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Video monitors made the speakers larger than life. The aspirations reflected in the student speeches were big, too, although tempered by some words of caution.
"Our fair share of work is still cut out for us," Salerni said. "We're only 18 years old."
He urged his classmates to take changes and be innovative, but also to be serious about college.
"Don't waste your time and your parents' money," he said.
They would know they were on the wrong track, he said, "if you find yourself passing out at 3, waking up at 10, going out to eat and doing it again."
Newington High Principal William Collins praised the Class of 2009 for all of its attributes.
"Your life," he told the students, "can be compared to a fresh lump of clay," to be sculpted by all that they do, good and bad, from now on.
Their possibilities were endless, he said, and included saving the planet.
Before Collins and Salerni, class salutatorian Lauren Duran compared her classmates' young lives to a song taking form.
"We will all bear the title of artist," Duran said, "as we write our own distinct melodies."
Their time at NHS had given them rhythms to choose from, she said, and "your rhythm defines you."
She had a word of caution, too:
"Associate with those who will complement your song."
Class essayist Lauren Pitruzzello spoke about the interconnectedness of a new world, and about the importance of making those connections personal.
"The voice of an individual carries no resonance," she said, "unless it is heard by others."
Class President Natalie Battistone reminded her fellow seniors of some of the adversity they had been through, including the murder of a school resource officer, during their time at NHS.
"Our accomplishments have been defined by what we have overcome," Battistone said.
Ralph Hohman can be reached at rhohman@newbritainherald.com and by calling (860) 225-4601, ext. 236.
