Shooting isn’t focus of graduation
Chardon ceremony focuses on seniors, not Feb. 27 event.
Chardon High School’s Class of 2012 ended a turbulent senior year with a graduation ceremony that celebrated their leadership and resiliency in the wake of tragedy.
It was the seniors — not the Feb. 27 shootings — that were center stage Saturday.
But there were many mentions of the event’s impact and the lessons it inspired about life, love and community made throughout the afternoon.
Principal Andy Fetchik supplied a heartfelt thank you for his senior class. “You have helped us all to heal,” he said.
Three underclassmen students were killed and others — including fellow senior Joy Rickers — were injured. There was a swell of applause as Joy crossed the stage.
T.J. Lane, 17, who attended a nearby school for troubled children, is expected to face murder charges in an adult criminal court for the shootings. Lane’s lawyers have said he has a serious mental illness, including auditory hallucinations. He told a sheriff’s deputy who arrested him, “I don’t know why I did this.”
Before the 265 students crossed the stage at the Mentor Fine Arts Auditorium, class valedictorians read inspirational quotes.
The senior class motto, “One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching,” reflected what the students had learned following the shooting.
Students and teachers wore special red and black ribbons as a sign of unity and remembrance. In addition to recognizing their parents, teachers and administrators, the class officers thanked first responders, calling them heroes who saved many lives the day of the shooting.
Chardon Superintendent Joseph Bergant II said he knew he could count on the senior class to guide the students back into the high school after the shootings, which took away Demetrius Hewlin, 16; Russell King Jr., 17; and Daniel Parmertor, 16. Nick Walczak, who lost the use of his legs, is undergoing rehabilitation.
Senior Matt Leskovec said he and his classmates got a life lesson in handling adversity.
“We didn’t want to look back in 10 years and have this be the only thing we talk about, so we figured out ways to leave a positive impact on our community,” he said. “We are not going to let the tragedy define our year and define us. We are going to let our actions and how we responded define us.”