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MHS grads recall good times

Principal Dennis Newell speaks to the graduates during Middletown High School's graduation ceremony Monday, June 8, at Princeton Pike Church of God.

Staff photo by Nick Graham Principal Dennis Newell speaks to the graduates during Middletown High School's graduation ceremony Monday, June 8, at Princeton Pike Church of God.

ENLARGE PHOTO

By Meagan Engle, Staff Writer Updated 6:46 AM Tuesday, June 9, 2009

LIBERTY TWP. — As they gathered for the last time, the members of Middletown High School’s class of 2009 turned their thoughts to just how far they’d come together.

“It’s a little emotional,” graduate Omar Campbell said before the ceremony.

Said Andi Junker, “It means a lot. You just try really hard for all four years.”

Dressed in white and purple gowns, the more than 330 graduates accepted their diplomas during Middletown’s 134th commencement ceremony Monday night, June 8, at a packed Princeton Pike Church of God.

Student speakers used their last words to their peers to remind them of the triumphs and difficulties they experienced together.

“Our tradition as Middies will stay within us wherever we may go, and it is important to understand the adversity we have overcome and the accomplishments we have achieved,” Alex Landen told the crowd.

“We must remember who we are. We must remember what we are. We’re Middies,” he said.

Landen reminded his classmates of the football team’s 42-39 victory over Colerain, the boys basketball team’s 19-3 season, the excellent performances by the band, and all the plays and musicals.

He congratulated them on sticking together as they went through difficult times.

Speaker Myka Lipscomb thanked Principal Dennis Newell for his daily encouragement on leadership.

“Every day he told us to be leaders,” Lipscomb said to her classmates, who together leave high school with a total $1.8 million in scholarships. “We scoffed at the idea, but unbeknownst to us, we continually followed his advice. We led the march, we led the campaign, we led the way to the field and we led the fundraisers. We were leaders. And as I stand here looking out at my classmates, I know that I’m looking at the future of America.

“That thought fills me with confidence because I know that the class of 2009 will lead us into a brighter, better future,” she said. “Congratulations class of 2009. We did it.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2551 or mengle@coxohio.com.

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