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KEVIN GUTTING

Arthur Goodhind Sr., a veteran of the Korean War who left Amherst High School in 1948 to join the Army, waves after receiving a diploma and becoming an honorary member of the Amherst Class of 2009. The degree was made possible by recent legislation allowing the granting of high school degrees to students who left school for the service. Applauding are ARHS assistant principals Miki Lee Gromacki, left, and Anne Leonard, as Goodhind, of Shutesbury, is escorted by one of his four sons, all of whom are Amherst alumni and attended Saturday's graduation at the Mullins Center at the University of Massachusetts.

AMHERST - More than 280 graduates of Amherst-Pelham Regional High School were urged Saturday to embrace independence, messiness and moderation - but to shun indifference.

Principal Mark Jackson highlighted arts performances students created independently, noting that although teachers have been a powerful presence in students' lives, "sometimes the apparent absence of teachers can be equally formative."

"The adults closest to you want to fade into the shadows" as the graduates learn to manage the complexities of modern life, he said.

"Your diploma is not a manual, and life doesn't come with one," he said. "You're equipped and poised to write your own."

Valedictorian Keri Lambert urged her fellow graduates to wage a constant battle against indifference. "Death doesn't occur when the heart stops beating, it's when the heart stops feeling," she said.

Keynote speaker John Bechtold told graduates that only 7 percent of the world population gets a secondary education. "You'd better do something worthwhile with that privilege," he said.

Bechtold, an English teacher and Ultimate coach, urged the graduates to be curious about things outside themselves.

"The more you think about other people, the more enriched you become," he said.

He urged them to enjoy the messiness and chaos of the world as they think about what matters most, and to make thinking well a life goal. "Chaos is never convenient, but exploring it sure is interesting," he said.

As if to prove Jackson right about their independence, many students adjusted the look of the traditional cap and gown. Some boys wore sneakers and some girls flip-flops, while one girl had painted her skin blue. There were many messages atop caps, from "Hi, Mom" to plastic fruit. The graduates sent 15 beach balls aloft several times during the ceremony.

Delayed recognition

One of the highlights of the ceremony was the diploma given to Arthur Goodhind of Shutesbury. He left the school in 1948 to join the Army, later working as a chef. A new law allows the awarding of diplomas to those who left school to join the military.

Goodhind, using a walker, was cheered heartily as he went up to became an honorary member of the Class of 2009.

Many of the graduates came to the high school from privileged backgrounds, while others were able to succeed in spite of their obstacles.

Salomon Moreno-Rosa, the son of undocumented workers from El Salvador, has a scholarship to an Ivy League college. Desiree Maldonado had to leave the school because she was living with an aunt in Holyoke, but then her mother found a job and they moved back to Amherst so she could graduate with her class. Anthony Osceola-Wilson was raised by his father, a disabled Vietnam veteran.

Interim Superintendent Maria Geryk urged parents to recognize that the ritual of graduation is "a symbolic moment when you launch your child into adulthood."

She urged the graduates to "create moments you feel fulfilled and truly happy."

Andrew Churchill, vice chairman of the Regional School Committee, urged graduates to "do what you love, find people who make you a better person, moderation in all things, including moderation, and leave the campsite cleaner than you found it."

Amherst graduates

Nicholas Gardner Adolph, Benjamin Waller Allison, Lena Cohen Amick, Arielle Lindsey Andler, Carina Ariel Antonino DiMare, Jeremy Safran Aronson, Lauren Michelle Baecher, Brittany Leigh Baglow, Thomas Covington Barry, Tamaia Musante Bartmon, Jonathan Hubbard Basto, Rachael Mary Bean, Anna Nel Beaudry, Emily McLaughlin Bigelow, Benjamin Peter Blauner Blier, Benjamin Oliver Boisclair, Matthew Peter Bojanic, Kaise Adair Bollinger, Olivia Heather Bonaldo Boyd, Steven Michael Booth, Lindsey Marie Boucher, Ryan Carter Boyden, Rose Helena Boyko, Hollis Elizabeth Brashear

Joseph John Bress, Hannah Kathryn Bressler Jaques, Atticus Harrington Brigham, *Collin Douglas Brooks, Luke Carroll Brown, Eugene John Buonaccorsi, Timothy Price Burbank, Emma Patterson Burke, Scott Cameron Caldwell, John Horton Cape, Laura Danyele Caraker, *Scott Jeffrey Catlin, Jamieson David Chappell, Chang Yue Chen, Jeffrey Chen, Kristina Zhongxiu Chen, Nathaniel Avery Coe, *Molly Francis Cooksy, Jasmine Love Costello, Rachelle Belle Crapse, Allison Rose Crowner, Sarah Maria Kimiora Cycon, Austin Boyd Danielovich, Rafer Thomas Urban Dannenhauer

Bridget Anna Darby, John Jeremy Davis, Estela De Jesus Fernandes De Sousa, Albert Paul Diemand, Thu Thien Do, Kalila I. Dolen-McCarthy, Randy Arturo Dominguez, Eric Duthie Donnelly, Aidan Joseph DuMont McCaffrey, Chelsea Alyssa Dupuis, Danielle Lee Durfee, *Alexandre Nicolas Echeverri, Noah Lincoln Eckart, Sean G. Eddings, David Lowrey Eddy, Maurice Lamar Edwards, Ayman Elgadi, Joseph Barry Elkinton, Lauren Ashley Farrington, Austin Moran Federa, Alexandria Elise Ferola, Jamila Medina Ferreira, Nino Peter Figliola, Haleigh Farrell Finch, Hannah Killion Fishman, Priscille Carole Fogue Mondjo, Bridget Kelsey Footit, Jasper Fradkin, Emily Rose Franklin, Tara Lynn Fredenburgh, Julia Emily Freedman, Richard Andrew Gallo, David Pierce Gamliel, Leah Ann Gary, Cameron Joseph Theodore Gemmell, Marisa Anne Gesualdi, Justin August Gilmore, Lishai Goldstein, Juan Jose Gonzalez, Lauren Olivia Gooden, Vera Goodwin Brown, Nathaniel Abbott Gorlin-Crenshaw, Seth Logan Goss, Anthony Rafael Gray, Karl Olaf Grette, Elijah Friedman Grundel, Joel Guifo Fogue, Ella Whitall Guimond, Yaejee Ha, *Christopher David Haake, Jeannie Rose Hakala, Samuel Frederic Mock Hart

Benjamin Starbuck Hastings, Evan William Hazelett, Mark Alan Hendricks, Jr., Zoe Elizabeth Henion, Misha Harrison Herscu, Travis Martin Heyer, Christopher James Hicks, Alexander Aaron Hirsch, Alexander Thomas Holland, Sarah Sandweiss Horowitz, Benjamin Alan Israel, Justin Alfred Italiano, Samuel Belden Jackson, George Nathaniel Jean Babets, Scott Clifford Jenkins, Matthew Jacob Jerry, *!!Eleni Electra Karagiannis, Mwende Kalondu Katwiwa, Nicole Margaret Kaufman, Hope Denison Keenan, Naomi Thespina Keezing, Kevin Norman Kessler, Tenzin Khunkhyen, Sheighlyn Meghan Knightly, Molly Ford Krifka, Kirsten Elaine La Motte, Patrick Armand Newton LaClaire, ! Keri Grace Lambert, Olivia Jade Latorre, Joseph Robert Latour, Michael Patrick Lawlor, Andrew Thomas Lawrence, Benjamin Jared Ledoux, Caylin Elizabeth Lee, Jeremy Daniel Leiser Mitchell, Michelle Christine Lemoine, Elizabeth Lee Lenson, Mellyann Angelina Leonard, Raphael Hugo Leopold, Xiao Liang, Martins Licis, *Timothy John Light, Kirsten Elise Lindsmith

Isaiah Emmanuel-Tyler Link, Eli Walker Lisseck, Christopher Bryan Loud, Mariel Lugosch Ecker, Martin Joseph Lyimo Rowinski, Veronica Elaine Lynn, Benjamin Robert MacCartney, Glynis Anna Jones Macmillan, Maureen Maher-Patenaude, *Carson Dash Mailler, Desiree Lee Maldonado, Sheyla Tamara Maldonado, Cameron Lee Manderfield, *Emily Marie Mangiaratti, Sally Lynch Marcus, Maria Aurelia Martinez, *David Michael Marx, Sasha Yuki Mastroianni, Amanda Franklin Mattingly, Ariel Emma Mazur, Kaia McClellan, Giovanna Violetta McKenna, James Peter McPherson, Heather Louise Mears, Jennifer Ann Mears, Liam Arthur Meck, *Philippe Joseph Michaud, Bron Ross Mitchell, Nicholas Horrigan Mone, Emily Anne Moner, Michael Julio Monleon, Salomon Moreno-Rosa, Amanda Katherine Mundt, Emily Justine Tae Soon Murphy, Piper Simmons Murray, Akua Akyere Amewu Murray Adoboe, Thomas Muschinski, Maya Brenna Nair Noonan, Melaina May Neisner, *Olivia Irene Strycker Newcomb, Viet Quoc Nguyen, Simone Anderson Noonan

Erika Paige Norden, Kevin Christopher Norton, Bridget Sheehan O'Carroll, Sitha Tony Ok, Erika Leigh Olson, Zachary Arthur Oppenheimer, Maria Isabela Orlacchio-Garcia, Jalisa Marie Ortiz, Camille Serafina Owens, *Jack Daly Palley, Christian Parasiewicz, Susana Lorena Paredes, Benjamin Philip Parson Gomberg, Victoria Eden Patnaude, Eliza Ostrand Patteson, Benjamin Robert Peters, Jennifer Sophie Piela, Michael Richard Piela, Aleksandar Popstefanija, Julian Cesare Porcino, Max Asher Sherman Powers, Jordan Russell Pransky, *Amelia DiMattio Quinn, ChanaRose Hale Rabinovitz, Silvain Rabut Castellano, *Catherine Elizabeth Raker, Sadie Rebekah Ranen, Nicolas Martin Reda, Luke Alun Rennie, Nicolas Zac Reyes Carey, Lisa Joan Rising, Yanina Gisel Rivas, Angel Manuel Rivera Cintron, Isabel Robinson, Darryl John Vincent Rochester, Adam Lucas Rosenberg, Martina Rotea, Danya Jamie MacMellon Rubin, Diane Rubin, Ivan Scott Sandler, *Mark Paul Santolucito, *John Michael Santos, Evelyn Jeanette Saravia, Jackson Shearer Saul, Diana Maria Lundberg Scott, Katie Ellen Serwa, Rachel Lindsey Serwa, Saffa Shahid

Alexandra Rose Shea, Frederick Timothy Shepard, Jennifer Wilson Shumway, Julia Anne Sillen, Nicole Marie Smith, Nyima Sherpa Smith, Randall Piper Smith, HeeSoo Soh, *Olivia Christine Sonnhalter, Daniela Elizabeth Speas, Caroline Thompson Spurgin, Nikoleta Sremac, *Erika Nicole St Denis, Kate Louise Stamell, Grant Robert Steinhauser, Louis Kim Stocklin Weinberg

Montana Isabeau Strossi Tannetta, Julian Christopher Summa, Taylor Taggart Hampton, *Claudia May Tajima, Samuel Olusegun Teluwo, Isaiah Edward Terrell, Andy Odom Thach, Rathana Kohler Thann, Simone Russell Thibodeau, Kindyl Annestine Tolson, Michael Steven Tracy, Jessica Palpailin Tran, Kevin Patrick Twohig, Neil Dutta Vaid, Michael Constantine Valerio, Lucia Ximena Viegas Barros, Ona Ryder Vredenburg Lochner, Rina Belinda Vuthy, Ian Vincent Waldron, Hannah Desmond Warren, Michayla Ann Warren, Crystal Lynn Weagle, Ella Ariel Weitzman, Jayson Allan Wentworth, Joshua Aaron Whitehead, Lauren Michel Wilfong

Karina Jannel Williams, Lee Morgan Williams, Eleanor Newhouse Williamson, Anthony Osceola Wilson, Daniel Charles Wilson, Sarah Aleece Wilson, Grace Cobb Winship, *Nathan Charles Woodard, Elizabeth Britton Woolf, Nicholas Bradford Worthley, Wanqing Zhao, Kayla Moriah Caldwell Zibbell, Arthur Daniel Goodhind, Sr.

*National Honor Society Member

! Valedictorian

!! Salutatorian