'We Are Crossing the Finish Line Together'

Surrounded by blue skies, sweltering air, and hundreds of friends and family, the class of 2010 marked its graduation from the halls of Darien High School Monday evening.

Though the weather held up for the outdoor event, temperatures hovered in the mid-80s, driving many to seek refuge in the relative shade of the stadium bleachers. Bottled water, sunscreen, and umbrellas were in abundance.

Led by members of the faculty, seniors marched onto the stadium field—boys in blue, girls in white—to the familiar strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" as performed by the DHS Band and Orchestra.

After a rendition of the national anthem by the Tudor Singers, Community Council President Aaron Tas stepped up to the lectern to welcome the crowd and highlight the more humorous memories of his classmates' time at DHS.

"It's the pleasure we can get from something so stupid that it's important to hold onto, since we cannot spend our entire lives wrapped up in serious achievement," Tas said. "I think my fellow classmates of the class of 2010 have found the proper balance between being studious and being able to have a good time."

Tas was followed by a second Tudor Singers performance: "Corner of the Sky" from the musical Pippin.

Board of Education Chairperson Kim Westcott—whose son, Timothy, was among the graduates—spoke next, recalling a wax museum project from her son's third grade class at Ox Ridge School to emphasize the unique talents of the departing seniors.

"Today, all 285 of you deserve to be on your own pedestal, and I wish we had time to view each in this present gallery of our local heroes," Westcott said.

Retiring Superintendent of Schools Don Fiftal offered graduates encouragement by spotlighting the then-young creators of The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in history.

"Your early experiences are not necessarily or simply some obligatory, interim step you need to tread before you reach your expectations later in life," Fiftal said. "Like Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, you may be at the doorstep of special achievement early on."

As if to reinforce Fiftal's point, members of the student band Tone came to the stage next for a performance of Smash Mouth's "All Star." They were followed by an address from salutatorian Stephanie Ko, who likened the experience of high school to a race.

"As freshmen, we all began at the starting line together, and today, as seniors, we are crossing the finish line together," Ko said. "Standing at the finish line, I realized our race was a little unconventional. In our race, there were many ways—not just one path—to get to the finish line of our high school years."

Valedictorian Andrew Gagne hailed both the individual accomplishments and the collective persistence of his classmates.

"We survived," Gagne said. "We didn't drown in a sea of homework. We weren't horribly maimed in a game of dodgeball. We survived the school parking lot. We managed to get up at 6:30 in the morning, day after day."

Following an evocative rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" by graduating senior Sarah McGowan, DHS principal Dan Haron handed out honorary degrees to five retiring teachers—and one retiring superintendent.

French and Spanish teacher Barbara Schmidt, director of bands Carolyn Whinnem, math teacher Marcia Kasony, English teacher Libby Rubin, Spanish teacher Anne Roorbach, and Fiftal all received the award. At the end of his citation, Fiftal received a standing ovation led by members of the faculty.

Citing the examples of Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, and Jerry Seinfeld, Haron then assured seniors that most of history's leading lights had experienced repeated setbacks before their eventual triumphs.

"Failure, it seems, is not only common to highly successful individuals; it is indispensable ingredient for their success," Haron said. "What sets successful people apart from others is not their inability to fail, but rather their ability to learn from failures, not despair, and persevere."

At last began the familiar ritual: one by one, an alphabetical succession of seniors crossed the stage, each stopping to shake hands and receive a diploma portfolio from Haron. Bursts of applause, cheers, and air horns counterpointed the drumbeat of names read over the loudspeaker.

As they passed, many students placed colorful rubber band bracelets on Haron's wrist. Midway through the alphabet, Haron paused to remove the impressive collection and momentarily return circulation to his hand.

And at the end of it all, a very welcome announcement.

"Grab onto your tassels, move them from the right to the left, and congratulations! You're done," Tas said, as a swarm of mortarboards flew into the air on either side of him.

Flanked by applauding faculty members, seniors processed out of the stadium and into the throng of eager family and friends awaiting them.