RCA Photo of the Week - June 8, 2023

Graduation season is here! While we are celebrating the students who completed their schooling this year, it's good to acknowledge those who did that before. That's why today's photo of the week is of the Romeo High School (RHS) Graduating Class of 2008.

On the front page of the June 4, 2008 edition of The Romeo Observer, writer and photographer Chris Gray covered the RHS graduation ceremony on Sunday, June 1 at Freedom Hill. Up until that point, it was one of the largest graduating classes at that school with 440 seniors receiving their diplomas that year. It was what one expects a graduation ceremony to be. It contained speeches from salutorian Sarah Muir, valedictorian Daniel Morsches, principal Michael Kaufman, and superintendent Joe Beck expressing gratitude and thoughts about the future and living in the moment as well as acknowledging the accomplishments of the Class of 2008. In fact, according to Gray, Beck pointed out a number of achievements like "the class helping raise more than $16,000 during charity week and helping collect over 20,000 items for Samaritan House pantries."

In addition, a memoriam diploma was presented to the parents of Jamie Gillespie, who passed away in May 2003. Gray noted, "The whole amphitheater gave a standing ovation in her memory."

As for the picture itself, it displays the graduating class in their red and white robes wiping away tears and applauding after student Sean Earle sang the class song "Best Days" by Graham Colton.

Congratulations to the RHS Class of 2023 as well as to the ones that came before!

Source: The Romeo Observer, June 4, 2008, p.1-A and 11-A