Commencement Shifted Indoors But Celebration was a Smashing Success for Class of 2023
June 26, 2023
It did not rain on this parade—or ceremony, in this matter.
The inclement weather forced Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District officials to shift the 2023 Commencement ceremony inside to the high school’s Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium from next door at John Basilone Memorial Field.
The gym was packed with family and friends who proudly watched the Class of 2023—all 658 strong—from Bridgewater-Raritan High School officially turn into graduates during a lively and well-tuned ceremony.
“It went very smoothly,” observed Dan Hemberger, the Principal of Bridgewater-Raritan High School. “I credit the kids for making this work all fine when we had to move inside.”
The graduation program, which was attended by Superintendent Bob Beers, members of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District Board of Education, school district administrators, including Assistant Superintendents Karen Jones and Dr. Dan Fonder, and high school administrators, staff and teachers, began with the students entering the spacious gym to the tune of the iconic graduation tune “Pomp and Circumstance.”
The high school’s Student Council President, Amanda Hirsch, then delivered the Opening Remarks to her fellow classmates.
The National Anthem was then sung by the high school’s splendid Choir and then the Welcome Address was presented by Avanti Patwardham, the Senior Class President.
Avanti took advantage of the time up on the podium to shoot a selfie of herself with her classmate sitting on the gym floor in the background. She was followed by classmate Ritvik Senjalia, the Class of 2023 Speaker.
Principal Hemberger then took center stage and officially delivered the Presentation of the Class of 2023, which approved the certificates of graduation.
Jennifer Loughhran, a member of the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education and an alumnus of Bridgewater-Raritan, then delivered the Congratulation Remarks.
Ms. Loughran’s inspiring speech left the students and the entire audience in a spirited mood that was enhanced when Dr. Kristia Greenberg, the Assistant Principal for Grade 12, launched the distribution of the diplomas.
Class of 2023 Readers Keshav Badri, Judy Gao, Deborah He, Vedarsi Jaladi and Angela Xu then stood up front during the presentation of the diplomas to their classmates while also pitching in to hand out the certificates were Board of Education members Ms. Loughran, President Steven Singer, Vice President Barry Walker, Lanfang “Lucy” Li, Emily Calistri and Michael Pepe.
Amanda Hirsch addressed the audience again with her Closing Remarks and Principal Hemberger presented the Proclamation when the students moved the tassels on their caps to the left, which signals when a student is crossing over from high school to enter a new chapter in their lives.
The now former students and present alumni then tossed their caps towards the ceiling of the gym.
We all tip our caps to the Bridgewater-Raritan High School Class of 2023.
Here is a link to the Commencement program that listed all of the speakers and guests, and of course, our Class of 2023 graduates.
