The Cook County High School Class of 2013 celebrates the end of commencement exercises—and their high school career—with a toss of the mortarboard. The June 1 ceremony was joyful from beginning to end.
Commencement exercises for the Cook County High School Class of 2013 were held on Saturday, June 1 in the Cook County varsity gymnasium before a huge crowd of proud parents and community members—in keeping with the class motto: “Go Big or Go Home!”
The Cook County High School Band, directed by Kerri Bilben, played the traditional Pomp and Circumstance as the 52 graduates entered, some solemn; some grinning broadly. The band then played the National Anthem. After a welcome by Principal Gwen Carman, graduating senior band members joined the band for one last musical selection in their high school career, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.
It was time then for the representatives of the Class of 2013—valedictorian Mara MacDonell and salutatorian Katherine Vander Heiden— to share their thoughts.
Above: Mara MacDonell and Cailan Carpenter, diplomas in hand, celebrate as they exit the gym. Valedictorian Mara’s final words to her classmates? “We did it!” Left: Salutatorian Katie Vander Heiden was all smiles with her diploma as well.
MacDonell thanked the audience for being at graduation. She reflected on childhood memories and her feeling that those memories alternated between rewind and fast-forward in these last weeks. She noted that the Class of 2013 would walk out the doors as high school graduates and said, “It’s a bittersweet moment.”
“I’m excited for my future and the future of my classmates, but it’s strange to think that next fall we won’t all be sitting at desks, making more memories and friendships,” said MacDonell. She said she hoped that all of their lives are enriched by the time they spent together.
Turning to those classmates, she said, “Thanks for the friendship and the memories,” adding with a big smile, “We did it!”
Salutatorian Katie Vander Heiden was next and she had a moment of panic when she did not immediately see her speech on the podium. After finding it, she began, “I couldn’t decide what to say because everything’s been said before,” she said, “and then my friends said don’t worry about it, no one will remember what I say in a few years—they’ll only remember how red my face was!”
Vander Heiden thanked everyone in attendance for being there to share the Class of 2013’s final moments as seniors and their first moments as graduates.
Vander Heiden spoke of many of the successes of students in their high school career but added that the failures and mistakes made along the way were meaningful as well. “Each one made us stronger,” she said.
Vander Heiden said she was glad that the senior class had grown closer than it had ever been, but said, “Whether we want to admit it or not, there were moments when we asked, ‘Why would they do that? Or what are they wearing?’ Looking back on those moments, those people that we each questioned were following their own passions, despite what others thought. I admire each and every one of us for doing what we love, despite the judgment of others, and I hope we continue that in the future.” Vander Heiden said graduation was a time not to judge each other, but to wish one another good luck. She closed with a quote from Bernard Baruch, “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.”
A lovely musical piece followed, an original song written by graduate Michaela Peterson with Laura Laky. Michaela Peterson and Sarah Larsen sang Hello World, a poignant goodbye to friends venturing out into the “big old world.”
Katie Vander Heiden, who was not only salutatorian but also senior class president, introduced the 2013 commencement speaker, Mike Boomer. Vander Heiden said Boomer was not only the father of one of the graduates, Kale Boomer, and had served as a football coach for many years, but was a role model for the class.
Coach Boomer talked about the rite of passage of graduation and likened it to a journey on a train. He said the graduates were facing transition—changing trains. He joked that some of the graduates had “jumped off the train months ago and have been running alongside of it.” Others, he said, may not have realized it yet, but will have to get off the train “like it or not.”
Boomer talked about the challenges of “leaving the train with a small, quiet, predictable route” that allowed the students to grow and change. He said the new train would move blindingly fast and, slipping into football coach mode, Boomer said it would require “change, effort, courage, discipline and enthusiasm.”
He said preparation is the key to survival and he began pulling items out of a backpack. First, hammer and duct tape, telling students that they need these things to construct things for their dorms or barracks— or to smash things. Boomer suggested that if they are losing sleep and dropping grades because they were playing too much Call of Duty, they should use the hammer to smash their video game—which he did, startling the seniors by taking the hammer to a videogame controller. Likewise, a cell phone. Boomer said if the students are tweeting too much personal information or could no longer remember how to spell, smash the phone—which he did.
Boomer pulled more survival items out of his backpack— toilet paper, a bottle opener, Tums, a toothbrush, a Bible, which he said was his compass on his life’s journey and a dollar bill. With each item came a life lesson. Most of the items Boomer tossed to the listening graduates— except his Bible and the dollar bill, which he pocketed with a grin.
Boomer encouraged the seniors to be on the train with people who make good choices. He noted that the difference between the criminal and the lawyer were choices. The difference between the professional and the panhandler are the choices they made on the journey. He urged the graduates to choose wisely and to remember the words of Hall of Fame Football Coach Bill Parcells, “We’re all on this train together.”
A uniquely Cook County tradition followed—a brief intermission as the Senior Slide Show was set up. Business Teacher Jane Gellner, who works with graduates each year to create the show, introduced Luke Fenwick, who, she said, did the majority of the work. Fenwick grinned and said, “Enjoy your seniors!” and a trip down memory lane followed as photos of the graduates as babies, as kindergarteners, as seniors, flashed on the gymnasium wall.
Finally, it was time for the presentation of diplomas. English teacher Ivy Church read names and Superintendent Beth Schwarz handed each student his or her diploma. There for extra handshakes and congratulations were School Board Chair Jeanne Anderson, Grand Portage Tribal Council Representative John Morrin, Sawtooth Mountain Elementary School teacher Jana Larson, Business Teacher Jane Gellner, and Guidance Counselor Bryan Hackbarth.
After all of the diplomas were distributed, Principal Carman recognized the Class of 2013—and hats were happily tossed in the air. The high school band, playing without those senior members, performed a recessional, a medley of Let It Be and Hey Jude by Lennon and McCartney. The graduates each received a purple chrysanthemum as they left the gym to be greeted by a big crowd in the hallways, and outside, to be greeted by the big old world.
Congratulations, Class of 2013!
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