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Arts festival a big success
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ARK Program has returned
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NEA grant is received
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VOL. 06 NO. 05
JULY 2021
UHS graduates Class of 2021 By EmilyAnn Jackman Staff Writer UNION — After last year’s virtual graduation, the 560 graduates of Union High School’s Class of 2021 were ready to kick things into high gear at the school’s 139th commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 26, on the UHS football field. The fact that it was a year unlike any other, one that relied heavily on virtual learning, in no way deterred graduates and their relatives from being overcome with emotion before, during and after the ceremony. In his speech, salutatorian Nicholas Vasquez recalled how his mother had come to the United States from Columbia without knowing English, in the hopes of providing better opportunities for her children. She had become fluent in English, eventually becoming a bilingual speech pathologist. But there would be other battles, such as his father’s diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2019. “To my father, you are and forever will be the strength that keeps me going every day,” Vasquez said on Saturday, June 26. “I stayed up countless nights, thinking about how his cancer would affect his life. Despite such shocking news, my father stood strong in his faith and in his belief that everything happens for a reason. I’ll never know why he got cancer, but what I do know is that my family and I are so much stronger because of it. He has been through two surgeries and many rounds of chemotherapy. I’m happy to say that he is in good health and has gotten so much better. “He has shown me that when life
Photo by David VanDeventer
Union High School graduates are all smiles at the school’s 139th commencement ceremony on Saturday, June 26, where 560 students said goodbye to their alma mater. throws curveballs at you, you must stay strong,” he continued. “My father has taught me that life’s complexity is what makes being human so beautiful, and I am forever thankful for that. Papi, you are a fighter, and I know you will be there to see me graduate from Harvard University in the next four years.” Valedictorian Dylan DeFelipe, who will be headed to Cornell University on the pre-med track, spoke to the graduating class about the significance of graduation
— about realizing that a part of their lives was coming to an end. “Right now, you might feel the most excited you’ve ever been to finally leave,” said DeFilipe on Saturday, June 26. “But after the ceremony is over and all the energy dies down a couple of days later, the post-graduation sadness might finally hit you and you’ll find yourself missing all the good old days at Union High School. “It feels great,” he added. “I think it’s See UHS, Page 4
Nationally recognized scholar appointed David S. Birdsell, a veteran higher education leader and esteemed political communication scholar, will serve as the new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Kean University, following a comprehensive national search focused on fostering student and faculty success. During a 35-year career at Baruch College, most recently as dean of the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Birdsell elevated the institution by creating equity for students from diverse backgrounds, raising graduation rates, and generating philanthropic support for the school and its programs. “Dr. Birdsell is a transformational leader with a record of promoting academic excellence and advancing equity for all students, which are foundational pillars for my administration,” said
Kean President Lamont O. Repollet. “We are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished scholar and experienced administrator to lead our academic programs and initiatives. I look forward to working with him to create more opportunities for Kean’s students to climb higher.” An engaged leader on several nonprofit boards in the New York City area and beyond, Birdsell brings experience engaging with community stakeholders through his work with the United Nations Senior Staff College, the New York City Fire Department and the New York Public Library, among other organizations. “Kean has unlimited potential, and I am very excited by the opportunity to work with President Repollet to support his vision See KEAN, Page 13