District Taken to Task as Students Deliver Cut Graduation Speeches

After the  recorded their speeches earlier on Wednesday to be put online on the district's website and YouTube, Class of 2012 , Salutatorian , Class President Kayla Erb and Student Council President Toniann Riselvato were given the chance to deliver them live that night.

"We videotaped speeches that are being put online as we speak, along with the texts of each speech," said Superintendent Richard Nathan said at the Board of Education's end-of-year .

This gesture came after the graduates had their speeches cut at on Friday night when a second line of thunderstorms the entire ceremony.

"We did feel bad about [this], so we wanted to give the students the chance to give their speeches so some of their friends and relatives could hear them live," Nathan said.

Rinaldi was up first, and he thanked his fellow classmates and teachers, noting he was "truly honored" to be valedictorian.

He also advised his fellow classmates "to live with no regrets" and always "reach for your goals."

Erb and Riselvato shared similar sentiments.

Erb called Lindenhurst "a welcoming place," and wished her classmates the "best of luck" and thanked them for a "great experience."

Riselvato congratulated the Class of 2012, and advised her classmates to "stay true to themselves, follow their instincts and do what they think is right."

Taken to Task
However, it wasn't all happy sentiments.

When Kelly got up to speak, he took the district to task for its to hold graduation on Friday night instead of postponing until the rain date on Saturday night.

"As if to make up for what happened on Friday night, we were given the chance tonight to give our speeches," Kelly said.

"But I'm not going to give a speech to the people who robbed us of the right to give them," he said, referring to the superintendent and the BOE.

He said his original speech was meant for his fellow classmates to hear, and they could watch it online when it was posted.

Both clearly taking a stand and unhappy with the district's decision to move forward with graduation only to have it cut short, Kelly said although the decision not to postpone graduation was "in the best interest of the kids," it was not, and the district should've listened to forecasts calling for the second line of storms.

He also said Superintendent Nathan should've called students the next day to apologize, noting Principal Dan Giordano called the next day.

Nathan responded: "We waited till 4:30 p.m. that day. It was a difficult decision. We went with national weather maps, and based our decision on that. It turned out it was the wrong decision, and we're trying to make up for it."

Later, after the speeches, another resident, Barbara Eckert, expressed similar feelings: "Ray said it best, 'We were robbed of a proper graduation.' I know that either way it's a tough decision, but you had a Plan B, and Saturday's forecast was beautiful."

Nathan apologized, and said, "It was entirely Mr. Giordano's and my decision. We take responsibility for it."

BOE President Ed Murphy, Jr., added his apology, and, referring to this situation and residents in attendance reviving the idea of moving the graduation ceremony to Hofstra - something the district tried to do several years ago and drew community outcry - said, "This is something we'll definitely take a look at."

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