Latest news with #Classof2025
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pine Grove Area seniors head off to next chapter
PINE GROVE — Pine Grove Area High School graduated 132 students from its senior class Thursday at its commencement exercises. Dressed in the district's signature Cardinal red gowns, the seniors celebrated the momentous occasion on a pleasant evening at Cardinal Stadium, surrounded by bleachers packed with family members and friends. Superintendent Heath W. Renninger, in his welcome address, reminded students of three powerful qualities — resilience, creativity, heart — that have shaped their journeys. 'Creativity is often thought of as art or music, but it's so much more,' he said. 'It's your ability to think outside the box, to find new solutions, to dream bigger than the circumstances around you. Your creativity will allow you to navigate a world that's changing faster than ever.' * Members of the Pine Grove Area JROTC present the nation's colors during the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Members of the Pine Grove Class of 2025 proceed onto the field for their graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29.(RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Pine Grove Class of 2025 Valedictorian Alexander Dubbs speaks at his graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Members of the Pine Grove Class of 2025 proceed onto the field for their graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * A pair of Lockheed C130 Hercules military transport planes pass over Pine Grove Area High School's graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Pine Grove Class of 2025 President Alexis Butler speaks at her graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) * Pine Grove Class of 2025 Salutatorian Allison Kelley speaks at her graduation ceremony of Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 7 Members of the Pine Grove Area JROTC present the nation's colors during the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 29. (RYAN SHARP/STAFF PHOTO) Expand He also urged students to remember 'who's in your corner.' He said they will continue to develop relationships with their corners of support and will find new ones over time. Valedictorian Alexander Dubbs recalled the tough time the Class of 2025 had recovering from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said affected their social skills as they entered high school. He also referenced a wave of teacher resignations during the class's sophomore and junior years. 'Still, our class didn't let it hurt us as we made it to the start of senior year, and ultimately where we are tonight,' he said. Salutatorian Allison Kelley, in her speech, offered a reflection on the dangers of nostalgic reminiscing and told her fellow seniors to enjoy the present. 'Here's the truth: High school is not the best years of our lives,' she said. 'And honestly, that's a relief because the best years don't exist. There is no single chapter of life that defines our joy. What we do have are the memories that we make throughout our entire lives.' Alexis Butler, senior class president, spoke about her experience as the student representative to the Pine Grove Area school board. She called it 'a rare opportunity, as most school boards don't include a student voice. That alone speaks volumes.' Butler said she regularly attended board meetings, where she provided updates on student activities, and visited classrooms, spoke with teachers and administrators, and interviewed peers to 'bring a real, student-centered perspective to the table.' 'Our board listened, not just to the highlights, but to the needs, challenges and hopes of our student body,' she said. 'Representation matters, and I'm proud Pine Grove believes that, too.'
The Courier
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Courier
Prom photos: Baldragon Academy Class of 2025
Baldragon Academy S6 dance was a final fling for the Dundee school's Class of 2025. The S6 leavers celebrated the end of exams and their school days at Malmaison Dundee. Our photographer was there on Friday evening to capture the special occasion. Baldragon Academy S6 dance launches our Class of '25 photo gallery series. Look out for more throughout June from secondary school leavers' proms and dances across Tayside and Fife.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Altoona Area High School commencement rescheduled due to weather concerns
ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — Families planning to celebrate graduation in Altoona this weekend will need to adjust their schedules. The 149th Altoona Area High School Commencement has been rescheduled to Saturday, May 31, at 6 p.m. due to predicted inclement weather. Originally scheduled for Friday, the ceremony will now take place at Mansion Park Stadium, with gates opening at 4:30 p.m. The district cited forecasts calling for rain and wind that would make outdoor conditions uncomfortable and potentially unsafe. The district acknowledged that the sudden shift may cause difficulties for some families but emphasized the importance of a positive and smooth ceremony for students and guests. Officials plan to monitor the weather and say any further changes will be announced by noon Saturday. Parking for families and guests will be available in the Amtran Lot next to the Sheetz Training Center, the baseball and Little League outfields, and other nearby designated areas. Accessible parking will be provided at the Sheetz Training Center and in marked areas outside the stadium. Accessible seating will be located on the Home Side track and select areas in the stands. Guests requiring accessible access are encouraged to enter through the scoreboard end zone gate. All other attendees are asked to use general stadium seating. For those unable to attend in person, the ceremony will be broadcast live by MLTV starting at 3:55 p.m. The event is open to the public, and the district extended its congratulations to the Class of 2025 and their families. More details and updates can be found on the district's official website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Middle East Eye
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Judge rules in favour of Harvard University keeping its international students
Harvard University on Thursday won a brief reprieve in its fight to continue enrolling international students after a federal judge upheld a block on a governmental order. US district judge Allison Burroughs ruled to uphold the terms of a temporary restraining order (TRO), which froze the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) revocation of the university's student and exchange visitor programme (SEVP) certification programme, the process that enables universities to enrol foreigners, and preserved the status of international students. The news came as Harvard's Class of 2025 was assembling for commencement exercises. The order grants relief to around 7,000 international students - a quarter of Harvard's student body - whose lives have been thrown into limbo over the last few weeks. 'Harvard will continue to take steps to protect the rights of our international students and scholars, members of our community who are vital to the University's academic mission and community - and whose presence here benefits our country immeasurably,' Harvard said in a public statement about Thursday's court decision. Burroughs indicated that she will issue a longer-term hold while litigation continues. This would enable international students, staff, and faculty to continue to study and work at the Ivy League school. The TRO will stay in place until a broader injunction is agreed upon. The next hearing has yet to be scheduled. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Last Thursday, DHS told Harvard that its international students must either transfer to other institutions or face deportation, as its continued fight for academic autonomy faced another round of repercussions from the Trump administration. Harvard sued in response, and last Friday, a judge temporarily blocked the DHS's revocation of the university's SEVP programme. Trump administration backtracks Before the order, the Trump administration appeared to waver on its initial decertification, potentially on procedural grounds. The Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday it would now give Harvard University a 30-day response time to prove it meets the requirements of the SEVP programme. After 30 days, the DHS could still revoke Harvard's SEVP certification if it still claims that Harvard broke the law, unless a preliminary injunction is granted. The New York Times reported last week that the administration is poised to cut all remaining federal contracts with Harvard, which are estimated to be worth $100m. The two sides have been in a legal war for months now. The US State Department and DHS began cracking down on any pro-Palestinian sentiment expressed by student visa holders in the US after the nationwide campus protests in 2024 in support of Gaza. At the end of March, the Trump administration announced it was reviewing $9bn in federal funds and grants to Harvard. It said it would review more than $255.6m in current contracts and $8.7bn in grants spread over multiple years. The administration accused the university of failing to adequately protect Jewish students on campus from antisemitic discrimination and harassment, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 'Are they troublemakers?': Trump questions why Harvard has so many international students Read More » On 3 April, the Trump administration sent an initial list of demands to 'right these wrongs', as part of its crackdown on what it calls antisemitism on campuses across the US, referring to the widespread campus protests against Israel's war on Gaza. Then, on 11 April, the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism sent Harvard an expanded list of demands. Harvard rejected the government's demands, which included reporting foreign students for code violations, reforming its governance and leadership, discontinuing its diversity, equity, and inclusion programmes, and changing its hiring and admission policies, especially for international students. In response to the list of demands, the institution took a stand against the Trump administration, saying in a letter, issued by Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP and King & Spalding LLP, that 'The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights'. In response, the Trump administration hit Harvard with a $2.3bn federal funding freeze, which represents 35.9 percent of Harvard's $6.4bn operating expenses. Then, the US Department of Health and Human Services said that it was terminating $60m in federal grants to the university, saying it failed to address antisemitic harassment and ethnic discrimination on campus. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institution has said it 'cannot absorb the entire cost' of the frozen grants, and that it was working with researchers to help them find alternative funding. It is also suing the Trump administration over its decision to cut grants. The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism is made up of four government agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the US General Services Administration. The task force was set up in February following Trump's executive order, Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, signed at the end of January.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Harvard graduation ceremony: Harvard University President Alan Garber's speech to the Class of 2025 goes viral — here's the full text
ADVERTISEMENT FAQs: ADVERTISEMENT At the Tercentenary Theatre in Harvard Yard Harvard's graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 happened on May 29. The event happened while Harvard was being criticized by the Trump administration , as per Alan Garber started his speech by welcoming students from 'down the street, across the country, and around the world.' He repeated 'around the world' again for emphasis, which many saw as a dig at Trump's effort to block international students . This line got him a standing ovation, according to the Harvard Trump administration had recently tried to stop Harvard from admitting international students and cancel $100 million in federal research contracts. Garber responded to the funding cut by calling it 'perplexing' and said, research funding isn't a gift, it's for important work the government wants done. Cutting it hurts the whole country, not just Harvard. He also said that linking these actions to antisemitism doesn't make sense, as mentioned in the report by People told students to keep being curious and stay 'comfortable being uncomfortable', starting with the folding chairs they were sitting on. He warned against 'comfortable thinking' and being so sure of your opinions that you stop learning. He said being wrong can teach us humility, empathy, and growth, and told students to stay open-minded, as per the Harvard praised the graduates as proof that Harvard's mission works and said their achievements will help communities around the world. Keynote speaker Dr. Abraham Verghese, who is a Stanford professor and author, praised students for defending Harvard's values and America's values, according to People told students that 'no recent events can diminish' what they achieved at Harvard. In April 2025, the Trump administration sent Harvard a list of demands about, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs, admitting international students, and handling of pro-Palestinian protests. After Harvard refused to comply, they became a target for the Trump administration, as per Noem, the Homeland Security Secretary, ended Harvard's certification to enroll international students. But on May 23, a federal judge stopped the move temporarily. On May 27, Trump canceled all remaining government contracts with Aidan Robert Scully gave a Latin speech and said, 'Neither powers nor princes can change the truth and deny that diversity is our strength.' Chinese graduate Yurong 'Luanna' Jiang said meeting classmates from 32 countries helped her see that the world is 'full of real people, with dreams and laughter.'Thor Reimann, another graduate, said, 'We're leaving a campus very different from the one we joined. Harvard is now at the center of a national battle over higher education.' He admitted the university is 'not perfect', but said he's proud to stand with his classmates, faculty, and President Garber, defending Harvard's mission of truth, according to the People supported international students during his speech, which many saw as a response to Trump's administration tried to block foreign students and cut $100 million in federal research funding.
