Schools

Live Blog Recap: Catonsville High School Commencement

The Class of 2011 graduates at UMBC RAC Arena

(8:30 p.m.) The last student crosses the stage and everyone gets to their feet. It is hard to hear Principal Bittner instruct the students to move their tassles to the left. Caps fly through the air. Congratulations Class of 2011!

(8:05 p.m.) Students have started the procession across the stage. Several parents and family members are overlooking the request to not cheer for individual students as the procession moves further along.

Representatives from Baltimore County Public Schools and the Board of Education are issuing diplomas. They include Manuel Rodriguez, assistant superintendent of middle schools and board members Mike Bowler, Ramona Johnson and George Moniodis.

(7:55 p.m.) The second commencement speaker Sebastian Ritschel jokes about how the students have survived everything that’s been thrown at them: bomb threats, food fights, AP exams and [High School Assessment] tests.

The next step for them is to take the torch they are being handed from their parents and teachers. They need to see this as an opportunity, he said.

“Together, we are capable of achieving something great,” he said. “We must be skeptical, we must doubt. We must refuse to believe that there are questions that need to be answered. We must hold onto our creativity.”

Ritschel ends his speech quoting from the comic Calvin and Hobbes, “it’s a magical world out there, Hobbes, let’s go exploring.”

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(7:45 p.m.) Caitlin Wheatley, one of the student speakers, starts her speech by discussing all the problems in the world: Iraq, tornadoes and poverty.

Whenever she gets depressed about the state of affairs, her parents reminded her of all the struggles that previous generations faced.

“We have the chance to make sweeping changes to make the world a better place...the younger generation can make things happen,” she said.

“That’s what graduation is about. We celebrate what we’ve accomplished in high school and we look to what we can accomplish in the future.”

(7:30 p.m.) There are 418 graduates in this year’s class.

Principal Deborah Bittner recognizes retiring staff members at the school, who have served a total of 75 years.

Students received a total of $5 million in scholarships and CHS was recognized for the 8th consecutive year as one of the top 100 high schools in the nation.

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Bittner also encouraged students to take an 'I can' attitude that will allow them to accomplish their goals. 

"I know each of you has what it takes to make that individual dream come true. I need you to take on an 'I can' attitude," she said.

(7:10 p.m.) Students have filed into the arena and parents stream to the railings to take pictures. A sea of royal blue is filling the floor of the arena and the cheers and are getting louder. A few parents nearby are also starting to get misty eyed.

(6:55 p.m.) We're about 10 minutes away from the start of the 106th annual commencement exercises of Catonsville High School.

The seats are going fast at RAC Arena, and a boisterous crowd of soon-to-be graduates is spilling outside one of the side entrances.



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