Adorned in candy-covered scarves, decorated graduation caps, flower leis and bright smiles, the Palo Alto High School Class of 2012 stepped across the high school stage to graduate on Wednesday, June 6, at its commencement ceremony at Paly.

As the Symphonic Band, led by conductor Jeff Willner, kicked off the ceremony with Edward Elgar’s classic “Pomp and Circumstance,” the seniors marched up to their seats.

Unlike previous years, principal Phil Winston and Associated Student Body President Uma Veerappan (‘12) welcomed the audience together. After a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by the band, both Winston and Veerappan gave their few words of praise and advice before handing the microphone off to seniors Jared Swezey-Gleason, Emilee Osagiede, Brian Benton and Maddie Kuppe.

These students delivered speeches with topics ranging from life’s shortcuts to perseverance and childhood memories and from the journalistic questions of high school to Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot.” All were linked to themes of individuality and strength of the senior class.

Swezey-Gleason started off with the first speech, titled “The Longcuts of Life,” listing the top five shortcuts taken in high school, including “take the advanced classes,” “get the grades,” “do enough extra curriculars,” “pass the test” and “find an experience,” punctuated by “you will be fine.” He questioned the value behind these shortcuts and presented near opposites in his five longcuts, which emphasized being oneself and finding true interests.

“Where’s the journey in following a formula?” Swezey-Gleason said during his speech. “At the end of the day, the question is, ‘Who are you?’”

Osagiede followed with “Keep Fighting,” starting and ending with a Dr. Seuss quote from his book “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” She pressed her fellow seniors to persevere through hard times and let experiences shape them instead of bringing them down.

“In life, things aren’t always handed to you,” Osagiede said. “They’re earned.”

Benton spoke next about the “Five W’s & An H” of high school, linking his speech to his experiences as a former editor in chief of the Campanile, Paly’s newspaper and oldest publication. He said that everyone at Paly had a story to tell.

“Who is us — 454 students graduating high school together, no two the same, even if they’re twins that I still can’t tell apart,” Benton said. “That’s what makes Paly special. We’re not a cookie cutter school.”

Kuppe ended the speeches with “This Pale Blue Dot,” referencing Sagan’s book about our planet. She asked the students to “celebrate how we’re each going to make our mark on this pale blue dot.”

After the student speeches, Veerappan was called up again by ASB Adviser Matthew Hall, who presented her with the Viking Award, one of Paly’s most prestigious awards that is not presented every year and is given only when a student deserves it. Hall praised Veerappan’s dedication to the student body and willingness to work not for the recognition but to make a difference.

Following the speeches came student performances: Senior Lindsay Black rushed up to the stage to deliver a stirring performance of Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World. She was followed by Billy Joel’s And So It Goes, performed by the Heartbreakers, an a cappella group comprised of seniors Elias Berezin and Thomas Wade and sophomores Aaron Slipper and Henry Wilen.

Winston returned to the stage one final time to announce others leaving Paly for good — the retiring faculty members: Doug Bertain, David Camner, Cheryle Emil, Coung Huynh, Gail Roby-Frazier, Terri Weber and Kathleen Weiss.

As the sun started to drop behind Paly’s famous tower building, the evening turned to the event featuring the entire senior class — the acceptance and presentation of diplomas.

With another school year gone and the seniors moving on to their various futures, the graduation ceremony served as the stepping stone for the class of 2012. With the uniqueness demonstrated and espoused by the student speakers, performers and each senior walking up the stairs to receive a piece of paper that celebrates four years of high school, the ceremony seemed to emulate Benton’s final words: “Our time in high school may be complete, but when it comes to the Paly class of 2012, our stories are just beginning.”