Class of 2007 celebrated in print (west side edition)

The Daily News featured Prince Rupert Senior Secondary’s graduation celebration as their front page story in Monday’s paper, a review of the big night for eighty six students that commemorated their graduation from high school at the Lester Centre celebration on Friday afternoon.

From their achievements this year to their future plans, the paper covered it all, including featuring a number of pictures of some of the happy grads and their families at Friday’s event. Sure to be a keepsake for a number of the class of 07.

Mind you we wonder what today’s paper might do for future circulation on the east side of town, Charles Hays which also celebrated achievement from the educational beach head of the Prince Rupert Boulevard school didn’t make the cut on Monday, with nary a story or a picture, just a lonely little advisory that their big day will be captured on the pages of Tuesday’s paper (surely Charles Hays commencement wasn’t that long??).

We’re not sure why both school’s events couldn’t have been reviewed on the same day, the optics of it all aren’t very good, letting one side of town bask in the glory first, leaving the other side of town to stew in its juices for another 24 hours.

Perhaps the paper really needed the extra time for a proper presentation; if so why not hold off on both schools until Wednesday and free delivery day. That way parents wouldn’t have to buy extra copies for granny and the aunts and uncles, everyone would have their very own copy delivered to the door (most times anyways).

We’ll provide the Monday showcase of PRSS below and as soon as we have that CHSS review, we’ll share it with the wider Podunkian world.

NEW ADVENTURE BEGINS FOR PRSS ‘CLASS OF INDIVIDUALS’
Students gather before parents and friends to start ‘new beginning’.
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Monday, May 28, 2007
Pages one and three

Eighty six students from Prince Rupert Secondary School celebrated the end of one stage of their lives and the beginning of another during the Commencement Celebrations Friday afternoon.

Wearing formal caps and gowns, the graduating class of 2007 were honoured by their families and friends at a celebration at the Lester Centre.

Sheila Wells, PRSS principal, described this year’s graduates as talented and passionate, but with personalities that are all little different.

“You are a class of individuals with huge hearts, your patience with the younger students is noted and appreciated,” she said.

When asked, the faculty agreed this year’s group of grads “are passionate they love to laugh and can work when needed.”

“As a class of procrastinators, I am pleasantly surprised by your feats,” she teased. As they collected their diplomas, the students were also presented with some $64,000 in scholarships and bursaries that will carry them forward to many different educational goals.

Quite a few of the students are interested in pursuing careers in medicine, while others are looking at teaching or the RCMP. Quite a number will be continuing their studies next year at Northwest Community College in the trades programs.

“Judging by your faces you are as surprised as we are this day has come,” said Sara Rowse, who spoke with J. T. Ward during the Valedictory Address.

“It’s impossible not to have fond memories of Prince Rupert Secondary School.”

They thanked their parents, teachers and coaches for inspiring them in competition, on the stage and in the classroom.

“We are finally ready to embark on a new adventure,” said Ward. “We have only just begun. This is clearly not an end but a new beginning.”

As a gift to the community for all its support, the students made donations to the Prince Rupert Wildlife Rehab Shelter and Prince Rupert Regional Hospital.

Speaking on the graduates’ theme, “We’ve Only Just Begun,” former PRSS teacher Peter Northcott said the students are in an amazing position as they move forward to change the world for the better.

“Life is a whole sequence of bifurcation points. It’s like coming to a fork in the road – which path with you take,” said Northcott.

“There will be some occasions when you realize you are at a critical junction in your life… and some you won’t.

“The most interesting bifurcation points are those when you think about what is in your heart and make a conscious decision,”

While the last few generations have not made the best choices and not left the world in a better state for their children, Northcott encouraged the students to make good decisions at every key point they encounter.

“Your class motto speaks to a willingness to address the challenges of the day,” he said.

“Everything in your lives has the potential to change the world.”

--See tomorrow’s Daily News for a full account of the CHSS grad.