Related Posts
74 graduates take to the stage for commencement
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
GREENVILLE — The Class of 2022 saw 74 seniors take to the stage Friday evening to accept their diplomas during the 94th annual commencement at Greenville Central High School.
They filed into the auditorium to the traditional tune of “Pomp and Circumstance.”
Senior John “Jack” Motta led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and Principal Kristy Goergen delivered the welcome address.
She told the graduating class they experienced a great deal of change throughout their high school years, including living through a pandemic, and even a new high school principal. Goergen thanked the class for giving her a warm welcome when she took the school’s helm.
“Graduation is a time to reflect on your years in school. It’s a time to look back on your accomplishments, the challenges you overcame, the memories made and celebrate where you are now,” Goergen said.
Cheyenne Bogusz delivered the salutatorian address, expressing gratitude to those who helped her along the way and reflecting on the unique experience her class had living through the COVID-19 pandemic for much of their time in high school.
“While I am sure previous high school classes have said the same, high school really has been turbulent for the Class of 2022, but I don’t think any one of us would change that,” Bogusz said. “The COVID pandemic gave us the opportunity to grow, to develop independence and really challenge ourselves to step up.”
The majority of the class’s high school experience was impacted by the pandemic, she said.
“Ninth grade was normal. Then came 10th grade,” Bogusz said. “I don’t think any one of us could ever imagine that we would spend the last 15 weeks of our sophomore year logging onto Google Meets. Suddenly, the building and the faces that we were all so familiar with, felt like a distant memory.”
During their junior year, classes were hybrid, with students attending school a couple of days a week and logging into remote classes the rest of the week. Their senior year was more “normal,” but still saw many restrictions, quarantines and cancellations, she said.
Valedictorian Emma Haller also reflected on how the pandemic affected the Class of 2022.
“When we look back on our high school lives, we can see all we have managed to accomplish despite the very real hardships we have endured,” Haller said. “Our class is a part of the generation that was not able to experience high school in the way we should have. In fact, the last completely normal school year we had was freshman year in 2018. But although the last few years have not been easy on any of us, the perseverance and positivity of this class as well as the love and support from everyone here, has enabled us to reach this important moment in our lives.”
District Superintendent Michael Bennett was the final speaker and spoke of the many changes the Class of 2022 have had to contend with.
“You persevered through it all,” Bennett said. “I am a strong believer in silver linings, and when you are faced with challenges or setbacks, that is how you learn and grow. In life you will face many more obstacles and many more challenges. Learning from them is an important part of growth.”
The top 10 students in the Class of 2022 were valedictorian Emma Haller, salutatorian Cheyenne Bogusz, Sydney Ahrberg, Celina Miller, Madeleine Stewart, Taryn Silk, Patrick Close, Hanna Case, John “Jack” Motta and Aurora Gandolfo.
Check out more photos from Friday evening’s commencement:
Friendship Festival returns next weekend
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
RAVENA — The days of summer are dwindling and that means one thing in Ravena — the Friendship Festival is almost here!
This year’s festival will be held Aug. 26 at Mosher Park, beginning at 1 p.m. and going all day until nightfall, when the day will be concluded with a massive fireworks display.
The park will be filled with vendors selling their wares, free games and activities for the kids, food, live music and more.
Admission to the festival is free.
Here is the schedule of events throughout the day on Saturday, Aug. 26:
- 1-3 p.m.: Foam Party
- 1-7 p.m.: Bounce house and obstacle courses
- 1-6 p.m.: Rock wall
- 1-7 p.m.: Face painting
- 1-5 p.m.: Tie-dye station (limited supplies)
- 1-7 p.m.: Innovation Station
- 1-5 p.m.: Science Chef (Discovery Booth 1-5 p.m., show starts at 4 p.m.)
- 3 p.m.: Watermelon eating contest
- 4-4:45 p.m.: Science Chef Show
There will also be live music performed throughout the day by three bands. The teenage rock band Currently Nameless will perform from 3:30-4 p.m.; the Musicats Quartet will perform from 5-6 p.m.; and Dusk ‘til Dawn will perform from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
If you would love to show off your watermelon eating skills, the contest will begin promptly at 3 p.m. for four age groups to win gift cards. Kids ages 5-8 years old will compete for a $10 prize; 9–12-year-olds will vie for a $20 prize; 13-16-year-olds will compete for a $30 prize; and the adult category, ages 16 and up, will contend for a $40 prize. Prize amounts will be awarded in the form of Stewart’s Shops gift cards. There is still time to enter the competition, visit the Facebook page for Village of Ravena Celebrations & Community Building to register.
Kids’ games will be hosted under a carnival game tent sponsored by Rail to River Brewing, with games like bean bag toss, plinko, ring toss and tin can slam. Don and Cheryl Gillen made the carnival games.
And in a Friendship Festival tradition, there will be dunk tank sponsored by the RCS Community Business Association, with all proceeds from the tank donated to RCS Youth Football and Cheer. The names of the “dunkees” were not yet available at press time, but stop by the booth on festival day to find out.
One thing that will be different this year is how the face painting station will be conducted. Last year there were long lines and wait times for kids to get their faces painted, so this year there will be a new system in place. To get a face painting session, stop by the face painting pavilion on the hill, near Whitbeck Street, to pick up a free ticket, which will have the time of your session. Tickets will be available until all slots are filled. There is no cost, but tickets will be needed to schedule your time slot. Face painting will be done by Stellar-NY and Face Painting by Crystal.
This year’s Friendship Festival is sponsored by Barton & Loguidice, Crawford & Associates Engineering, CTI, South Town Optical, Mueller’s Auto, Capitaland Filter & Supply, Selkirk Transmission, Coeymans Landing Marine Services, John T. Biscone, Burns & Sons, and C.A. Albright & Sons.