf focused on the positives of the last 14 months. “You are tougher than what you think and stronger than you realize. Would you have believed back in 2019 if someone told you that you would have to wear a mask for eight hours a day, not sit near any of your friends and be stuck in the classroom with the same teacher for two hours at a time, then go to practice and sweat and breath in that mask for a few more hours?

“You did it, and you knocked it out of the park. You didn’t love some of it, but you showed your gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to do it. And that showed your character. This is what we’re going to remember about you, not the masks.”
They had no control over the guidelines they were placed under this year, which was a reminder of how little control we have over most things that happen in our lives. “That sounds kind of frightening when you say it out loud and think about it. But, you do have control over how you respond to them. And while very difficult, it’s still a choice in how we respond.
“This year, class of 2021, you responded. You chose to make the best out of it and to remain resilient and adaptable. And in return, what you may not have realized, is that you helped us and reminded us that we were all capable of much more than what we realized.”
“Even if there is some normalcy on the horizon, how will you continue to respond when life gets in the way? That may determine whether or not you reach your full potential. So, as things start to return back to normal, I urge you to hang on to the lessons you’ve learned and what you’ve taught us during this time and take them with you. Because if you do, you might be unstoppable.
“You have redefined the phrase ‘Oxford Strong.’”