Smiles are everywhere as the Class of 2020 starts their celebratory parade. Here Annika Smith, Bentley bound, enjoys this, maybe, new tradition for MERHS.
MERSH Class President Thymen de Widt starts Friday’s senior parade through Manchester and Essex on a beautiful sunny afternoon.
Graduating senior Olivia Ford, greets well-wishers as her mom drives through Manchester and Essex. Olivia will be attending Sacred Heart University in the fall.
Senior Kellen Furse looks happy as he prepares for the Class of 2020 Parade to celebrate their upcoming graduation. Kellen was a standout athlete during his time at MERSD.
MERHS seniors, Sophia Pallazola & Brianna Ward, cruise into Essex, across from the Village Restaurant. They carried squirt guns to greet onlookers … whether they were used is unknown.
Senior Sophia Pomeroy, waiting for the parade to begin. Sophia is excited to start the next stage of her education as a Clemson Tiger.
The Class of 2020 didn’t expect to celebrate their graduation from their cars. When they finally did, they didn’t expect it to be as fun as a traditional graduation.
On June 5, Manchester Essex High School seniors and their families pulled up to the high school in cars decorated with green and white streamers, washable paint, and balloons. Seniors poked out of sunroofs and hung out windows, the green sleeves of their gowns flowing in the breeze.
The community waited for them on sidewalks, lining the streets.
The seniors left the driveway of the high school in their vehicles to greet their teachers, who cheered from the side of the road. They passed the park, where in past years they had eaten half-day sandwiches in the afternoon sun, and they spun the beach, all while a masked community watched.
Senior Thomas Birkeland, who will attend Bates College in the fall, said the parade surpassed his initial expectations, mostly due to the impressive support and congratulations from the community.
“It was tons of fun to be in it, and I think the main reason for that was just because the whole community came out and really celebrated. There were tons of people lining the streets— people of all ages,” Birkeland said.
The parade was undoubtedly a community event, attended not only by the family and friends of the graduates, but excitedly spectated by citizens who would not normally be able to attend the traditional high school graduation.
Members of the senior class received widespread recognition for their achievements and hard work as well as a universal understanding of the special circumstances around this celebration. The community members knew what these students missed out on, so they did their best to make up for it.
Senior Jenna Cirella, who will attend the University of New Hampshire in the fall, said she loved seeing the spectators as she rode by in her car.
“I think my favorite part was being able to see all of the teachers, friends, and people that were just out watching the parade,” she said.
Olivia Ford, another graduating senior, will attend Sacred Heart University in the fall. She said the community aspect of the parade was even more enjoyable than some traditional graduation celebrations.
“It’s just such a fun way to end it because obviously graduation is a monumental time, but I think that this is a fun way to end out the year,” she said. “Graduation and baccalaureate aren’t necessarily that fun, and they’re more sad, but this was really fun and a great way to end it with people cheering for us.”
The spirit of togetherness continued within senior families in particular. Ford said she and her mother enjoyed the day as a memorable milestone.
“We borrowed my friend’s Mercedes convertible, and I was just sitting on the side, and she was driving. It was kind of a bonding moment for us, and I think it was definitely a bonding moment for other people’s families, and even if you’re with a friend, it’s always something you’re going to remember,” she said.
Senior Henry Doane, who will attend UMass Dartmouth in the fall, said it was exciting to be able to see his classmates again.
“My favorite part was spinning the beach. It’s such a tradition that everyone does. Not only that, but with the circle at the end, I passed the whole grade, and being able to see my friends like that was definitely fun,” he said.
It won’t be the last time many of the seniors spin the beach, but it will be a memorable one.
Most of the seniors are in agreement; the parade should be continued as a celebratory tradition in the years to come.
“I think that at first, people did not think it was going to be fun,” Cirella said, “but after it was over, I did not hear anyone say one bad thing about it. I think it would be really cool if we made it an annual tradition.”
Ford said the parade was a unifying way to celebrate the Class of 2020, and it brought the senior class together after the months students spent apart. It was a true celebration before the tentative ceremony, which will take place on July 31 with social distancing protocol.
“Mrs. Puglisi has been doing such a great job organizing everything for us and making sure we are all social distancing but still letting us have fun,” she said.
Doane said everyone he spoke with enjoyed the parade as much as he did.
“Given the circumstances, I feel like the parade was the next best thing [to a traditional ceremony],” he said.
Ford said the unexpected nature of the experience is something that everyone, not just seniors, can learn from.
“It makes us realize how much we take things for granted,” she said.
Years from now, the Class of 2020 will have a different kind of celebration to be nostalgic for. Instead of remembering a formal ceremony, they’ll remember the way the green and white streamers fluttered in the wind as they drove along Southern Ave. They’ll remember the way their classmates looked in a classroom, and they’ll remember how they looked from six feet away as they cheered their final goodbyes.
