MONROE - Monroe High School's Class of 2012 marked their graduation as countless seniors everywhere before them have done: Green Day's "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" was invoked, Nelson Mandela quoted, inside jokes cracked.
But this graduating class set themselves apart in one way. They got up and danced.
At the end of her commencement speech, social studies teacher Kathryn Zastrow led the rows of gowned seniors in coordinated moves to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance."
"When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance," Zastrow said, quoting the song. As the students sat back down, she smiled. "I'm so glad you chose to dance!"
Zastrow's commencement speech to the graduating class of 163 students stayed on a musical theme throughout. She quoted lyrics from songs she felt represented this moment in the students' lives, on the brink of childhood to adulthood, and defined their values and dreams.
Besides the perennial graduation favorite "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," she quoted lyrics from Katy Perry's "Firework," Rod Stewart's "Forever Young," Christina Aguilera's "Soar" and Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten."
Senior Sarah Alexander, in the ceremony's welcome speech, walked her class through the memories they'd shared since elementary school and how she felt four years ago on her first day of high school ("like an ant under a microscope").
Ryan Treuthardt, another senior speaker, compared the first day of ninth grade to feeling "like I'm gonna get stomped on by seniors."
"It's been 12 years, guys," he said. Remembering all the shared memories would be like "compressing the Bible into a brochure."
He cautioned his fellow graduates against choosing an easy life.
"This is only one step in your life. This small step leads you forward," Treuthardt said. "Live life! After all, you can only do it once."
The ceremony honored two seniors with citizenship awards: Austin Burandt, who plans to major in Finance at the University of Minnesota, continue on to law school and then begin a career in corporate law, and Erica Hegi, who plans to get her doctorate in music and then return to Wisconsin to teach music.
Fourteen students - twelve girls and two boys - also received recognition as honors graduates.
Superintendent Larry Brown, who is leaving the district June 30 for a position in Rice Lake, had the last advice for the Class of 2012.
"Look around you," he told them, gesturing at the families and friends sitting on the gym's bleachers, fanning themselves with programs.
These are the people who care about you, he told the seniors. He urged them to keep this in mind wherever life leads them, that they are always welcome back home.
But this graduating class set themselves apart in one way. They got up and danced.
At the end of her commencement speech, social studies teacher Kathryn Zastrow led the rows of gowned seniors in coordinated moves to Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance."
"When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance," Zastrow said, quoting the song. As the students sat back down, she smiled. "I'm so glad you chose to dance!"
Zastrow's commencement speech to the graduating class of 163 students stayed on a musical theme throughout. She quoted lyrics from songs she felt represented this moment in the students' lives, on the brink of childhood to adulthood, and defined their values and dreams.
Besides the perennial graduation favorite "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," she quoted lyrics from Katy Perry's "Firework," Rod Stewart's "Forever Young," Christina Aguilera's "Soar" and Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten."
Senior Sarah Alexander, in the ceremony's welcome speech, walked her class through the memories they'd shared since elementary school and how she felt four years ago on her first day of high school ("like an ant under a microscope").
Ryan Treuthardt, another senior speaker, compared the first day of ninth grade to feeling "like I'm gonna get stomped on by seniors."
"It's been 12 years, guys," he said. Remembering all the shared memories would be like "compressing the Bible into a brochure."
He cautioned his fellow graduates against choosing an easy life.
"This is only one step in your life. This small step leads you forward," Treuthardt said. "Live life! After all, you can only do it once."
The ceremony honored two seniors with citizenship awards: Austin Burandt, who plans to major in Finance at the University of Minnesota, continue on to law school and then begin a career in corporate law, and Erica Hegi, who plans to get her doctorate in music and then return to Wisconsin to teach music.
Fourteen students - twelve girls and two boys - also received recognition as honors graduates.
Superintendent Larry Brown, who is leaving the district June 30 for a position in Rice Lake, had the last advice for the Class of 2012.
"Look around you," he told them, gesturing at the families and friends sitting on the gym's bleachers, fanning themselves with programs.
These are the people who care about you, he told the seniors. He urged them to keep this in mind wherever life leads them, that they are always welcome back home.