East sends seniors off to next chapter

By Pam Schiff
Posted 6/21/17

By PAM SCHIFF Graduation is a time of celebration, reflection and planning. For the 323 graduates of the Class of 2017 from Cranston East it was also a time to bid farewell to friends, classmates teachers and the hallowed halls of East and Briggs.

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East sends seniors off to next chapter

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Graduation is a time of celebration, reflection and planning. For the 323 graduates of the Class of 2017 from Cranston East it was also a time to bid farewell to friends, classmates teachers and the hallowed halls of East and Briggs.

Providence Performing Arts Center was packed with family, friends and well-wishers excited and nostalgic to see the ceremony and watch their loved ones cross the stage.

Class advisor, and Grand Marshal, Andrea DiCicco led the processional. For DiCicco herself, it was a special ceremony, as it marked her last time as a class advisor and mace carrier.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by Class Vice President, Tatevik Khachatryan, which was followed by the Star Spangled Banner performed by the East Choir.

‘You have earned this’

The first speaker to bring greetings to the crowd was East Principal Sean Kelly.

He started his remarks by welcoming everyone and addressing the graduates.

“Graduation from high school is a remarkable achievement. It marks the end of your long journey in public education, from the time you entered Kindergarten those 13 short years ago to the pinnacle at which you now stand. It will open the door for your bright future and the many exciting chapters of your life still to come. Your dedication to making yourself an educated citizen in this modern, ever changing world, is evidenced here today. You are to be congratulated for this accomplishment and I encourage you all to continue your pursuit of education, whether it be at a University, trade school, military service or work.

Cranston East is an incredible institution with a tradition dating back to 1891. As you graduate, you will be join the long and illustrious “Green Line” of Thunderbolt alumni, and you will have much to live up to. The success you are looking for is within your reach. Grab it,” he said.

Kelly read off a list of the future plans for the Class of 2017.

“Eighty-four percent of you are going on to a tow or four-year college, with over $2.3 million in know scholarship and financial aid, eight percent going to full-time employment, and three percent are undecided as of yet,” he said.

Kelly asked that the 14 students who would going on to futures in the military service stand and be recognized for their choice.

He went on to thank the parents and the staff and faculty at East for their hard work and support of the students.

“I know firsthand how hard the work each day and am confident that they are proud of each of you today. We are the best high school in the State of Rhode Island. So to this point, I have talked a little about history and tradition, something which we are very proud of at Cranston East. Proud Cranston High School grad, Mr. Traficante eloquently stated at our National Honors Society induction this year that he was “Green and White down to his socks.” Well Traf, I can say I truly am and have the socks on today to prove it. We are the original high school and we are the standard bearers. We are Bolts Pride. We live that every day. Again, we are the Best High School in the State of Rhode Island,” he said to cheers and applause.

Kelly then went on to speak of all the firsts they will experience in life, college, houses, marriage, families, jobs, etc.

“Take the time to enjoy all the firsts that are yet to come, cherish those firsts, as they might just last a lifetime,” he said.

He concluded by offering his congratulations.

“I would like to finish by saying that, graduates, you have made me very proud to have the best job, at the best high school in the state, your Principal. Let me be the first to say, Congratulations, and continue to make us very proud, you have earned this,” he said.

The next speaker was Mayor Allan Fung.

He started off congratulating all the students and their families. He acknowledged they are off to college, getting jobs, taking a break or joining the military.

“But no matter what you do and where you go, each one of you have been prepared for any challenge that life will throw at you by the people up on stage as well as those people behind you,” he said.

While he joked about life is not about living it through social media, but instead he reminded the students that it is their actions in life that define who they are.

“What I’m really talking about is for you to make a difference in the acts that you make in everyday life. We have so much power within us. The acts that you take may not change Cranston, Rhode Island or our country. Our real human power isn’t to change the world but we can often make a decision that can change one life.

That’s the power we each have. As former South African leader Desmond Tutu once said, ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bit of good put together that overwhelm the world.’”

He closed his remarks by wishing them all the best and offering congratulations.

Rich emotions and thoughts

Cranston Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse then issued her regards.

She started her comments by welcoming everyone and acknowledging the importance of the day and how long it has taken to get there.

“Combining those two powerful forces – your teachers and your family – with the support, encouragement and love they provided, along with your own determination and hard work, has enabled you to be here today earning your diploma. Congratulations to you and your families on your accomplishments today,” she said.

She offered advice on how to live a good life.

“As you walk off this stage today, diploma in hand, realize the power you have over your destiny. I am sure many adults sitting here today wish they could go back in time to this moment, or a similar moment in their lives, when their destiny was their own. You are living the most exciting time of your lives. The potential for each of you is tremendous.

 It is you who can decide which profession you want to explore. It is you who can decide to travel and visit places and people you’ve only seen on Instagram (I used to say read about…but I’m trying to stay current). It is you who can decide to perform acts of kindness and generosity and to love all humanity, despite people’s frailties. It is all up to you,” she said.

Nota-Masse recalled her recent experience reading to the Kindergarten class at Arlington Elementary School, and the book was called ‘I Wish You More’ and felt it offered great guidance for the graduates.

“I wish you more ups than downs. I wish you more pause than fast forward. I wish you more umbrella than rain. I wish you more bubbles than bath. I wish you more treasures than pockets. I wish you more stories than stars. I wish all of this for you…and more.

I, too, wish all of you wonderful things. Go forth and begin the next part of your life’s adventures. It’s all up to you,” she closed with.

Former Mayor, Cranston East teacher and wrestling coach, vice principal, current school committee member citywide and proud Thunderbolt member of the Class of 1957 Michael Traficante gave his remarks to the crowd.

He started his remarks by reciting lyrics from a song called 'Graduation Day' reflecting on the great memories made during high school days.

He did say his message would not traditional as it was born of his own personal experiences.

"I had the opportunity to see a Broadway show called 'Stop the World, I want to get off' when I was discharged from the Army. There is a song called "Just Once in a Lifetime'. Graduates, I ask you to think on this. You are about to stop the world and get off to choose your own destiny, your own personal goals and seek your own personal path in life," he said.

He went on to extol the benefits of exploring new and exciting lands, and living life to it's fullest.

"The secret is that a rich and fulfilling life is not composed of position, prosperity or power. It is comprised of many wonderful moments, many great things, many new beginnings with special 'once in a lifetime moments' of accomplishment and gladness. Opportunities of special moments when you can and will make a difference to your community, your profession, your family and friends," he said.

He ended with wishing the graduates something special.

"What I truly wish is that you will always have a heart full of rich emotions, a mind full of rich thoughts, and most importantly a lifestyle harnessed to tasks you love to do, enjoy and appreciate each and every day of your lives," he said.

In the blink of an eye

Senior Class President Nicole DeAngelis offered the first of the student speeches.

She spoke of the first days of high schools, the nervousness, the feelings of being left out, she remarked on the successes of the sports teams and their first experience with a pep rally. It was during their freshman year the class decided to set the goal for a free prom.

She highlighted their sophomore and junior years, and their continued fundraising successes.

“Then within a blink of an eye, we were at the top of the food chain. We were the role models and leaders. The new senior class at Cranston East. We somehow, despite having all the odds against us, raised over $20,000 to host a free senior prom. We even granted the wish of a fellow Cranston student with leukemia. All of you should be proud of yourselves because your actions and decisions got you to where you are today. We should be thankful for the support and guidance of our parents and counselors, and the dedication of our teachers to prepare us for the world outside of high school.

It was no longer a time for firsts but a time for lasts. The last first day of school. The last football game under those Friday night lights. The last time you walked the halls of the school that changed many of us and shaped who we are today. We are stronger and more unified. We have left behind something very special. A legacy that no other class will ever compare to. Our spirit, passion, and dedication to each other, our community, and most importantly our school will never be forgotten. Today, we are closing the door to an amazing adventure, but at the same time, we are opening the door to a brighter future. Congratulations class of 2017. We have left our make on Cranston East, but it is now our time to leave our mark on the rest of the world. This is your time. You made it. The rest of your life starts now,” she said.

The next student speaker was Noah Gibb, the Salutatorian.

Noah also acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the Class of 2017 to raise money and help others.

“I’d like to thank our outstanding class council for working extremely hard since freshman year and turning impossible ideas like a free prom and helping to finally purchase a ten thousand dollar sign for the school, or raising nearly thirty thousand dollars in just four years into goals and those goals into history,” he said.

Noah also shared a piece of advice he received at Cranston East.

“Before we part, I would like to offer what is perhaps the best piece of advice I have ever received: do something. While I learned the concept in an algebra class as it relates to manipulating equations, I feel that it applies more to life than any other ‘applied mathematics’ that I was ever taught. More often than not, it seems that what set us apart are our abilities to stay motivated and to focus under pressure. No matter the task at hand, no matter what you think you know or don’t know, just do something. You never know what you can accomplish until you take the first step,” he said.

Noah asked the graduates to remember their time at East.

“I hope we all remember Cranston East, in one way or another. While we will all probably forget the majority of the time we spent together at some point, let’s remember the best moments. Let’s remember all the sporting events, classes, friends, dances, prom and graduation. Let’s remember doing something and making a difference,” he said.

‘Be vigilant and stay informed’

The last speaker of the afternoon was Miya Lohmeier, Valedictorian.

Miya started her comments with a caveat that she was nervous and does not like public speaking. In fact, she Googled how to write a valedictorian speech. She confessed to not having eloquent or deep thinking advice to share.

Instead, she posed two requests to her classmates.

“First: never stop learning. Why are we studying math concepts that are so far removed from regular adult life? Why don’t we learn something useful? The same complaint comes up in just about every class: why do we have to study the histories of people we have no connection to or read books that put us to sleep. What’s the point of studying chemistry if I have no interest in being any kind of chemist?

Thinking this way is somewhat inevitable, but flawed. Maybe a lot of what we’ve learned doesn’t have much real-world application, but if we only learned the fundamentals to get by, where would we be? Where would society be? We wouldn’t have the most important thing in life: the Internet.

Education gives us the knowledge we need to look upon the world with a more critical eye – and call out deceit when we see it. This is an important skill because there are people in power who have a lot to gain from an ignorant public. So they deny history, they deny science, and sometimes just flat out lie in order to increase their power and wealth at our expense. They can manipulate an uninformed audience by playing to our fears, rather than to our humanity. So please be vigilant and stay informed. Keep on learning. Don’t let them get away with it,” she said.

Her second request was for them to practice being empathetic.

“We all know that empathy is good. We’ve been taught the importance of being aware of other people’s feeling and experiences. Because that’s what empathy does – when we can consider other people’s emotions, we have a better chance of resolving our conflicts. Still, empathy is not sympathy. I don’t ask you to agree with everyone else’s perspective; just try to know where they’re coming from. It sounds easy, but it isn’t. It can be hard to really consider your friend’s perspective when they’re angry at you, let alone the perspective of a complete stranger (especially if they are of a different race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or location).

With all of that separating us, it can be far too easy to neglect to see the humanity in each other. Empathy makes us see that humanity, and in turn, makes it harder for us to be cruel to one another. Because in the end, everyone wants to be understood. So give people a break – including yourself,” she concluded.

Once all the speeches were out of the way, it was time to get down to the business of graduating.

Emma McDermott, Class Secretary read the poem “Graduation Song” by Jay P. Narain.

Assistant Principals Chris D’Ambrosio and Sandi Matoian-Heard read off the Class Roll Call as diplomas were presented by members of Central administration, East faculty and members of the School Committee.

Once the last diploma was presented, tassels turned and the East Choir sang “One Call Away”, it was time for the singing of the school song.

The ceremony was over, the recessional was played as another class of Thunderbolts joined that long green line.

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