A Message to the Class of 2010

For starters, I wasn't a commencement speaker. I didn't even try out. Amberly and Rachel both did a fantastic job, and were a real credit to the overall ceremony. However, let's imagine for a second that this page is a commencement ceremony, and this post is my speech.

"Well, Class of 2010 - we did it. Four long grueling years full of finals, homework, and standardized tests are finally over as we sit here on the biggest day of our lives. I could sit up here and thank people in a cliche fashion; people like our teachers, our parents, our families, and our administrators. But I won't. I want to thank the rest of my class.

For a minimum of four years (some of you all the way back to 2nd grade, 1st grade, and earlier), you have been my brothers and sisters. From the day we all walked in the gymnasium for freshman orientation, we have drawn closer and closer together. Mr. Poli described us as "stellar". I don't think that's a strong enough word. Webster himself couldn't use the proper word to describe the rest of my class. No word in any language can describe the immense sense of pride I write this with.

9 perfect 4.0's. 3 perfect attendance records. 158 3.0's or higher. These statistics are mind blowing, but they're nothing compared to the enormous social effect the Class of 2010 had on Alpena High. Some of my best memories were Spirit Weeks. If anyone remembers freshman year, the "Spirit Weeks" were lame. 10 percent of the seniors participated, and no one else really cared. That all changed in our junior year, when this class put up such a fight at Homecoming that we actually knocked off the seniors, and forever shook the foundation of the school. Underclassmen suddenly had a chance, and from then on, every Monday through Friday of Spirit Week, one would walk into a school full of pirates, ninjas, cowboys, rock stars, and people dressed head to toe in the good ol' Green & White. The gym was so loud during pep assemblies that I thought the basketball hoops were coming down. The electricity in the air made your hair stand on end.

This year, the Senior Planning Team did one of the most monumental projects this school has ever seen, and was really a credit to our class. The food drive was indeed phenomenal, and both that and the campus cleanup were motivated by a selfless drive that I'm proud to have been a part of.

All in all, thanks ladies and gentlemen. I wish I could say this class is going to do great things. I wish I could say we'll turn the world around. But I can't. One thing I can say, though, is that this class will not go into the world quietly. In a few years, maybe even next year, the sheer magnitude of our greatness will become apparent.

Thanks for a great 4 years, Class of 2010."