New “Three C’s” at Chaminade’s 81st Annual Commencement

As you got closer to the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University this past Sunday it was getting harder not to notice the squadron of identical bumper magnates on the SUVs and sedans along Northern Boulevard – crimson and gold circles with a jet in the middle – that the 415 members of the Class of 2012 would soon be trading in for their alumni equivalent in a couple of hours at the Tilles Center following their graduation.

“Today we are especially grateful as parents, teachers and friends for the Class of 2012,” Fr. Garett Long, S.M. said in his invocation. “Give them the spirit of understanding and bless them in the years to come. May they always experience the spirit of wonder and awe in Your presence.”

Matthew Fiore was named the salutatorian of the Class of 2012, in his speech harking back to an Italian proverb that the principal, Br. Joseph Bellizzi, S.M., had given to the class at their final orientation assembly in September: “do what you’ve gotta do,” adding that “these past 4 years, every single member of the Class of 2012 has done what they have had to do in order to be sitting on this stage today.”

Fiore recalled where one day in the beginning of May during his freshman year a loud noise was heard throughout the halls of the school – the sound of seniors finishing their final exams. “I still had 3 more years – will I ever make it out of this place?” Fiore wondered, citing numerous achievements of the class this past year, including senior leaders, retreats, athletic and the first to use Twitter on the senior trip to Disney World. “We did all this to make sure that when May 9 finally came, we were able to put down our pencils and let out our own shouts of joy and share in our own enthusiastic high-fives and emotional bro-hugs so that some freshman in Bro. Ben’s fifth period Oceanography class could let out a terrified scream and ask what is going on... and that freshman would sit back at his desk and wonder ‘will I ever make it out of this place?’”

Valedictorian James Agolia reflected on the workload the all-boys Catholic high school is known for – the legendary 3 hours of homework a night and studying for three quizzes and 3 tests the next day: “in other words, what did Chaminade teach us?”

Agolia played off the three “C’s” the school uses during it’s freshman orientation – community, commitment and confidence – with a set of his own: compassion, conscious and courage. “What did Chaminade teach us that we will use in the future? Nothing – and yet, everything. Instead of teaching us, instead of drilling miscellaneous facts and life lessons into our heads Chaminade helped us to learn things for ourselves; instead of solving problems for us, Chaminade let us succeed and fail, giving us time to learn from our experiences. Instead of forcing education on us, Chaminade provided us an opportunity for learning and an environment conducive to our development to men of intelligence, men of morality and men of faith.”

All the members of the senior class applied to and were accepted into colleges, though 414 are planning on attending. The class earned a combined 1,227 scholarships, four of them athletic, the remainder academic. Nine members plan on attending United States Service academies. One student was a National Merit Scholarship winner while 19 were named as commended students.

Saying that he was “humbled” by the words of the two graduates who preceded him, Bro. Bellizzi quoted “the world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God,” written by Pope Benedict XVI at the 26th World Youth Day in Madrid, Spain, saying that he offered them as both a reflection on the past 4 years and a goal for their future.

Following the distribution of the 415 diplomas and academic awards, the customary bestowment of several of the major trophies and awards – most notably the Chaminade Man award, given to the senior whom best embodies the ideals of the school’s namesake, Fr. William Joseph Chaminade – were held, with this year’s recipient being Agolia.

Stating that the bestowment upon the valedictorian was noteworthy due to the diversity of his interests and “achievements in activities, athletics and in the spiritual life of our school,” Cleary described the Princeton-bound Agolia as having a “trademark quiet, competent leadership,” someone who “has always directed the spotlight to others” and is “always mindful” of a call to service.

“You are now called to be a witness to truth, service, sacrifice and faith,” Bellizzi said to the class. “Yes, the world that you will now face is not always accepting of the witness you are called to bare. I invite you to take what you have learned, take what you have personally witnessed and now go forth and be those witnesses that the Pope speaks of and that our world so desperately needs. Continue to be witnesses to truth, sacrifice, service and faith.”

Click  for photos of the entire Class of 2012!