Saugus High seniors take center stage at graduation

SAUGUS – The Saugus High School Class of 2011 didn’t need a guest speaker at their graduation – the student speakers inspired each other in their own words and style, with quite a few surprises along the way.The 149th commencement took place on Friday at Stackpole Field with a casual air as graduates-to-be mingled amongst their friends and family sitting in the stands before the ceremony began, instead of the usual illusion of the grand entrance. At 6 p.m., the faculty led 174 students onto the field to the Saugus High School band’s rendition of “Pomp and Circumstance,” who sat in white folding chairs around the 50-yard line and looked toward the makeshift stage for the ceremony to begin.Each speaker, from Erin Mabee, President of the Student Council, to Salutatorian Joseph Sobchuk, received a full introduction by a member of the faculty, which included accomplishments, characteristics and memories warm and comical of that individual – all nine of them introduced as if they were accomplished commencement speakers. In fact, the only non-student speakers were Principal Joseph Diorio and Saugus Superintendent of Schools Richard Langlois.Straight from the graduate’s mouth, they each had a lot to say about leaving high school behind. Mabee centered her speech around the memories the Saugus Class of 2011 had shared together and gave a shout out of thanks to each of the people who had helped her through the four years. “I hope you guys go on to do great things, because you deserve it,” she said to her class, voice breaking as she struggled to hold back tears.Her classmate Kerri Hagstrom, Class President, gave a similar address. “One year ago?we couldn’t wait to get older. We realize now, we could have waited to get older,” she said. “No matter where you go, or who you become, Saugus will always stay with you.”Valedictorian Jonathan Lau had a surprise for everyone in his speech. Michael Bontempo, who introduced Lau, said that Lau “would rather be in the far corner of (the) bleachers” rather than step up to the microphone to give a speech, but he had agreed to do it anyway because “his Ma told him, ‘you’re going to make that speech,'” described Bontempo. Other students and faculty said during and after the ceremony that they had never heard Lau talk at all before that day.”I realize that there were rumors circling that I would attempt to fail my finals so I would go AWOL and not have to make this speech,” began Lau to the response of many laughs. Lau went on to describe the inconvenience and pressure of graduating first in his class: “Whenever I can’t figure out how to use the pump at the gas station, people will say, ‘Hey, weren’t you valedictorian?'”Throughout Lau’s short and honest speech, members of the audience said to one another, shocked, “Oh my god, he’s really funny!” Lau used a story a friend told him to compare college to kindergarten, calling both institutions a “holding pen” for kids who looked like adults, but weren’t ready for the real world. “Of course, no kindergartner is going to get a job with a Fortune 500 company – at least not without affirmative action, anyway,” said Lau, adding, “unfortunately, I skipped kindergarten and that’s why I’m probably here today.”Lau ended his speech with a little bit of wisdom. “Remember, it doesn’t end today?life is all about being where you don’t want to be and listening to people who don’t know what they’re talking about. You just have to learn to suck it up and deal with it, but for now all we have to worry about is graduating.” Lau will be attending the University of Illinois to study artificial intelligence. For those who shared in Bontempo’s joke, who quoted a Dropkick Murphys song while introducing Lau when he said, “Johnny, we never knew ya,” ?.well, they know him now.After diplomas had been given out, two honorary diplomas had yet to be delivered. One went to the high school librarian, who was retiring after 30 years on the job. The other will never reach the honoree – a bal