THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022 Page 19 The Sounds of Saugus By Mark E. Vogler No better news than this — The Class of 2022 Some of our super-negative readers might be complaining this week that there’s not very much news in the paper. Actually, in the context of things, it was a pretty slow news week, which gave me the luxury of focusing my time and energies on the greatest story worthy of coverage in this week’s paper — the 151st Commencement Exercises of Saugus High School. For a town the size of Saugus, with 172 graduating seniors being honored on the turf of the new Christie Serino Jr. Memorial Stadium and 132 of those students going onto college, what better way to make the most of our news pages this week than by chronicling a special night for these proud Saugus High students. They’ve earned every bit of the coverage we have provided in this week’s paper — and probably more if I had more room and time. I made a point last Friday of arriving 90 minutes before commencement exercises so I didn’t have to worry about getting caught in traffi c or fi nding a nice spot close to the stadium. I also like to arrive at these events early so I can photograph and interview as many class leaders and Saugus High staff as I can before the event gets rolling. One thing I do enjoy is milling around in a crowd of proud and happy teenagers with high expectations of their next career moves. Please tell me another place in Saugus where you can feel such positive energy, good karma and contagious optimism than on a sports stadium where 172 teenagers who have been together at Saugus — many of them for four years — who are spending their final hours together before they enjoy weekend barbeques, cookouts, parties and other family outings. And most of them are looking forward to huge plans as they contemplate their lives after High School — so many happy faces, laughter, emotional embraces and great chemistry between the students and the parents and other family members who turned out for a milestone night. Thousands of photos and videos were shot to preserve the memories of the 2022 graduation night. What a huge, happy story that the participants will remember for the rest of their lives. I have covered a number of these events over the years. In the early part of my career, I used to look upon a graduation assignment as a boring and tedious task — one of those grin and bear it assignments. Not exactly heavy lifting if you spend two hours and then rush back to the newsroom and fi le a story to go with the photos that were shot. Oh, a few of them were fun, except for the parking and traffi c logistics — like going to a Central Catholic graduation, which is usually very spirited and with a lot of tradition. But the school is in a part of Lawrence where the narrow streets become a parking lot, so you have got to know when to leave so you don’t get caught in the traffi c jam. And, besides working a tight deadline, the editors at The Eagle Tribune (where I worked for 18 years) didn’t give you much space — maybe seven to eight paragraphs’ worth — to go with the best photos shot. The Eagle-Tribune is a regional paper, so there’s not a lot of space when you have two dozen graduations to cover in Greater Lawrence and Southern New Hampshire in a given night. By contrast, I get as much space as I need to tell the Saugus High School graduation story in multiple articles and photographs. And, basically, this week’s paper is the most comprehensive graduation coverage of the seven that I have been involved with during my time at The Saugus Advocate. The fun part of reporting commencement here When I show up at a commencement at Saugus High, I like to mill around with the graduates and talk to them while I look for interesting photos to shoot. And I keep my ears open. Artistic mortarboards are always fun to photograph. Last Friday, I noticed some of the artistic students comparing their colorful creations, so I asked them to get together for a group shot to show off their works of art. Then I overheard some students near the goalpost closest to Route 1 talking about somebody having a birthday. “So, who is the birthday boy?” I asked. Within seconds, somebody tells me it’s Nathan Ing, who was celebrating his 18th birthday on graduation night. Somebody points me to Nathan, and I get my photo of the birthday boy. Later the class sang “Happy Birthday” to Nathan, and I knew what it was all about. While milling around in the crowd, I asked a few of the students if they knew of twins or triplets in the class. The students gave me names and pointed me in the direction of those twins. I was able to talk to three sets of graduating twins last Friday night and get their photos. If you have enough patience and curiosity, there are all sorts of stories you can dig up at a graduation ceremony in Saugus. At least, that’s the way it has been for me in the seven Saugus High graduations I have covered since 2016. So, if you are disappointed that you didn’t get to read more government news in this week’s issue of The Saugus Advocate, you won’t get any apologies from me. I spent six to seven hours alone this week selecting photos, enhancing them on my computer and preparing identifi cation lines (photo cutlines). And I spent most of my work week researching and writing about the Class of 2022. It was time well-spent in an otherwise low key news week. A giant “Shout-Out” to Mike Hashem We didn’t receive any nominations from our readers this week to recognize good examples of Saugonians who deserve to be publicly praised for their contributions to the betterment of Saugus, so I will nominate former Saugus High Principal Michael Hashem, who stepped down from his administrative post a year ago to return to the classroom as a math teacher. In the time I have gotten to observe Mike in his interactions with the student community, he has been one of those great local educators who loves the kids and would do anything for them. This year’s graduation was special for Mike. He got to enjoy graduation night with his wife, Gail, who is a veteran Biology teacher, and their daughter, Mikayla Chelsea, a Honors Graduate who was selected to sing the National Anthem at this year’s graduation. On a night when Mike really didn’t need to be there, he showed up about an hour early to help out Brendon Sullivan and others handle some logistical matters for the graduation. But anyone who knows Mike wouldn’t be surprised that he would show up again to help out. It’s in his nature. During his welcome address, Saugus High Principal Sullivan expressed his appreciation for everything Mike does for the school and the students. Sullivan called Mike “my mentor and my friend” and a teacher “extraordinaire” — in other words, an educator that many can be proud of. Mike Hashem deserves a thousand “shout-outs.” In the runner-up slot, let’s have some generous “shout-outs” for all of the parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, mentors and many others who helped contribute to the scholastic achievements and happiness enjoyed by the 172 members of this year’s graduating class. Want to “Shout-Out” a fellow Saugonian? This is an opportunity for our paper’s readers to single out — in a brief mention — remarkable acts or achievements by Saugus residents or an act of kindness or a nice gesture. Just send an email (mvoge@comcast.net) with a mention in the subject line of “An Extra ShoutOut.” No more than a paragraph; anything longer might lend itself to a story and/or a photo. Firefi ghter Memorial Sunday (June 12) The Saugus Fire Department will host its annual Firefi ghter Memorial ceremony on Sunday (June 12) at the Central Fire Headquarters at 27 Hamilton St. at 10 a.m. Friends and family are welcome to attend — honoring all who served. All are welcome! National biological honor society inducts Saugonian Saint Anselm College student Julia Azzari of Saugus, a biology major in the class of 2023, has been accepted into the Chi Zeta Chapter of Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta), a national biological honor society, for the 2021-2022 academic year. Students are invited to join the society if they have THE SOUNDS | SEE PAGE 21 —Contest— SKETCH OF THE WEEK GUESS WHO GOT SKETCHED! If you know the right answer, you might win the contest. In this week’s edition, we continue our weekly feature where a local artist sketches people, places and things in Saugus. Got an idea who was sketched this week? If you do, please email me at mvoge@comcast.net or leave a phone message at 978683-7773. Anyone who between now and Tuesday at noon identifi es the Saugonian sketched in this week’s paper qualifi es to have their name put in a green Boston Red Sox hat with a chance to be selected as the winner of a $10 gift certifi cate, compliments of Dunkin’ in the Food Court at the Saugus Square One Mall. But you have to enter to win! Look for the winner and identifi cation in next week’s “The Sounds of Saugus.” Please leave your mailing address in case you are a winner. (Courtesy illustration to The Saugus Advocate by a Saugonian who goes by the name of “The Sketch Artist”)
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