Huntington High School’s Class of 2021 will march into Stony Brook University’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the school’s 160th commencement exercises. A crowd of about 2,500 is expected to attend.
The ceremony is being held off campus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time Stony Brook was secured, there were strict limits on crowd size and social distancing and the college stadium offered the best location to host an event expected to thousands of parents and family members.
Saturday night’s ceremony will include traditional addresses by co-valedictorians Grace Wildermuth and Alexander Bellissimo along with Principal Brenden Cusack, Superintendent James W. Polansky and Huntington School Board President Christine Biernacki.
Several seniors will take leading roles in the event. Isabella Algieri will serve as master of ceremonies. Gabriel Moskovitch, Jaden Italiano, Sarah Biernacki, Jorge Parada Cisneros and Angelica Hernandez will introduce various classmates and officials prior to their addresses.
Class of 2021 faculty advisor Jordan Schessler (co-advisor Amelia Saggese is on a maternity leave) will announce the names of the seniors as they make their way to the stage. Huntington School Board members will present the seniors with their diplomas.
Class of 2021 President Taylor Case will announce the presentation of a gift to the high school early in the commencement program.
A chamber choir quartet will perform the Huntington alma mater, which was arranged by Bill Baker. Ms. Algieri will lead the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by Huntington chamber choir seniors performing Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner.”
Class of 2021 members will march into Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium to Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance No. 1.” The new graduates will march off the field to “The Throne Room and End Title” composed by John Williams and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
The graduation will be livestreamed to the Huntington Public Schools YouTube page. Here is a direct link to it: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0zcXOH1XMeRvEgoo1aX7jg.
The commencement can be viewed in Spanish at this link: https://vimeo.com/event/1046668/a7dd3a69e9.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be rescheduled.
