Finally...I've got both speeches in my possession. For safe keeping I'm putting them on here...but I'm telling you, the second one is so much better than the first...........................

INTRO: Danielle
Good afternoon Class of 2004, Administration, Board of Education, Our Honored Guests, and all friends and family in attendance. The four of us are standing before you today because we’ve run the race as a close group, and now we want to cross the finish line together. I know I wouldn’t be here without the help and support of my three classmates standing behind me, and I know that each of them shares this very feeling.
We have grown and learned together, both intellectually and emotionally, and we have not hesitated for a second to go to each other for help and guidance. We know that we can depend on one another to be there when we are struggling. On this same note, the Class of 2004 has learned to utilize the varying strengths and talents of its members. We have worked well together over the years, recognizing and respecting each other’s goals and abilities. We have met every challenge that has been placed before us.
Today we confront our classmates with one final challenge: to "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

PAST: Clarisse
Learn from yesterday…
We have learned many lessons since we first walked through the elementary school doors in 1991. Let me take you back to the days of slouch socks, stirrup pants, fluorescent colors, and mullets. We were just learning to make friends and work together. Little did we know that we would take these lessons with us, and build upon them, in the years to come. Seemingly insignificant tasks, such as playing with the parachute in gym class, taught us the importance of teamwork and being able to rely on the people beside us.
Fifth grade was a time of change where we were starting to learn to fit into our own skin. We all shared fears and reservations about what to expect – changing classes, how to open our lockers and meeting new expectations - but looking back we realized that facing these fears helped us grow and learn and make the transition into the next phase of our journey.

PRESENT: Meghan
Live for today…
High school was a time of highs and lows. We all faced times of great loss and had to lean on and support one another. We each dealt with hardships in varying ways but through it all there was a mutual respect shown by our peers.
We said our final farewells to old friends like Mr. Brink, Mrs. Garrett and Ray the janitor and welcomed new teachers such as Mr. Snyder, Ms. Krupa and the “Hammer.” We also welcomed Mr. Ferraro, who has led our band program to continued successes.
Along with the successes in the arts came countless athletic triumphs. Our boys’ basketball team held LeBron to 14 points and broke the 30 year curse at Salem and this past school year the girls’ teams won an ICL triple crown.
We have lived for the moment, having fun at every stop along the way. As Mr. Simcox once said, we took the Big Apple by storm. We embraced new experiences with great enthusiasm, whether we were enjoying the music of a Broadway show or entertaining the crowds in line for the Empire State building with songs and chants. We ended our high school careers with an exciting grand finale: the ultimate waterballoon fight. We have truly lived for today.



FUTURE: Carrie
Hope for tomorrow…
The past thirteen years have been a blast, but these are not the best times of our lives. The fun is not over, we can look back and cherish the memories we are taking with us but it is time to continue on to the next chapter in our lives.
Our class will be leaving our mark in all different areas of life. As diverse as our interests were in high school, they remain so in our future plans. As we meet new challenges and set new goals we must always remember to never be satisfied, to always strive for more.
There have been many who have helped us prepare for the road that lies ahead and we are very grateful for the enthusiasm with which they shared their knowledge and for their guidance along the way. We would like to thank God, our teachers, our family, the administration and the board of education. Without you we would not be standing where we are today and going where we are tomorrow.
To the Class of 2004, thank you for the memories. We encourage you to embrace our final challenge – to learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow. We leave you with this closing thought –
Carrie:
Today’s achievements mark
A fond farewell to yesterday,
A warm welcome to tomorrow.
Meghan:
The sunset of a beautiful part of the past,
The sunrise of a bright new future.
Clarisse:
The beginning of new challenges,
The promise of success in the future,
And the anticipation of ever greater happiness.
Danielle:
The future opens up before you,
Like a new book…
Waiting for you
To commit to its pages
The story only you can write.

Valedictorian Speech

Good afternoon, we are up here today because we worked harder and are smarter than the rest of you lazy asses still sitting in the audience. First off, we would like to thank Mrs. Sharillo for calling us wenches everyday, we only tried to drown ourselves in our bathtubs twice and we are stronger because of it and NO for the last time, we don’t want to watch your stupid movies! Also, we would like to thank Mr. Snyder for teaching us that learning is really about watching movies and eating pizza. We would like to thank Mrs. Gallo for her anal retentiveness in anal math. Also, a big thanks to Mrs. Garrett for her love of death, sex, and Dave’s Ham, and Mr. Dyer for helping out with our sleep deprivation. We would like to thank demon Dahmen from room 666 her class was a blast and her teaching was on Fiya! Mr. Knight, you were more of babysitter than a teacher, in your lab full of technology. Mrs. Louttit for the 8 hour calculus final, it was the most fun we’ve had in a long time, can’t wait to do it again! Toy, for his permanent PMS, you were always such a joy to be around. Mrs. Dunn for your extreme ADD, it taught us nothing but how to avoid flying objects in class. Señora Deg, your podium was a great hiding place, when you’re done teaching we’re sure Springer will have a job for you breaking up fights on the show. Madame Litch, Canada SUCKS, enough said. G Pimp Daddy Spaite, we hate to break it to you but purple hair, moccasins and tie pins don’t match, but thanks for the paper wars in the trenches. Doc, just for the record, it is NOT a beautiful day in New Middletown! Mrs. Latess, that’s cute outfit you’re wearing today, did you get it at Kids R Us? Krupa, Frank called, he hates your guts, sorry. Oh right these are supposed to be thank yous. Smerc, thanks for all the dog, oh wait, kid stories, they gave great insight into the interworkings of the United States government. Getz thanks for teaching us geometry no matter what class we were in, don’t ever invest in a microphone. Mr. Dunn, thanks for all “diet cokes” (we won’t tell). Mrs. Ade, you’re the number one villain in our hearts, we always knew it was you. Thanks for all the 7AM meetings, because we liked getting up that early. Mrs. Putarek, nature and poetry suck, but thanks for at least trying to make us appreciate things. Hammer, we’ve got a quote for you, “No, I don’t have my agenda and if I did have it, it wouldn’t be signed, my shirt is not too short and I am comfortable in these flip-flops.” Mr. Simcox, you will always be old, you will always be bald, and the sssshhhhpppp isn’t cool! And last, but definitely least, Ms. Mettee, what would we have done without you? Oh wait, we’d have Brink, have Phillips, and have passed a levy, but thanks anyway.
The only one we’ll really miss is Ray the Janitor. Oh how we loved Ray the janitor and his dirty jokes! He always had a dollar for those of us in need, can’t say the same for Calvin, though he is a party animal.
But seriously, if it were not for all these fun times, idiosyncrasies and tribulations high school would not have been the same. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, we love you. For a copy of our real speech…try the yearbook room, we wenches will be awaiting your approval.

Searching For on 8/24/2004 12:06:00 AM.