Miller, Sabelli lead Class of 2008 Graduation is at Finney Chapel Friday

Although we wouldn't want to give them any ideas to disrupt the cermony, we wouldn't be surprised to see Andy Miller and Nathan Sabelli dribble a soccer ball down the aisle Friday night as they lead the Oberlin High School Class of 2008 in graduation ceremonies at Finney Chapel.

The two valedictorians have a combined six years of varsity soccer experience. Miller has four varsity letters each in soccer, wrestling, and tennis; and Sabelli has two varsity letters each in soccer and tennis.

"I think sports made me a lot better person," Miller said. "It taught me to work with others and to have discipline that I could transfer to other areas."

Both Miller and Sabelli finished at the top of their class with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. Miller said he credits his success to a determination he has carried with him throughout school.

"I've always expected myself to do well," he said. "I was glad to find challenging courses at Oberlin College."

In addition to sports, Miller is also student council vice president and a National Merit Commended Student. He said the other activities took time away from studying, but he considered it training for the future.

"I guess I have been busy the last four years," he said. "I guess it was good practice for college."

Miller plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin in the fall to study computer science.

"I've always enjoyed messing around with computers, and I taught myself a couple of languages over the Internet," Miller said. "I took some classes at Oberlin College and Lorain County Community College, and the more I took, the more I liked it."

Sabelli said he had made being valedictorian his goal very early in high school. With that goal in mind, he said he worked every day to achieve it.

"It wasn't a lot of work," he said. "I just had to keep up with the assignments, because once you fall behind you'll never catch up."

In addition to soccer and tennis, Sabelli is a member of the National Honor Society and the marching band, where he plays the euphonium. He, too, is a National Merit Commended Student, and he has been invited to participate in the Patriot Athletic Conference Honors Band two years in a row.

Commencement exercises for the Oberlin High School Class of 2008 will begin at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 6, at Finney Chapel. Barbara Habecker will play preprocessional music on the pipe organ, followed by the procession of the OHS staff to the high school alma mater.

After Miller and Sabelli lead the Class of 2008 onto the stage, high school principal William Baylis will offer opening remarks and student council president Katie Laushman will give welcoming remarks. Assistant principal Larry Thomas will introduce Miller and Sabelli, who will give their valedictory addresses.

Senior Dylan Cowley and other members of the high school orchestra will perform "Concerto in G" by Telemann. Baylis will then present recognitions and awards for the class.

Superintendent Geoffrey Andrews will offer remarks, and Baylis will then present the Class of 2008.

School board president Stephanie Jones will award diplomas to the graduates, assisted by board of education members, Thomas, and guidance counselors Lynn Swanson and Marcia Gil-Bass.

Senior class president Dalton Rimbert will conduct the closing and tassel ceremony. The graduates will then march out while Habecker plays the recessional

Other senior class officers include vice president Nick Chmura, secretary Maya Wyman, and treasurer Annie Kosman.