he San Clemente High School graduating class of 2014 has seen a number of challenges in their four years at the school. Two years ago, a bomb threat forced a delay on the first day of school as the class was just beginning their sophomore year. This year, classes were halted as an appar- ent threat on social media forced a lockdown of the school. A new principal came on board. But the class also saw the school contest every CIF title, win championships for dance, put on successful theatrical and music productions, strove for high achievement academically and made a commitment to community service. Senior Speaker Campbell George described the school as “a bastion of community spirit,” and that the class had “unquestionably left this school a better place than we found it,” to the cheers of his classmates as they prepared to move forward with their lives. Principal Michael Halt told the seniors to be open to new experiences, and embrace the fact that they didn’t need to know what path they needed to take or even what sort of person they were going to be. “You’re excited about blazing your own trails,” Halt told the class. “You showed us the real class in the Class of 2014.” A Bastion of Spirit T www.sanclementetimes.com San Clemente Times June 26-July 2, 2014 Page 11 San Clemente High School’s Class of 2014 celebrates graduation Photos: Jim Shilander, Brian Miller and Bret Miller By Jim Shilander
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he San Clemente High School graduating class of 2014 has seen a number of challenges in their four years at the school. Two years ago, a bomb threat forced a delay
on the fi rst day of school as the class was just beginning their sophomore year. This year, classes were halted as an appar-ent threat on social media forced a lockdown of the school. A new principal came on board. But the class also saw the school contest every CIF title, win championships for dance, put on successful theatrical and music productions, strove for high achievement academically and made a commitment to community service.
Senior Speaker Campbell George described the school as “a bastion of community spirit,” and that the class had “unquestionably left this school a better place than we found it,” to the cheers of his classmates as they prepared to move forward with their lives.
Principal Michael Halt told the seniors to be open to new experiences, and embrace the fact that they didn’t need to know what path they needed to take or even what sort of person they were going to be.
“You’re excited about blazing your own trails,” Halt told the class. “You showed us the real class in the Class of 2014.”
A Bastion of Spirit
T
www.sanclementetimes.comSan Clemente Times June 26-July 2, 2014 Page 11
San Clemente High School’s Class of 2014 celebrates graduation
Photos: Jim Shilander, Brian Miller and Bret Miller
By Jim Shilander
an Clemente High School Class of 2014:As we gather here today for commencement, the abundance of positive emotion makes it easy to forget all that we have experienced. We began our sophomore year
evacuated to this very stadium due to a bomb threat, followed by school closures and the largest power outage in California history. While not as dark as these times, there have been other, less glowing moments of high school: hiking the hill, negotiating the parking lot, studying all night long. The diploma that each of us will soon receive is as much the story of these struggles as it is of our academic triumphs. In fact, it is only in contrast to the darker moments of our high school career that we can recognize within ourselves a conse-quence of our graduation far more important than any transcript or test score: a glowing light of passion that knows no bounds.
Glance at the sun. What you see is not a defi ned sphere, but rather a diffuse array of energy that spans millions of miles across space to shine on us this afternoon. Much like sunlight is necessary for life and growth, high school has ignited our development as young men and women. Whether our paths have been lit with the stadium lights as an athlete, the stage lights as a performer, or simply the fl uorescent glow of a classroom, we all bask under some commonalities. Our beacons have been our family, friends, and faculty. Our teachers have given us the textbook knowledge and communication skills to survive and thrive be-yond adolescence. Our peers have forged with us immutable bonds of support and honesty. Our families have fought with us, have embarrassed us, but most of all, have loved us.
Though the afterglow of graduation will stay with us for a few days, the sun will even-tually set on this senior summer. We will all walk out of Thalassa Stadium today, not as
‘Light Up the World; Start a Firestorm of Positive Energy’
SBy Ethan Gacek, San Clemente High School Scholar of Scholars
Ethan Gacek encourages fellow graduates to fi nd a way to make their mark
www.sanclementetimes.comSan Clemente Times June 26-July 2, 2014 Page 13
students for whom others are responsible, but as graduates with our own responsibilities. Our light, carefree naiveté will soon be challenged by a darker reality. Hunger, poverty and human strife within and beyond our little Spanish village by the sea could easily overwhelm us. These challenges make it is easy to view the impending throw of our graduation caps as insubstantial as the very threads from which our tassels are made. But the light of knowl-edge that is represented by turning our tassels is powerful.
As graduates, we are no longer reliant upon light from external sources to show us the way. Instead, we can now generate our own rays of positive impact. We must help others with the talents and energies that have been revealed to us over these past four years. Our light by itself, or for ourselves, is nothing. Light dies when it has no direction or outlet. Its power can only be demonstrated when we use it to help others uncover and develop their own gifts. As one candle can successively light infi nitely many more, so one selfl ess action can ignite an unstoppable chain reaction of illumination.
In darkness, the human eye can see a single candle fl ame from 30 miles away. It only takes one glimmer to inspire everyone to look beyond the blackness and into the light of hope. My fellow seniors, I challenge each and every one of you to be that pinpoint of light that cannot be swallowed by shadows. Make a spark. Strike a match. Light a candle and share your energies, your efforts, your compassion, your empathy and your love.
Class of 2014, to say that we’ve fi nished high school may sound attractive, but it really doesn’t do ourselves justice. Rather, our individual paths lie gleaming before us. As we graduate, I leave you with one last request: light up the world; start a fi restorm of positive energy. Thank you.
The San Clemente High School Graduating Class of 2014:(*) Indicates Valedictorians(+) Indicates Academic Distinc-tion
This list was provided by the school and may not include some names, per parent request.
San Clemente Graduates from Other Area Schools
Saddleback Valley ChristianKeane Adams BennettAlexandra Lee CarterShalyn Nicole Shirley Lorraine ChambersThomas Joseph ConleyCanaan Yoshiji HowardAndrew Jefferson JohnsonTorrey Robert KarlsenJordan John KudlaCaitlin Malone RaffertyElliot Joel RheeXiaoxin Yuan
Dana Hills High SchoolJohn CarrollMeghan DickmannRachel D’ItriAndrew DunnRobert OlveriasIndira RaymondConnor Shirvan
Capistrano Valley ChristianEric Donaldson BeveridgeJustin Thomas BurgerCassandra Fe JeltemaJasmin Alexandria KepnerEmily Paige Martin
St. Margaret’sCarl EubanksConnor FallonKassidy FarinaAustin HannaChristopher HowingtonCarolyn KingBrooks RobinsonElizabeth SchmallShane SpaetheMathew Williams
San Clemente High School Senior AwardsPresented May 30
International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidates
Tara Afshar Alex Balazs Adam Brownell Dylan Chandler Peter Dahl Zachary Ellis Olivia French Ethan Gacek Campbell George Eli Gerhard Matthew Greenberg Olivia Halas Allison Hansen Kathleen Hartmann Jeremy Hong Sabrina Horrack Shannon Jones Natalie Karapetian Drew Kurt Coby Larinde Kyla Morency Jake Moskowitz Gillian Perry Nadja Punak Nicolas Salvini Sabrina Schundler Jack Seeburger Samantha Starr Lauren Strope Marley Stubban Marcus TurnerNicki Vleisides Reese WahlinJulia Yeam Sahel Zargari David Zhu
National Merit Scholarship Program
Commended StudentsEthan Gacek Alexander Zhang
National Achievement Scholarship FinalistEthan Gacek
Female Athletes of the Year NomineesNicole Faris-SoccerShannon McCasland-SoftballMelissa Eisele-Cross CountryOlivia Merlino-LacrosseTaylor Brubaker-VolleyballBrigette Kimbrough-Water PoloJessica DeGree-BasketballEmmy Lombard-Surfi ngJessica Erickson-Track and FieldJulia Yeam-TennisElizabeth Cruz-Swimming
Female Athletes of the YearNicole FarisMelissa Eisele
Male Athletes of the Year NomineesZackery Adcock-WrestlingAustin Miller-BasketballCoby Larinde-Swim/Water PoloShawn Stephens-VolleyballMatthew Parker-Cross CountryJohn Sheaks-BaseballDylan Struthers-SoccerKelsey Benoit-Track and FieldReese Wahlin-GolfColton Overin-Surfi ngCollin Zines-FootballMatt Greenberg-TennisPeyton Garrett-Lacrosse
Male Athlete of the YearDylan Struthers
Triton of the Year
Triton of the Year NomineesMason DelahookeEthan GacekAubrey HallCarter JuncalNicki VleisidesReese Wahlin
Triton of the YearMason Delahooke
CONGRATULATIONS TOSAN CLEMENTE HIGH SCHOOL’S CLASS OF 2014!
www.sanclementetimes.comSan Clemente Times June 26-July 2, 2014 Page 20