OCHS grads made it through trying times
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY — “This is a big deal, and I think they did the best that they could with the circumstances that we have,” said Upper Township resident Michelle Powell, whose daughter Brooke Powell was getting ready for the culmination of four years of high school. “You can’t ask for anything better — a sunny day at the beach.”
That “sunny day at the beach” was the perfect backdrop for the (delayed) commencement ceremony of the Ocean City High School Class of 2020. Hundreds of graduates, along with family members, friends and curious onlookers, gathered between Fifth and Sixth streets on the boardwalk Thursday morning, July 9, for the school’s graduation ceremony, held with social distancing and other preventative measures in place.
The scene was a sea of red and white with the deep blue sea beyond. It was the first time many of the graduates had seen one another in person since March 16, when schools shut down under Gov. Phil Murphy’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, going to a fully online learning experience.
Friends greeted each other with hugs and well wishes as the administration attempted to wrangle them into order so they could commence down Fifth Street to Carey Stadium, where seats were placed on the field 6 feet apart.
Powell demonstrated the grit and perseverance of students amid a trying to time that was commended in speeches by the school’s top students and administrators.
“A little inconvenience of looking through a fence; we got this,” Powell said.
Brooke Powell, the oldest of three girls in the family, said she thought the ceremony would be more memorable than an ordinary one typically held in June.
“I would have definitely regretted it if we didn’t have anything. It’s something we’ll never forget, so I am excited,” she said.
Phil and Andrea Bowman, whose daughter Brynn Bowman is best friends with Brooke Powell, were excited that the ceremony was being held.
“We’re happy that the city stepped up and helped us out because the parents were very concerned about not having a graduation with all that’s going on down here at the shore,” Phil Bowman said.
Standing on the Fifth Street ramp, Gavin Allegretto, who will be attending Stockton University in the fall, said having the graduation was “closure a little bit for what happened back in March.”
“It’s definitely a day worth waiting for,” he said, calling it a “bittersweet moment.”
School Choice students Ashley Devlin, of Margate, and Abigail Bennett, of Absecon, were happy to see friends again after months of spending most of their time with family.
“I’m really, really excited. I’m happy to finally be able to have a graduation and I think it’s the perfect day. I’m excited to be with my friends,” Devlin said.
“I’m excited to finally graduate. We’ve waited so long and it’s finally happening,” Bennett said.
Like Phil Bowman, Principal Matt Jamison was grateful that the city did what it could to accommodate the ceremony.
“It feels wonderful. It’s a great Ocean City day. The kids look great, everyone seems to be happy and we are really, really excited about holding a very special and memorable commencement ceremony for the Class of 2020,” he said. “I would like to extend a thank you to the city of Ocean City, specifically Mayor (Jay) Gillian and (police) Chief Jay Prettyman, who went out of their way to help facilitate this ceremony and I really appreciate it.”
Jamison predicted between 66 percent and 75 percent of the 325 graduates would participate in the ceremony, based on response to an online survey.
The ceremony turned into a spectacle for tourists, who lined up to watch both on the boardwalk and along Fifth Street.
Once seated, the graduates were greeted by Jamison, who detailed the dramatic events through which the graduates have lived.
“They are unique in their ways, born in the shadow of 9/11, they entered school during the Great Recession, experienced Hurricane Sandy in middle school and are now graduating amid the COVID-19 crisis. They have demonstrated the true spirit of our nation and have earned this ceremony. This day belongs to them,” Jamison said.
He then welcomed student Haley Stanks, whose speech was themed on the concept that “time flies when you’re having fun.”
“I’m sure that for those sitting on the field now, it really does feel like just yesterday we walked through those doors at freshman orientation, sat next to a new best friend in our history class, or met our favorite teacher. Parents, I’m sure it feels even quicker to you that your kids are almost officially high school alumni. Yes, of course, time does seem to fly, but in these four short years we have all made so many memories,” Stanks said, going on to reflect on the students’ readiness and unity.
“We entered high school ready for whatever came our way. Students from Upper Township, Ocean City, Margate, Brigantine, Absecon and more soon blended into one identity as Ocean City High School Red Raiders,” she said. “I think what makes the Class of 2020 truly remarkable is our involvement. I have never seen a group of kids so dedicated to their passions. From Student Council to the swim team, French Club to the Drama Guild, Cross Country to Best Buddies, the Class of 2020 is widely represented in all of these activities and more.”
“We’ve been preparing to be seniors since Sept. 6, 2016, and we truly left our mark on OCHS this year. Though we never could have predicted that our last day of high school would be March 16, 2020, we all must remember what great memories we made during our high school years. What matters is not how much time we had but what we did with the time we were given together, and trust me, we’ve done a lot,” she said.
“The poet Cyrus Parker once wrote, ‘beginnings and endings are both important, but never forget to savor the moments in between.’ I think that applies greatly to what we’re going through right now. Even though we’re currently looking toward the future, one day we will reflect back on our high school experiences, and I guarantee that neither orientation nor graduation will be the first events to come to mind when you think of your time at OCHS.
She was followed by Joshua Barnes, who detailed the innovations of the past century, saying that as great as they were, change is still necessary.
“As we progress in 2020, our class will be challenged to see beyond the tangible and be proactive toward a future of which we are uncertain. Our innovations, actions and decisions will affect our global society for the next 100 years, regardless of our intentions. So instead of avoiding or ignoring this inevitable reality, let us embrace it,” Barnes said, advocating for unity and learning from the past.
“To me, our generation’s legacy is critical. I do not know about you, but I refuse to allow history to describe us as those who crippled the planet or allowed political gridlock to become the norm. In order to affect real, and most importantly, impactful change, we must unite,” he said.
Drawing inspiration from Super Bowl LII champion Philadelphia Eagles, Barnes said victory is the culmination of a team effort.
“We all know their underdog-to-World Champions story,” Barnes said. “But how? How did the Eagles rise from the NFL’s basement to its top stage in one short season? The answer is simple: teamwork and belief.”
He said the team ignored others’ skepticism and never quit, never gave in.
“Rather, the Eagles organization, from starters all the way down to water boys, rallied around their common goal,” he said.
More importantly, he said, the Eagles set aside personal differences to achieve, equating that connection to that of he and his fellow graduates.
“The Class of 2020 never allowed disagreements and harsh words to hinder our success. Our sports teams, theater productions and school clubs made Ocean City High School nationally recognized. Rather than allowing trivial differences to paralyze the team dynamic, compromises were made and everybody moved forward toward a shared objective. For this, we sacrificed our egos and acknowledged that worthwhile goals transcend individual desire,” he said.
Admitting that a sports metaphor is “not perfectly analogous to everyday life,” he said it demonstrates that “there is no skill nor talent more powerful than the indomitable human spirit.”
Completing the metaphor, Barnes said he and his fellow graduates play for the same team — “Team Humanity.”
“Everybody in this arena today shares one goal, one passion, one desire: to make our lives, our country and our world the best place possible. This class has the mindset to accept that anything in isolation — knowledge, talent, intuition — is incomplete. … Moving forward outside the walls of Ocean City High School, we must go about our lives with our minds a bit more open, our spirit a bit more optimistic and our compassion a bit more apparent.
“For when we do this, humanity will unite. And when Team Humanity is united behind a common goal with an unbreakable spirit, we will collectively create a society equipped to propel us into a stronger tomorrow, which is a legacy worth providing.”
