SALUTATORIANS: Nicole Bagley, Nicole Daley and Erin Stagner

[Times photo: James Borchuck]

Brenda DaRosa, left, gives classmate Thuy Do a hug after they received their diplomas Thursday during a morning commencement ceremony at the Times Arena at Bayfront Center. Seniors were required to arrive at the arena by 6:45 a.m.

SPEAKERS: Phillips; Bagley; Daley; Stagner; School Board member Max Gessner, area superintendent Cathy Athanson and administrator Walter Miller welcomed the class; senior class president Kimmeuy Phane said farewell; and principal Barbara Shorter.

BEST QUOTE: "Shine bright, little star," Stagner told her classmates, quoting a note her aunt wrote her before her death.

LENGTH OF CEREMONY: 89 minutes at Times Bayfront Center Arena.

AWARDS: The Humanitarian Award was presented to Stagner; the principal's Blue and Gold Award for leadership and spirit was presented to Phane.

CLASS SONG: Never Had A Dream Come True by S Club 7.

BEHIND THE SCENES: At 7:40 a.m., at least four graduates were spotted yawning in the Mahaffey Theater, waiting for the ceremony to start at 8 a.m. Seniors had to arrive at the theater by 6:45 a.m., and most sat quietly, too sleepy to talk.

SCENES AND SIGHTS: Lemuel Emmanuel Bordon's mom, excitedly pointing to her head, mouthed: "Put the thing on your head!" Bordon eventually figured out what his mom was trying to tell him: He had taken off his mortarboard during the Pledge of Allegiance and forgotten to put it back on.

SEPT. 11 REFERENCE: "It's easy to raise the umbrella of doom and gloom that keeps the sunshine out," Shorter said. "Where there is evil, think of all the good there is in life."

TOTAL LENGTH OF SPEECHES: 19 minutes.

AVERAGE TIME OF HANDSHAKE: Two seconds unless the graduate was posing for a picture. In that case, four.

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