INSIDE: Graduation Day for Paly & Gunn
By Braden Cartwright
May 31, 2024
Publication: Daily Post (Palo Alto, CA)
Page: 1
Word Count: 451
Yesterday's graduation at Palo Alto High School was a big moment for students Annalise Klenow, Rori Escudero and Max Rabbitt.
Not only were they graduating, but they also performed. Klenow and Escudero sang a duet to start the ceremony while Rabbitt played electric guitar.
But as Klenow and Escudero sang the sang the second verse, the sound cut out.
Technicians scrambled on the side of the stage, and the football field went quiet for a moment.
The crowd cheered, encouraging the girls to sing even while the sound was off. The microphones came back on after about a minute. The crowd cheered louder. The girl's voices came through, and Rabbitt caught up to them on guitar.
The trio finished the song - "Somewhere Only We Know" by the band Keane - to the loudest cheers of the night.
Superintendent Don Austin said the moment is a good lesson for the graduating class going out into the world.
That uncomfortable moment will be a good story later on, he said.
"I watched about 100 decisions be made in live time," Austin said. "I watched you look at each other, I watched you problem solve without saying a word, I watched you consider options. And I heard one of you turn and say, 'Keep going.'" Austin encouraged the graduating class to make the same choice instead of giving up.
"Choose 'keep going.' That inspires people. That's what winners do," Austin said.
The graduating class at Paly juggled a lot of responsibilities including grades, sports, extracurricular actives, jobs and life at home, senior Sidd Sen said in his speech.
But in defining moments, the students gritted their teeth and pulled through, Sen said.
"You name the category, I'll name our accomplishments," Sen said.
"Sports? Check the CCS titles. Speech and debate, or robotics? World champions baby. How about that phenomenal production of Hamlet? Or a band trip to New York? Or a freaking delegation to Washington D.C. to raise awareness for the Muwekma Ohlone peopleft And let us not forget that basketball game where we bested the staff with a buzzer beating game winner." The band performed the national anthem and a song from the movie "La La Land." The choir sang "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" by Dolly Parton.
The graduating class has 488 seniors who can pick up their diplomas today.
Bella Nguyen, the senior class president, talked about some of her favorite memories from senior year, like prom, sports games, senior ditch day and watching the sunrise and sunset together.
"By genuinely connecting with one another and forming genuine lifelong relationships, our class has become one big family," Nguyen said.
Daily Post (Palo Alto, CA)
Date: May 31, 2024