Graduation Planned for Outdoors; Tickets for Potential Indoor Ceremony to be Distributed Just in Case
By Julie Perine on May 24, 2018 via Connect-Bridgeport.com
According to the National Weather Service out of Charleston, Saturday will bring to the Bridgeport area partly sunny conditions with a high near 83 degrees and a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 11 a.m. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Administration at Bridgeport High School is interpreting that 50 percent as the glass half full, not half empty. Every effort will be made to hold graduation for the BHS Class of 2018 outdoors on Wayne Jamison Field as is tradition. Only if absolutely necessary will ceremonies be moved indoors to the BHS gymnasium.
As insurance to make the day go as smoothly as possible, Principal Mark DeFazio said each student will be provided with tickets to a potential indoor graduation ceremony.
“(Each student) will get five tickets on Friday and two more on Saturday if they need them,” he said. “We will try to accommodate everyone.”
BHS seniors will receive the initial five tickets at Friday’s graduation practice. The decision as to whether to hold commencement inside or outside will likely not be made until Saturday morning.
Graduation is slated to begin at 9 a.m. Representing the senior class will be Mr. and Miss BHS, Brent Sinsel and Catie Wilson, both of whom will address their peers, providing memories and/or words of advice.
Special music will be provided by Lacy Bryant and Alyssa Dent, who will sing "Five More Minutes" by Scotty McCreery and senior class president, Jenna Love, who will deliver her rendition of Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten." The name of the latter song has been adopted by the class as its unofficial motto.
As always, a number of BHS juniors will be involved in commencement exercises, leading seniors in the graduation processional to “Pomp and Circumstance” – played by the BHS Band.
BHS Senior Counselor Jane Byrd said there are 166 members of the 2018 graduating class. Students were honored Tuesday morning at the annual senior assembly, during which time more than $4 million in scholarships were presented/announced. Tuesday evening, the class baccaleurate was held at Faith Fellowship Church, followed by the senior banquet at Bridgeport Conference Center.
