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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.
The graduating classes of 2007:
Eastside College Preparatory School