Malden High grads hail the future

Malden High graduates waiting to take their diplomas on Sunday.

By: Travis Andersen
Town Correspondent

The Class of 2009 at Malden High School held commencement exercises on Sunday at Macdonald Stadium, unfazed by the heat and occasional din from passing trains.

Class president Jennifer Delacey spoke to that tenacity in her remarks. The Babson College-bound senior said her fellow graduates also had style.

"You are looking at one of the most intelligent, enthusiastic, awesome, diverse, and - how could you forget - best-looking classes," said Delacey to loud applause from 374 classmates.

They also have integrity, according to valedictorian Dario Sava.

"We have learned responsibility, humility, and most of all we have learned how to be decent people," said Sava, who will attend Harvard in the fall.

Class orator Stephen Cheung is also headed for the Ivy League. He said in his remarks that every graduate will struggle in the future, and then closed on a high note.

"It's going to be OK," said Cheung, who will attend Dartmouth. "It's going to work out fine."

Salutatorian Tzivia Halperin put those words to the test. She delivered her speech 24 hours after battling a high fever, telling classmates they had a lot in common with Rocky Balboa, Chuck Norris, and Oprah Winfrey.

"We learned to be independent and proactive," said Halperin, who will attend Emerson.

Principal Dana Brown told the capacity crowd of about 1,000 that this year's graduating class overcame many challenges, including the deaths of recent alum Michael Luu and sophomore Romeo Murray during the school year.

"This group thought, did a lot of thinking, in fact," Brown said, later telling the class, "You will do great things."

Superintendent Sidney Smith and outgoing assistant principal Fred Feldman also spoke.

Smith thanked parents and teachers for their work, while Feldman recognized 26 students who received awards from Malden High School Scholarship Inc., a fund established in 1909 to help Malden High grads attend four-year colleges.

Fund trustees awarded additional scholarships at a ceremony last week.

The Malden High Band treated the students and commencement audience to a rendition of "Ride," an upbeat tune by Samuel Hazo. The school chorus sang "In Whatever Time We Have," a rueful ballad of moving on.

Graduate Kathleen Lopes-Raftery understood the sentiment.

"The perfect word is bittersweet," said Lopes-Raftery, who plans to study finance at Bentley University. "Because I feel like I'm in a movie."

Graduate Sidney Yau, who plans to study psychology at UMass-Boston, still can't believe high school has come to an end.

"It feels like four years have just flown by," he said.

Malden High School graduates toss their caps at the end of the ceremony.