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Sunday, June 25, 2006

BY SYDNEY SCHWARTZ

Copyright © 2006 Republican-American

WASHINGTON, Conn. — The drizzles started just after 1 p.m., as the Class of 2006 marched out of the cafeteria, around the Shepaug Valley High School pond, and up the hill — in clean, dry and pressed blue and white graduation robes.

The rain got a bit heavier as the faculty advisers spoke. Parents and friends put up dozens of colorful umbrellas, obstructing others' views of graduates giggling beneath their caps.

But during Senior Class President Ashley M. Cartagena's speech, the downpour began.

"I actually thought it was kind of hilarious," she said a few minutes later, back in the shelter of the cafeteria. "At least it'll be memorable."

The Shepaug commencement was moved inside Saturday afternoon, for the second time in its 18 year-outdoor history, Principal Gene Horrigan said.

Horrigan interrupted Cartagena a few minutes into her speech to announce that attendants would "yield to Mother Nature for a few minutes," prompting hundreds to run for cover.

He later said the sound of thunder influenced the decision.

"It's a cherry on top of an awesome year," said Lauren Hunt, 17, of Washington, who will attend the University of Hartford. "It's a curse on our class."

In one corner of the cafeteria, about a dozen senior girls took off their white robes and shook them to dry — some now dirty from the muddy grass. Others complained that they should return into the elements, since, well, they were "already wet."

But most seniors expected such a fiasco.

"I think it's pretty funny. It's fitting. Things like this always happen to our class," said Gregory Burrus, 17, of Roxbury, who will attend Western Connecticut State University. "We'll probably overcome it and go back out."

During their junior year, a rack of 30 wreaths collapsed before a holiday event, when only a few girls were left to clean it up, and freshmen year, boys manning the kitchen at the class ziti dinner ate more meatballs than they served, class adviser Steven J. Schibi said.

Seniors said they were the first class to have longer SATs, more-stringent driving laws and increased academic credits. They were limited in painting the senior rock, failed at completing a senior prank and for their senior trip went "only" to New York City, when other classes went as far as Washington, D.C., and Florida. It was also the year they took all the candy out of the soda machine.

"It's kind of typical of our class," said Salutatorian Kristie E. Anderson, who will attend Trinity College. "It seems like everything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

But, like always, the Class of 2006, persevered.

Just after 2 p.m., they marched out again — onto the auditorium stage. About 600 parents and friends squeezed into the room, while others watched from the hallway on a simultaneous video screen.

"No class has made us prouder with it demonstration of a spirit of adventure, decisiveness, belief in one's self, mature decision making and a well founded sense of preparation," Horrigan said in his speech. "There is not a member of this class about whom we do not know a great deal of good."