PLUMSTED - A class of 188 graduating seniors said farewell to New Egypt High School on June 18 when graduation ceremonies were held on the football field.

Friends, family members, and faculty assembled to watch the members of the class of 2008 receive their diplomas.

Teacher of the Year Sam Palumbo was one of the speakers. The votes of parents, staff members and students chose Palumbo, an English teacher, as the Teacher of the Year.

The student body was represented with speeches from Kyle Emery, who is headed to the University of Virginia, Kim Howard, a future freshman at the University of South Carolina, and Alicia Hendrickson, who will be entering Boston University.

The graduation ceremony also included the presentation of the Friend of Education award to Herb Marinari.

According to New Egypt High School Principal Elizabeth Panella, Marinari has been very involved with the school as a member of the community and as a past member of the Board of Education.

Administrators noted that two members of the class of 2008 were accepted to military academies. Lance Sutton will attend the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and William Campbell will attend the United States Coast Guard Academy at New London, Conn.

In the only unfortunate note during graduation, the persistently ominous clouds refused to retain their rain until the end of the ceremony, saturating guests and students alike.

However, the bad weather became a platformfor the graduates to display how much they have matured over the past four years, the principal said.

"I was very proud of the students' response to the rain," Panella said, "We just plowed through and finished the ceremony in a positive way."

- Andrew Davison