Valedictorian Andrew BeltCappellino's address: A class small but united

By Andrew R. BeltCappellino

As we sit up here on this stage, we see more eyes staring at us than are in our whole school. I think I can speak for my classmates when I say, we are in that clichéd “transitional period. “ It’s almost like purgatory and now we are in a state of unbalance and we must walk on our own now. Although many people say a new “chapter” in our life is beginning and some even may say that the fun ends here, we still have a long life ahead of us.

Let me just say that it has been an honor to spend the majority of time with the people to my right. We have had our good times, our bad times and our fun times together. Being that we go to a school where our graduating class is smaller than many regular high school English classes, we know each other very well. We’ve encountered flying hot dogs, flying erasers and the roughest schooner trip to date— during which it was raining, 45 degrees, and almost everyone was sick. One student even proceeded to give me his cup and say, “hold this for a second,” as he vomited over the side of the boat.

You may think after something like that trip we may have never wanted to see each other again, but it was just the opposite. Working together on those boats showed us that we needed each other. This is when I first realized that our class was great at working together and that we really depended on each other.

Our class unity was also present in our back to back “Anything Goes” first-place finishes, as well as our second-place finish in 10th grade as we put together a memorable “Sophopoly” skit, despite Max’s creepy clown laughing. Yes, it’s true that we did not decide what our theme for this year was until the day before, but we pulled through, thanks to quick thinking and improvisation from Mackenzie, as well as great teamwork in the events that we did well in. Despite sometimes conflicting attitudes, our class always came together when we needed each other. I think it is something that just kind of developed as a result of coming from such a small class.

You could say our school is lucky because we have no cliques, but I think our class goes even farther. As far as I see it, we don’t really even have groups of friends. We are united and have leaned on each other when we were feeling down, or even bragged about ourselves when we felt proud of our accomplishments.

On the senior trip even when people thought they wanted to do their own thing, there was a united effort to bring everyone back together and make this last trip not just an individual trip, but a class trip. We’ve always had each other’s backs and our realization that we depend on others has allowed us to flourish since we aren’t afraid to ask for help or a favor. I know my classmates can achieve the goals that they set, if only they set their minds to it and continue to work well with others.

Our class has relied heavily on several people outside the class to whom we owe thanks for helping us make it through school. First off, let me just start by saying that one of the things I love about Shelter Island is the sense of community. It is just a unique place, which is evident to those who live here. I cannot thank everyone right now because if I did I would miss my orientation at Binghamton, which is only four days away. So, I want to start off with a general thank you to the individuals who allow us to feel that sense of community and allow us to call Shelter Island home and not just a place where we live. More specifically, I would like to thank the administration and Board of Education for making our school experience a positive one.

Also, thank you to the teachers. Here on Shelter Island, we are lucky. We have some of the greatest teachers around who are not just our teachers, but also our friends. Our teachers here care about the students and go above and beyond the job description. I would specifically like to mention Ms. Galasso and Mr. Brigham, who I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with every year of high school.

Ms. Galasso, who told me she would not be here today, has made classes fun and engaging. She quickly learned that we could be bribed with food and candy, and even showed us everyone’s favorite lab demonstration, the gummy bear demo. I will be back to visit her and play with her numerous toys that she keeps stashed in her drawers.

And to Mr. Brigham, I cannot say enough. He did a great job of teaching the first AP calculus class at Shelter Island School and used a unique approach that included the sticks o’ learning and donut questions to keep us going. Mr. Brigham always knew how to have a good time, whether it was wearing hardhats, playing with that weird dipstick device that Michael and I liked, wondering what the shipment of green goo was, or quoting the numerous TV shows that we both enjoy. We are a lot alike except for the fact that he doesn’t eat meat, which I do like to tease him about. I don’t think it is too much of a secret to him that I would go out of my way to talk to him even if we didn’t have class that day. I hope he finds another sportsaholic to talk about the night’s previous Yankees game and wish him the best.

And lastly to my family, you guys know me best and I will miss you greatly when I go off college. To Matt, I want you never to feel like you have to be like me. If you want to be different than me, then do it. You are one of my best friends and it is going to be hard to go to college where I won’t see you every day. I do leave you two things, however. When you want to watch “Saturday Night Live” late at night, you can have the sack and couch every time, even if our house is 49 degrees and you can see your breath.

Dad, you have always been a great role model, except of course for leaving your ice bowls out after going to bed. You work hard, take the teasing about being bald, and you care about the whole family. I know Matt and I tease you about doing projects half way, but we do appreciate your hard work. You remember the simple things in life though and I will always remember playing catch with you in the backyard. Hitting tennis balls was also always fun and when you filled up that one with flour and threw it to Matt, that was hilarious.

Mom, you have passion and love for people that goes unmatched. Your sixth sense of knowing everyone’s phone number just goes to show how many people you have built relationships with. Although I don’t quite understand it, your passion for volleyball is incredible. The players may know that you love volleyball, but only us at home truly know how much time you spend trying to create a successful team. Your kindness and respect for everyone is something that I have tried to take from you, because you are the epitome of these qualities.

To my class, I am not going to act like I know everything about life and that my advice is perfect, but I do think that I have some things to share. Do what you want to do with your life. Just because your parents had a certain profession, or people expect you to do a specific thing with your life, don’t feel like you have to do it. You have only one life and you must seize it yourself. You don’t want to be regretting what you’ve done with your life after it is too late. Do not be afraid to fail, because it doesn’t matter who you are, you eventually will and must just learn from it. Try to keep in touch with me, the person sitting next to you, and the rest of the class. Some of us have spent thirteen years together. That is a long time, and I don’t want the relationships we built over those many years to disappear. I may not be the most social person, but I did finally cave and get a facebook for you guys. I cannot wait to hear about all the fun times you have this next year. Remember to keep in touch and I wish you guys all the best wherever you may go.