Ships set sail with everyone's wishes on board
Allentown High School graduates 243 students

JEFF GRANIT staff Tom Metelsky struts his stuff after receiving his diploma at the Allentown High School graduation on June 21.

Upon graduating, some Allentown High School students will set their sails toward open seas, while others will head toward specific destinations, according to Principal Christopher Nagy.

After 243 graduating seniors moved their tassels from the right to the left during the 81st Allentown High School (AHS) Commencement Program on the evening of June 21, some shared which course they plan to sail.

Stephen Willis, of Allentown, said he wants to save the world. He will start his chosen path by attending American University in Washington, D.C., in the fall.

Dimitria Papadogeorgopoulos, of Allentown, will attend the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. However, she said she has not set her sails toward a particular career at this point.

Lisa Marie Rogalski, of Millstone, will go to Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., where she will study nursing.

PHOTOSBY JEFF GRANIT staff Clockwise from top - Lance Virzi, 19, of Allentown greets Nicholas Sanfilippo as he enters the field for graduation at Allentown High School on June 21. Elizabeth Delossantos waves to friends as she marches onto the field. Salutatorian Caitlin Ryan addresses the class of 2006. Kristen Branchizio gazes at a rose while contemplating her future.

Sandi Gigantino, of Millstone, plans to take up fashion merchandising at Philadelphia University.

Robert Stinson, of Allentown, plans to attend Brookdale Community College, Lincroft section of Middletown, where he will study history.

Kyle Nilsen, of Millstone, plans on directly entering the work force as an electrician.

Students in the class of 2006 earned more than $4.2 million in total scholarship grants, the most ever for a graduating class, according to Nagy.

The senior class also gained acceptances to colleges such as American University in Washington, D.C., Boston University and Northeastern University, both in Boston, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa., Penn State in State College, Pa., and Villanova University in Villanova, Pa.

During the commencement ceremony, Nagy told the class to remember the words of Thomas Fuller, who said, "As the wind blows, you must set your sail.

"Remember the skills that you have learned in high school, enjoy your friendships, celebrate your successes, and build upon the solutions sought to address the defeats," Nagy continued. "These experiences will serve you well."

Beejal Shah, the 2006 class valedictorian, told the hundreds in attendance at graduation that the day "is one of the most joyous days for my classmates and me." He said nothing seemed more appropriate during the day than the class's theme, "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board."

"For my classmates and me," Shah said, "today signifies all the waves we have ridden, the water we have tread and all the storms we have weathered.

"On this day," he continued, "each of us will cast a wish aboard a ship which will begin a journey into the horizon."

Shah told his classmates to carry with them the lessons they have learned, the situations they have experienced and the knowledge they have acquired in high school.

"We will leave behind all the wonderful teachers and administrative staff who have guided us through our crucial years of growth and gaining knowledge," Shah said, "and we will advance into the horizon to prove that what they have taught us will serve as the lighthouse to our destination."

The class of 2006 made many significant contributions to AHS, according to class President Caitlyn Kelly.

During sophomore year, AHS' renowned field hockey team made it to the state finals, and its Student Council donated more money to the state charity than any other council in the state, according to Kelly.

"Our famed [Future Farmers of America] continued to win top positions in the state championship, as they have for the past 19 years," Kelly said, "and Student Council premiered a new event - Allentown Idol - which two of our classmates, Katelyn Malik and James Taylor, have won."

Kelly said the Lifesavers Club, one of the largest clubs at AHS that is geared toward keeping students away from drugs, earned AHS recognition as the No. 1 school in New Jersey for drug prevention. Also, during the students' sophomore year, the school witnessed the creation of its lacrosse team, she said.

During their junior year, the class was the first to sit for the redesigned SAT. The school's marching band was also named the Mid-Atlantic Champions, and won the Philadelphia St. Patrick's Day Parade for best band, an honor it repeated this year, Kelly said.

During senior year, girls and boys lacrosse qualified for the state tournament in their first year in the varsity program, and the softball team finished its season as Patriot Division and Central Group II Champs, bringing home the school's first-ever Softball Group II State Championship, according to Kelly.

In addition, according to Kelly, the boys spring track team won the division title, and the golf team broke the school's record at the championships. She also noted that a generous grant from Bristol-Myers Squibb allowed the school's brand-new Robotics Team to take its robot to a competition in Georgia and earn one of the top new teams in regional and national competitions.

"On an artistic note," Kelly said, "three seniors - Olivia VanHandel, Nick Strong and Amanda Freeman - had poems published in the literary magazine Aspirations, and several of our students were recognized at the Teen Arts Festival as some of the best artists in the state."

Kelly reminded students as well of some of the more memorable moments they all shared during their four years of high school.

During freshman year, she said her classmates felt somewhat threatened by alleged toxins released when the tarp fell off the water tower. She also reminded them of having to spend an afternoon lounging on the football field as a result of "our one-and-only bomb threat."

Kelly further reminded her classmates of how they were the first to live through school construction in the district and among the first to use the new school.

"To our disappointment, school started on schedule, and many of the new changes were finally unveiled," she said. "These included the atrium, the mural which had previously separated the school from the construction, the senior parking lot, air-conditioning in the new classrooms and the introduction of sixth hall to replace our annex."

In conclusion, Kelly said, "I think it's fair to say that we are all nervous about what next year will bring, just like we were the summer of 2002.

"But I can assure you," she added, "that AHS has prepared us for whatever life has to offer."

Nagy also spoke about some of the uphill battles the graduating class may have to face after graduation.

"According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, by 2010 less than 30 percent of American children will live in homes that have two parents," Nagy said. "According to the Wall Street Journal, this is the first generation of American children to grow up without expectations of a strong nuclear family."

In addition, Nagy said that according to Zemke, Raines and Filipczak, "Your generation cannot rely upon companies to provide retirement and stability in your lives."

While reminding students that they live in a time of potential nuclear war, Nagy also gave them hope.

"In a letter to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov in 1983, Samantha Smith, an 11-year-old American from Maine, asked Andropov why he wanted to conquer the world, or at least the U.S.A.," Nagy said. "She noted that she was fearful of a nuclear war between superpowers. To her surprise, Mr. Andropov invited Samantha and her parents to the Soviet Union as his guests. She became an overnight celebrity and set the stage for peace talks among the superpowers."

Nagy said Smith's actions provide invaluable life lessons for the class of 2006.

"You are challenged," Nagy said, "to be courageous and fight for what is right, to take a world view and not think provincially, to think big and globally and not just about yourselves, to know that you are to provide solutions and not problems, provide leadership rather than be a follower."

"Do not make excuses," he continued, "but look for solutions, know your voice can make a difference but [that it] will not if not voiced, and last, learn to be resilient and tenacious during difficult situations, not easy times."

During the ceremony, Lindsay Cantenese conducted the AHS Redbird Symphonic Band in "Pomp and Circumstance," the National Anthem ("The Star-Spangled Banner") and the "March From First Suite in E-Flat."

Many in attendance wept when Robert Buck conducted the senior members of the AHS choir in Natalie Merchant's "These Are the Days."

"These are days you'll remember, never before and never since / I promise will the whole world be warm as this," the choir sang. "And as you feel it, you'll know it's true / That you are blessed and lucky."

Salutatorian Caitlin Ryan said, "As we celebrate our graduation today, look around at your fellow graduates. Many of us may never see each other again, while others may remain friends forever. As we leave AHS, it is important for all of us to remember these times."

She then added, "As Henry David Thoreau once said, 'Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.' This is what I hope for each of you as we graduate, the class of 2006."