Cheering on Palo Alto High School's 110th graduating class of 400 students, parents and family from across the country weathered the sweltering heat Wednesday evening on the school's lawn. Students wore leis, flowers and neck-wreaths woven with dollar bills and candy bars.
The moment was bittersweet for many of these graduates who said they will miss their friends.
"I'll never forget the friends I have made, teachers who guided me through," graduate Greer Stone said in his commencement address. "Thank you to all."
"I can't think of a better place to finish our high school career," graduate Will Frazier said in his commencement address. "It seems like yesterday it was the first day of school."
More than 90 percent of this year's class will go on to attend two- and four-year colleges, according to Assistant Principal Katya Villalobos, subbing in for Principal Scott Laurence who had gone to attend his son's graduation at Gunn High School.
The class boasts a U.S. Presidential Scholar, a top-five Science Olympiad competitor and two national merit scholars, she added.
Each student received cheers, whistles and horn blowing each time their name was called.
One graduate, however, Blaine Marchant, received a standing ovation from more than half his class.
Marchant recently received much media coverage for his senior prank where he overturned his graffiti-covered Volvo onto the school's deck causing damage. Police say he will not be charged with a felony.
By graduation the deck was fixed.
"It felt good," Marchant said about the support his classmates gave him.
Classmates, parents and grandparents mostly supported Marchant. Those who had no opinion or disapproved did not want to be quoted.
"I think it was an unforgettable thing here at Paly," graduate Kevin Dexter said about incident. "He's got a bunch of publicity."
"It was a good prank, but he got caught," graduate Burke Boyle said. "I approve of his prank as far as pranks go."
"They seemed to support his family," grandparent Helen Morrow said. "His friends stood by him."
"It didn't hurt anything," grandparent Susan Young said. "And if his parents have the cost of the car taken out, it's just totally ridiculous," she added about the felony charges.
After the ceremony the graduates boarded several buses and went to San Francisco for an all night senior party.
Posted by connie, a resident of the College Terrace neighborhood, on Jun 15, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Those who ever wondered why Palo Alto is often referred to as 'Shallow Alto", could've attended or read about the Paly graduation, in which Blaine Marchant received a loud standing O from students and parents alike.
Posted by ron, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Jun 15, 2007 at 7:38 pm
well, you see, blaine marchant is the young exclusive country club member who pulled a prank on the hired help, aka paly administration, and the adult country club members naturally rallied around the young squire, who the inferior hired help dared attempt to get punished. it's crucial that we maintain the class hierarchy where everybody know their rightful place.
Posted by blimey, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 15, 2007 at 7:57 pm
The rousing standing ovation for young Mr. Marchant by both students and parents was necessary to ensure that the lower classes know their proper place and to discourage them from ever challenging the clever pranks pulled by their betters. What is this world coming to if the lower classes attempt to challenge their masters?
Posted by At graduation, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, on Jun 16, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I was at the graduation, and am certain that only about 1/3 of the graduates and a small handful of people in the audience cheered for Blaine. Most people (including my kid and most fellow graduates) politely clapped and did not go crazy.
However, stating that he got a "rousing standing ovation" is more interesting in a news story than reality, I suppose.
The main reason for the cheers, according to my graduating offspring, was to indicate that the administration over-reacted. Most of the kids I talked with in the Class of '007 felt that the prank was fairly stupid, but that the administration's strong reaction was even more stupid.
That said ... I hope that airhorns and noisemakers are banned from future graduations. There was a group right behind my family that had several airhorns that they honked for a loooonnnggg time for their pal -- drowning out the name of the two kids who followed. It was just rude.
Posted by Yourmom, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jun 16, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Everyone can just shut up about Blaine. So what if he got a lot of cheers? You guys can waste your time being bitter if you want, but it all happened and there isn't anything anyone can do and Blaine is awesome and an amazing friend and that is why I cheered, and I'm sure why the majority of other people cheered. From the look on his face when he came back it looked like he was embarassed about the whole thing, and I was teasing him about it and he just shook his head and didn't say anything. Its not like he was beaming and proud about his "Tom Cheers" or whatever.
Posted by blimey, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 16, 2007 at 3:11 pm
i say old chap, or old girl for that matter-we are not being bitter, en contreur. we are glad that young blaine and his fellow young and not so young aristocrats have put the hired help in their place and showed them that impertinence won't do at all.
Posted by blimey, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 16, 2007 at 8:16 pm
oh yes, i say, the slide show, how splendid. the aristocrats recording their glory in a slide show, facilitating the experience for the blue blooded folk who who are fearful of the hot sun which only the bloody kafirs can stand. jolly good. and how splendid that the hired help got to sample some of the canapes leftovers in the servant quarters where they belong.
Posted by blimey, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 16, 2007 at 8:36 pm
and young lord blaine, splendidly attired, fresh off his triumph over the rioting lower classes,who so impertinently dared class warfare. lord blaine, how smashingly fetching he was, splendid, splendid i say. i would be so bloody fortunate if he agreed to come round to my country estate as the guest of honor for my next hunting party. bloody fortunate i will be, my word.
Posted by Eliot Wilson, a member of the Palo Alto High School community, on Jun 17, 2007 at 7:37 pm
Seems as though someone is trying their hand at comedy. Unfortunately, Blimey, you are terribly misguided. The fact is, Blaine will be punished, but the administration attempted to jail him by "wrongly estimating" the price of the car removal. Blaine is a good, humble kid who's only crime was participating in the annual tradition of pranks at Paly. Fact is, at another school this wouldn't be a big deal, and Blaine 's only punishment would be to remove the car and repair the deck. As far as I can tell, that consisted only of replacing two measly boards in the deck.
Posted by blimey, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 18, 2007 at 6:49 am
naturally, old boy, if one of your neighborly chaps flipped his old volvo onto your front yard, paint sprayed with gang graffiti, you would just laughed it off as the annual tradition of pranks in your neighborhood. jolly sporty of you old chap, jolly sporty. and young master blaine, humble he is, my word. treats the downstairs chaps decently does he?
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