CALABASAS, CA — "It was a long four years in the blink of an eye," said Calabasas High School graduating senior Jonah Mazer in a speech delivered at the Class of 2020's virtual graduationThursday.
Those four years came to an unconventional end as CHS's graduating class pre-recorded their ceremony a week in advance, and walked out to pre-recorded applause. Students and teachers reflected on slowing down, social distancing, movie scripts, and TikTok challenges in front of a rear projection screen in the school's performing arts studio that showed the school's football field.
Welcome to 2020.
The ceremony began with well wishes from three high-profile celebrities. Actor and Hidden Valley resident Jamie Foxxassured the Calabasas Coyotes that despite unpredictable times, they will be "blooming, budding, and setting a new trail for the future.
"We need you," Foxx continued. "All us old people, we need to get out of the way and let y'all handle y'all business. Do your thing! Congratulations! 20-20 vision."
Rainn Wilson, an actor best known for playing "Office" oddball Dwight Schrute, asked the Calabasas "Pumpkins," as he referred to them, to "use your amazing that you've just received to try and make the world a better place, to give back to others, and most importantly, stay connected to these, your friends from high school, because they'll be with you for the rest of your lives."
Encino resident and L.A. Rams Coach Sean McVay sounded the part when he reminded the graduating class that the "mentally tough people are gonna be the ones that succeed," and encouraged the class to find out what they are passionate about.
CHS Principal C.J. Foss spoke about the importance of slowing down in an age of Zoom.
"I will remember you as you were the first day in school," said Foss. "You wore green wigs, green tights, green shirts, and you charged onto the campus, and then you did something that I have never seen a class do. You slowed down. You walked onto the senior quad as if you truly owned it, and were savoring the moment."
Foss continued that the ability to slow down and reconnect with family during quarantine may be an unexpected silver lining.
"You lost out on senior events, and yet you slowed down at home to rediscover having a meal with your family, cooking with your family doing puzzles together, the joy of finding that last piece of a 1000-piece puzzle," said Foss. "Some of you rediscovered that you had a bicycle, you rediscovered roller blades and skateboards, and you slowed down and were mindful about taking care of yourself and taking care of others. Class of 2020 – as you zoom forward – please hold onto some of that slowness that you discovered."
Las Virgenes Unified School District Superintedent Dr. Daniel Steponosky asked graduates to "look out for each other, lift each other up, but above all, be engaged in the world around you."
Senior speaker Jonah Mazer, who will study film at the University of Southern California this fall, compared his class's journey to a movie, with naïve freshmen living in Act I, busy sophomores and juniors living in Act II, and "compassionate and knowledgeable" seniors enduring a difficult Act III.
"But like a lot of movies, the story does not end there, and it does not end here," Mazer said. "Our time at Calabasas high was like a movie for each of us, and now the next steps we all take, these will be our sequels. New blank page ones. New stories to be written. There are no right or wrongs. There's only the people we choose to be and the paths we choose to follow in life."
"difficult" - Google News
June 17, 2020 at 10:51AM
https://ift.tt/2N3jPoW
Calabasas Seniors Cap Off Difficult Year In Touching Graduation - Patch.com
"difficult" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2VWzYBO
https://ift.tt/3d5eskc
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Calabasas Seniors Cap Off Difficult Year In Touching Graduation - Patch.com"
Post a Comment