DIPLOMA-rama

May 20, 2007

By Will Elliott

Frontiersman

PALMER - The world is not enough for the Palmer High class of 2007.

That theme, taken from the eponymous 1999 James Bond film, was chosen as the graduating class motto. The ceremony's four speakers expounded upon the phrase in their remarks.

Principal Wolfgang Winter suggested Bond-themed alternatives to this year's motto appropriate to the class's years at Palmer High, such as Finals Are Forever, Tomorrow Never Comes … Late Enough for 7:30 a.m. Class, and Octomoosey. Poking fun at the effusive atmosphere typical of graduations, Winter also suggested that for those who will never experience space flight, the world had better be enough.

&#8220It's all we've got,” he said.

Blue roses, ribbons and blue and white balloons filled the Palmer gym Friday in honor of the 160 graduates. The school band and jazz choir were joined by two independent student group performers and two student speakers. Senior class president Alisha Bachelder acted as mistress of ceremonies.

Class speaker Caleb Riley, a newcomer to Palmer High and headed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after graduation, suggested high school had served well as a crucible for the graduating class. Tempered by its various challenges, he said, the graduates could go forward into the world confident they will find success.

&#8220Life won't always be easy. But nothing will be so tough we can't make it through,” Riley said.

Riley also reflected on his generation's position as heirs to a global superpower, and the responsibilities contained therein.

&#8220We are the new America,” he said. &#8220We are what will make the world the better place everyone dreams of.”

In a more improvisational address, class speaker Courtney Dossett similarly urged the graduates to set their sights high.

&#8220High school graduation is just a baby step,” she said. &#8220We have to keep taking those baby steps until the world is ours.”

Palmer teacher Michael Fry took the podium amid cheers and laudatory shouting to deliver the keynote speech. A science teacher who flew combat missions in Iraq, Fry built his remarks around an aeronautical epic simile to not only evoke images of take-off and flight into the adult world, but also to emphasize that flying, while exhilarating, is serious business.

To this theme, Fry appended a wide variety of aphorisms and advice, such as &#8220Your strength lies in your unity, not your diversity,” and suggested that the difference between wise people and fools is that while both learn from past mistakes, the wise learn from other people's, saving themselves the trouble of personal trial and error.

&#8220And please don't use the F-word - fairness,” he charged them. &#8220Life is not fair.”

&#8220This isn't just about you. This is about all of us,” Fry said in closing. &#8220Class of 07, return with honor.”

Contact Will Elliott at

352-2252 or will.elliott@

frontiersman.com.

Palmer High School, class of 2007

Tyson J. Alger, Patrick S. Allen, Joshua Phillip Alsterberg, Anton J. Andrianov, Cassandra Rose Apel, Sean K. Ashmore, Alisha G. Bachelder, Lauren N. Bachman, Merl H. Badger, Richard Michael Barnhart, Deterrieo Tremain Benton, Zoe Ella Bingham, Jacob Henry Bitz, Grainger H. Blackett, Emma J. Bohman, Haakan K. Bohman, Heather Marie Bowden, Nicole Marie-Lynn Brenton, Amanda L. Broderick, Jaime G. Brown, Carl E. Camp, Marshall J. Carlyle, Marshall James Carter, Matthew D. Carter, Nolen Beau Carter, Forrest A. Charles, M. Viktoria Coan, Lori Coffell, Jacob J. Collins, Wyatt D. Cook, LeAnn Nicole Corcoran, Anneliese Rose Cornejo, Scott Robert Cottrell, David L. Coyne, Arianna Rose Cruz, Timothy Q. Deal, AnnaRae Lynn Deel, Kate E. Denoncour, Kelly Morgan Devon, Ashley Brooke Dickerson, Kathryn Dillbeck, Courtney Marie Dossett, Michael Anthony Dotson, Heather Michelle Downing, Kyle Ryan Drake, Marcella Ann Egger, Derek L. Eley, Tom W.S. Eller, Evan Ralph Fennell, Grace Kathleen Ferry, Quinton W Fiscus, Sarah Fisk, Dominick Lee Folletti, Elyse Erin Frohling, John E. Fuller, Spencer James Galvin, Landon R Grover, Tanner R Grover, Drita Hajdari, Andrew R. Halfacre, Ian Oliver Heindel, Joseph Dallas Hendrickson, Daniel L. Henry, Jackie Marie Henry, Jason D. Henry, William W. Henslee, Lura B. Herbrecht, Bruce R. Houchen, Stephanie Marie Houser, James Brian Isaacs II, Noah L. Jackson, Christopher A. Jette, Amelia R Johnson, Randall E. Jones II, Mariah L. Kincaid, Molly M. Kincaid, Karen K. Kirsch, Allen M. Kluth, Kyle Harvey Kolberg, Charmaine R. Koski, Garrett Ernest Lamb, Kirsten G. Laulainen, Danielle R. Lincecum, Douglas D. Lite, James T. Loria, Brittany A. Love, Rosalie Belle Makar, Mollie Kathleen Mangelsdorf, Richard Josef Manrique, Derek John Ace Marden, Brandi Lynn Marlow, Craig A. McBean, Jr., Kara Lynn McCarver, Cody McGinn, Troy McGlashan, Deborah Elise McKee, Jasmine Elizabeth McQuown, Jerome Francis Melin, Aimee Nicole Michaud, Bryan Daniel Monarch, Lauren Melanie Moreno, Spencer J. Morino, Chayla A. Moser, Conrad Adams Nelson, Jessica R. Nelson, Zach T Nesvold, Kayuktuq C. Oomittuk, Lindsey Jo Orvosh, Rachel Louise Overby, Mariah A. Owens, Amy DeLyla Pekkala, Garrett M. Pietrok, Robin J. Pollock, Michael J. Provo II, Willie B.H. Ratcliff III, Caleb McCone Reilly, Bethany Lynne Richey, Corina M. Roach, Jaesah L. Robb, Mindy L. Roberts, Christina Marie Romero, Alexander Henri Roy, Megan E.J. Rozkydal-Schwulst, Vincent David Salls, Justin J. Schimmel, Nathan A. Schmidt, Mary Morgan Scoresby, Kyle L. Scott, Brian J. Senta, Devon J. Shaw, Samantha Ann Shell, Garth Patrick Simpson, Casey Allan Smith, Vanessa M. Solorio, Melissa Nicole Spencer, William Anthony Stahler, Jeremiah J. Stegman, KelseyAnn Kathleen Sternhagen, Catherine Louise Steward, Halicia L. Storud, Dakota Stuart, Nathan R. Svedin, Dang Thao, Briana K. Thomas, Ryan Crockett Thorne, Karina Ford Tomco, Stephanie Lauren Valdez, Wendy Marie Van Orman, Tyler J. Virgin, Alena Dawn Voigt, Courtney Dee Wagoner, Kendra Walker, Chrystal R. Wallace, Levi A. Wallner, Tobin J. Weatherson, Pearl A. Weaver, Stephen Michael Wedge, Caitlyn Jean Werner, Stacey A. Whitstine, Kirstyn Caroline Williams, Annette N. Woodard, Mykell Paige Zimmer.