BATH

With the humor and nostalgia that has come to define Morse High School graduation, the Class of 2016 became the latest in a long string of alumni on Sunday.

Third Honor Essayist Casey Bennoch spoke of the years to come and of future reunions, as well as embracing friendships old and new. “The biggest barn fire starts with the smallest spark. Just ask California,” Bennoch said. “I’m sorry, my sense of humor’s a little … dry.”

“You can’t sum up Morse High School with a piece of paper,” Bennoch said. “In a few years, that building will be gone, but we each carry a little bit of it with us.”

Plans are underway to replace the current Morse High School building.

“Right here, right now is a moment of growth,” Bennoch added. “I’m lucky to be able to share it with you all.”

Commencement speaker Sarah Young spoke of how her sister’s advice, to be yourself, was difficult to take upon entering Morse.

“I was dressed in clothes that I thought would make people like me. And I was afraid that my loud voice would give the impression that I was rude, and I sat up as straight as I could because I thought that is what would make me a good student,” Young said. “But none of that is true.”

Finding the theater program at Morse meant Young never had to pretend to be someone that she wasn’t — except while onstage. Experience on the tennis team also helped her along the way.

Addressing fellow graduates, Young said, “if there’s one thing I could give you, it’s the advice my sister gave me four years ago: Stay true to yourself.”

Second Honor Essayist Amelia Grace Franklin spoke of her struggles with hearing and with speech early in life, which made her “shy, nervous and a bad reader.”

Speech therapy, family support and hard work meant that she was able to overcome her challenges.

“In the end, success is not about advantages and disadvantages, but simply, who’s determined enough to go out and work for it,” Franklin said.

“Everyone of you can achieve something meaningful in life, if you try hard enough,” said Valedictorian Aaron James Ouellette, who spoke of immigrating from Russia and of overcoming his own challenges with language. “Every one of you has the chance to impact the world.”

Even when things didn’t go perfectly, spirits remained high during the ceremony. For example, when audio problems resulted in a momentary halt early in the proceedings, members of the audience spontaneously burst into the Morse fight song, “The Blue and the White.”

Morse graduation caps off the annual Alumni Weekend, marked by a parade and class reunion. This year saw a slight break with tradition as graduates could choose whether they wore blue or white. Traditionally, men wore blue and women wore white. The decision is a compromise that came after a group of transgender students proposed having grads wear either dual colored gowns or the uniform blue gowns to administrators.

Maria Morris, recipient of the Dr. Patricia Ames Distinguished Teacher Award, urged graduates to look beyond material possessions, and noted how she found purpose by following her dream.

“You are not your car, your house, your job or your money. I am not my clothing, my hair, my eyes or my legs. We are our dreams, our desires, and our actions,” she quoted from “The Possible Dream.”