In a June 6 ceremony at the Cumberland County Civic Center, the 243 members of the Bonny Eagle High School graduating class of 2014 were offered much praise and advice, amid a barrage of popular literary metaphors.

In an address, Principal Paul Penna invoked the “Wizard of Oz.”

“Soon you will become Bonny Eagle alumni,” Penna said. “You are the lion. My wish for you is that you will always have the courage to believe in yourself, and when you’re traveling down your own yellow brick road and searching for somewhere over the rainbow, and the skies turn gray, click your heels, dream in Technicolor, and believe you have the power, and always remember there is no place like home.”

In a wide-ranging speech, Hannah Ketch, class president, used quotes and anecdotes from “Harry Potter,” “The Hunger Games,” “Game of Thrones” and “Lord of the Rings” to demonstrate her point that high school is a worthy endeavor.

“So how does one capture all of high school in a speech?” Ketch asked. “How do I memorialize my time this year at Bonny Eagle? I think Bilbo Baggins from the Lord of the Rings captured high school when he recounted: ‘I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like half of you half as well as you deserve.’”

Ketch said that her classmates had requested that she mention the Harry Potter series in her speech.

“People were coming up to me saying things like, ‘Dude, your speech is going to be so awesome,’” Ketch said. “‘You have to write about Harry Potter.’ And trust me, I won’t disappoint.”

Ketch used Harry Potter, and characters from other works of fiction, to demonstrate that young people can accomplish extraordinary things.

“At the age of 17, the same age as me, and younger than some of you, Harry Potter defeats Voldemort,” she said. “So you’re all behind.”

Abigail Ward, the class valedictorian, also invoked the “Harry Potter” series in her address.

“I am actually pretending that I am at Hogwarts addressing the house of Slytherin,” Ward said. “To those of you who take offense to that, remember that not all Syltherins are evil. They are cunning and vicious and determined – adjectives I think can apply to each and every one of us, even if we are only Muggles.”

“Harry learned a lot during his time at Hogwarts, from potions and spells to real applicable life lessons,” Ward added. “We have learned many lessons during our time here as well.”

Dawna Cyr, a Bonny Eagle social studies teacher, was one of the few to resist literary quotation during her graduation address. She exhorted the graduates to be kind, smile, take care of their bodies, use technology wisely, give blood, do good deeds, say “please,” and be proud and patriotic. Cyr also encouraged the graduates to actively engage in the democratic process.

“Stand up for your rights,” she said. “Speak your mind. Practice your faith. Read the newspaper. Petition the government and assemble to protest. Make your voices heard. When you turn 18, register to vote and then do it. Vote … for the school budget next week. Please.”

Members of the class of 2014 listen to their classmates’ words of wisdom – and literary metaphors – as they prepare to graduate. Many Bonny Eagle graduates sported shuttered glasses during the ceremony.Bonny Eagle graduates prepare to receive their diplomas from Principal Paul Penna.Bonny Eagle High School Principal Paul Penna, invoking the “Wizard of Oz,” encouraged the graduating seniors to “dream in Technicolor.”Bonny Eagle graduates watch their classmates receiving diplomas.Bonny Eagle graduates prepare to celebrate.The graduates tossed multi-colored teddy bears into the air moments after the final diplomas were presented.