The Tabor Academy community came together at the campus waterfront on May 26 to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2015.

Local graduate Logan Russell of Marion opened the ceremony with the National Anthem and 1971 graduate Carmine Martignetti addressed the guests as the chair of the Board of Trustees.

Co-Heads of School Ned Mitchell and Hadley Ramsay gave heartfelt speeches about their experiences at Tabor.

“I have been loved by hundreds more people than if I’d chosen to stay home,” reflected Ramsay about her choice to attend Tabor and the relationships she has formed over the past four years.

Travis Roy, founder of the Travis Roy Foundation, graduated from Tabor in 1995 and headed to Boston University where he would play on the hockey team. In his very first collegiate game, Roy was paralyzed from the neck down.

Despite his tragic accident, Roy has remained positive and has done a tremendous amount of good over the past 20 years he has been confined to a wheelchair. Roy spoke candidly about his experiences, urging students, faculty, and family members to enjoy “real moments” whether they are solitary or shared with others.

Roy also discussed the importance of expressing how we feel.

“Telling the people around us that we love them should be a daily occurrence, not something saved for special occasions,” said Roy.

Roy mentioned that the first thing he would do if he were to get out of his wheelchair would be to hug the people he loved. He described the power of hugs, saying if one is not ready to verbally express their admiration, they shouldn’t “be afraid to give them a hug.”

President of Tabor’s Cum Laude Society Chapter Kelli McSweeny then inducted the newest members into the society.

“The Cum Laude Society was initiated in 1906 ‘to give scholastic achievement of seniors as much recognition as that given to other activities,”’ said McSweeny. “The society grants a limited number of memberships to schools of superior academic quality.”

For a student to earn membership in the Tabor Cum Laude chapter, McSweeny said, he or she must maintain a 90 average in each semester of the junior and senior years “in a rigorous, challenging, and broad course of study that includes at least three Honors or AP courses in each year.”

This year, 19 students were inducted, making up about 14 percent of the graduating class.

Local inductees are: Melissa Hooke, Gweneth McCain, and Julia O’Rourke of Marion, and Abigail Taber of Rochester.

Awards were then handed out to a select group of graduates, which included a few local students.

The Matthew W. Houlihan Memorial Scholarship is given to a student “who has participated in the full range of the Tabor experience, demonstrating positive attitude, strong character and scholarship, commitment to classmates, and exemplary school citizenship.” This award was given to Abigail Taber of Rochester.

The William Makepeace Atwood Scholarship “is presented to a senior from the local area who has made an outstanding contribution to the life of the school.” This year two students received this scholarship: Julia O’Rourke of Marion and Connor West of Rochester.

The Lyndon Paul Lorusso Award “is presented to the senior who … has demonstrated an unselfish commitment and constant willingness to help in all phases of school life,” and was given to Gwen McCain of Marion.

Lastly, The Hamilton Webster Thayer Prize was given to the student “whose overall experience best exemplifies the ideals of Tabor Academy in scholarship, citizenship, and leadership.” This award was presented to Julia O’Rourke of Marion.

By Julia O’Rourke

When looking through this year’s Old Rochester Regional High School yearbook, pay close attention to the ‘Favorite Memories’ section of each senior’s special write-up. An event commonly mentioned by the Class of 2015 as the most memorable is the Junior Semi-Formal, which this year occurred on Friday, May 15.

One of the most important events of the school year, the Junior Semi was met with a warm reception by the Class of 2016. Junior Class Advisors Hilary Owen and Andrea Moniz spoke about the challenges and rewards that come with planning one of the school year’s marquee events.

Junior Semi is the unofficial kick-off of senior year for the junior class. Think of it as a sleepover for the entire junior class – with ample amounts of food and soda – taking place mainly in the ORR gym. Combine that with an elegant dinner and a school dance that rivals the intensity of Homecoming (although with more space to actually dance) and you have an event like no other.

The event kicked off at 6:30 pm, and after the long line handed in their tickets and waited patiently in the courtyard, dinner was served in the cafeteria. Students could choose from a wide array of foods, though the majority opted for the chicken fingers and French fries, accompanied by a salad or pasta dish.

Afterwards, the music began and the dance floor slowly filled in. Many students split time between the dance floor and the photo area that featured clothing items of the ‘Masquerade’ theme. There was also a candy bar that received plenty of visitors throughout the evening.

The DJ earned great reviews for a playlist that leaned heavily on 2000s pop/hip-hop hits, as well as some more current tunes. The dance concluded at 10:30 pm, and Phase 2 of Junior Semi quickly began.

By 11:30 pm, most students had changed into more comfortable clothes and were hanging out in the gymnasium. In addition to a plentiful food supply, basketball games, volleyball games, and a bouncy-house kept students entertained.

After midnight, the hypnotist began to perform in the auditorium. Over 20 students volunteered to have their minds altered, although only four made it to the 1:30 am performance end. Junior Haily Saccone stole the show with her dancing, and sophomore Dillon McCarthy, hypnotized to think he was James Bond, suspended the audience in disbelief. Earning a standing applause, the hypnotist was regarded as one of the high points of the evening.

At this point in the evening, most attendees of the event were fighting off sleep. Two films were now played back-to-back in the auditorium: 21 Jump Street and Identity Thief. Even though these were popular films, more students were leaning back in their chairs sleeping than enjoying the two comedies.

Concurrently, basketball and volleyball games continued to be played in the auditorium, while the bouncy-house was now filled mostly with sleeping bags. At 5:00 am, the students headed out of the gym and into their cars, in pursuit of sleep after a memorable evening that can truly be called a one-of-a-kind experience.

Owen and Moniz spend their days working in the Learning Support Center (LSC) at ORR. However, the pair also serve as advisors to the Class of 2016, this year’s juniors. They worked closely with the student council to plan this year’s Junior Semi-Formal event.

“This is my third year as the class advisor, and when I became an advisor, I recruited [Moniz] to work with me,” Owen said.

The duo picked the date for Junior Semi in September and began to meet with the class officers in January. “After we picked the date, some part of the planning was done every month from there,” Moniz said.

Both spoke about the challenges of planning such a unique event. Moniz emphasized that “making sure it’s what the kids want” was one of the biggest challenges. Owen acknowledged, “So many details couldn’t be figured out until the day of the event.”

After all the hard work, both were pleased with the final product.

“The DJ got everyone on the dance floor and kept them there,” Owen said, speaking to one of the event’s high points. “Even the kids who weren’t dancing were enjoying themselves,” Moniz added.

Judging by the terrific reception of the event, the long months of planning for Junior Semi paid off.

Every year, the Junior Semi-Formal manages to represent both the end of an era and a new beginning for the junior class. As the dance usually coincides with the end of the year for seniors, the juniors become the leaders of the school and celebrate with an epic party. The event also serves as a prelude to the end-of-school events, and serves as a nice way to finish off students’ penultimate year of high school. None of it could be accomplished without the hard work of the junior class advisors, and once again Junior Semi provided a memorable experience for its participants.

By Patrick Briand