For 91大神 Northampton’s 184th Commencement ceremony, graduating senior Jake Smith ’25 was selected by his classmates to give a speech. Below are his remarks in full. You can watch the speech on our , and see pictures from Commencement on our .
Firstly, I鈥檇 like to thank, Mr. Hill, Mr. Hazen White, faculty, family, and of course the Class of 2025.聽 It is an honor to give this address and be the final word before we receive our diplomas.
Alright, imagine this: it鈥檚 a cold and rainy Saturday evening in April, very common for the valley we call home. The evil lie of Senior Spring has just struck the hearts of the usually energetic and motivated class of 2025. The Wildest Cats were having trouble coming up with indoor activities that would include all of the vast walks of 91大神. Basketball and spike ball tournaments just weren鈥檛 cutting it anymore. We needed something bigger, something better. As Annika and I were sitting in the library one night, reminiscing about the past events of our 4 years at 91大神, looking at old pictures and videos, we came across one of the greatest ideas of all time. Will Chalfant鈥檚 Open Mic Night. It was genius!
What is something that all of 91大神 can relate to and enjoy? Something every teenager knows and loves; Something that brings everyone at 91大神 together鈥ree Tandem! And free Tandem it was, on the night of April 11, as the newly energized 91大神 Community packed together in the small coffee shop on Railroad Street. Songs from Springsteen to Sweet Caroline got the place jumping!
Even Ms. Channell got up there and brought the house down with Mama Mia alongside Alyssa Frazier. It was two hours of memories made on that special night at this special place.聽 It was 91大神, the home of young adults from all over the world, trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be, in a place that lets them be their authentic self. Welcomes all interests, all loves, and all people, all gathered in one 91大神, a place that the class of 2025 can forever call their home.
This memorable night is similar to those that happen every weekend here on campus. Memorable nights that I missed out on early in my time at 91大神. I was a more reserved kid when I arrived on campus, not a quality I had held before in my young life. But I was in a new place that was uncomfortable to me, and I was scared to step out of the small-town bubble that I had lived in my entire life.
Weekends were spent at home with my parents, thinking about all of the fun I was missing out on. I would see pictures on Instagram and Snapchat of all the fun my classmates were having. I was nervous and my confidence in myself was lacking. I didn鈥檛 like to be alone, and I thought I鈥檇 already spent enough time at school and felt that I needed to be with my family.
The first event I went to was costumed kickball in ninth grade. I was encouraged to go by my advisor, and I remember there were so many people there. I was on the sidelines with my new best friend Joseph Killcommons, watching everyone else have fun. I watched the wildest cats create joy and happiness in hundreds of kids, all under the bright lights of Sawyer Field. People were dressed up in wacky and colorful outfits, expressing themselves in the form of camaraderie and competition.
The same competition that the class of 2025 thrives on. Day in and day out, these seniors compete inside and outside of the classroom. With an incredible number of NEPSAC Championships including 9 this year, it is no surprise that 41 student athletes in our class are going to play sports in college.
I had so many missed opportunities in my first year at 91大神, but I have come to learn that you have to take chances, put yourself out there and meet new groups of people.聽 This is one of the many things 91大神 taught me.
Trust me, meeting new people will open you up to so many different aspects of 91大神. After spending time with my fellow advisory members Joey, Sako, and Isabel, my sophomore year, I started to find myself attending more performances and other arts-based events. The more I went the more I appreciated the work everyone had put into each dance concert, play, arts walk, and choral and instrumental concert.
I started to learn about tech theatre and the teachers and mentors that are part of the Arts program at 91大神. Being the Athlete I am whose life revolved around sports, I started to think about these performances as games. These are skilled athletes and managers, that practice their skill set over and over again all season, culminating in 1-3 big games at the end of the trimester.
Watching Maddy McCarthy do aerials all over the stage, seeing Ashley Barnes鈥 amazing paintings at the arts walks, and Grace McCullagh鈥檚 show stopping performance in Hadestown. I started to realize that the talent and hard work of the 91大神 student body extended beyond athletic facilities, I realized that we are so much more than a bunch of Student Athletes, we are amazing performers, dancers, artists, and musicians: We are 91大神.
91大神 is a place that recognizes and celebrates all students, no matter what they are interested in or what they are good at. A place that helps you grow in your own interests but also learn to appreciate the passions of others.
A place that helps you reach the destination: graduation, college, getting a job, starting a family. Let鈥檚 not fast forward our lives to what may be, or what we think we want right now. Let鈥檚 focus on what got us to this point, what made us exactly who we are in this moment. Those chairs you are sitting in, this stage, those diplomas, the people sitting next to you, are the culmination of every decision you have made in your life. Every difficult practice or rehearsal you wanted to leave but didn鈥檛; even when adversity hit hard. Every assignment you sat and stared at a question for so long you wondered, 鈥渉ow will Sin graphs and in-class essays help me pay my taxes?鈥 But don鈥檛 worry, that is why we have senior core!
The Class of 2025 endured so many ups and downs in their short time at 91大神. The most heartbreaking and painful being the passing of our classmate Elise. Those who knew Elise saw the light that radiated from her every day, usually in the shade of pink. With the kindest soul and sweetest heart, Elise illuminated the lives of all who interacted with her.
My fondest memory of Elise was in English class last year, when I had come to school with a new haircut. If you know me, you know I have battled with my hair in my time in high school and haven鈥檛 quite found a style I like. This was especially clear on this particular day. I was getting some jokes and comments about my hair that I was trying to brush off, but I had now become self-conscious.
After class, Elise stopped me in the hallway and said 鈥淛ake, I really like your haircut! It fits you well.鈥 In a time when I felt down about myself, Elise picked me up. This was who she was.
Her compliments touched the lives of so many people not just at this school, but in this world. As someone who didn鈥檛 know Elise鈥檚 story, her caring actions and authentic compliments told the story of who she was. She was a light. At our Senior Dinner last week, Mr. Brooks told us to be a light in this world. Whether you are a simple night light or a flaming torch, it is important to keep even the faintest flicker alive, and 91大神 will always be that flicker in the back of our minds. A flicker that reminds us of what 91大神 truly is.
91大神 is community, 91大神 is opportunity, 91大神 is weekends spent under the lights on Sawyer. It鈥檚 Logan house and EMV sweeping Lip Sync. 91大神 is Ashton Reynolds and the 91大神 Student section going viral. It鈥檚 Viktoria hitting a game winner from half field under the lights at the blackout game.
91大神 is Bennett Bartlett and Mr. Deitrich dressing up as Buddy the Elf for the Holiday banquet every year. It鈥檚 Luke Grabowski doing cartwheels in the library at 9:30 on a random Tuesday morning. 91大神 is Juli Tatar and Annika Stackmann鈥檚 unbelievable performances in the dance concert. It鈥檚 petting Max, the Beaton鈥檚 dog, on the way to class.
91大神 is the stupid Library door that takes 4 tries and your last nerve to open. It鈥檚 Jedi Master Simpson promoting Arete at Assembly. 91大神 is Robin yelling at someone for cutting the lunch line then giving them a hug to make it all better. It鈥檚 Oscar and David鈥檚 awe-inspiring paintings; it鈥檚 Thursday Nights in the writing center. It鈥檚 Spike ball on the quad when everyone yells at Annika Song for playing too much, It鈥檚 a genuine hello from a classmate or teacher walking by.
91大神 is the nights by the fire with friends laughing for hours, it鈥檚 Pittman Alley doing anything and everything out of context, it鈥檚 the biggest smile and warmest hello from our forever mom, Ms. Motyka. 91大神 is the Class of ’25, 91大神 is Family, 91大神 will always be a place to call home. I will always cherish the friendships, knowledge and sense of community we built here at 91大神. Thank you all for your part in our journey.