Lodi High graduates keep up with Kings game

	Lodi High School’s newest graduates celebrate during their commencement ceremony May 31 at the Grape Bowl. (Mary Min Vincent/News-Sentinel)

By Julie Z. Giese
News-Sentinel staff writer

Brad Kuhn would not have missed his graduation for the world, but he couldn’t stand not knowing how the Sacramento Kings fared against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals on May 31.

The Lodi High School senior devised hand signals to tell his peers the scores from the Western Conference Finals between the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers via a walkie-talkie with a relative in the crowd.

“I just had to know what was going on,” Kuhn, 18, said before heading out to a packed Lodi Grape Bowl to receive his diploma.

Family and friends cheered on the 412 seniors who made up the Class of 2002, bringing flowers and snapping photos.

Kuhn wasn’t the only senior with the Kings on his mind.

Dan Werner, Lodi High’s associated student body president, welcomed the assembled crowd with a game update.

“Currently the Kings are trailing 15 to 18,” he said, which led to cries erupting from the graduates and audience.

Valedictorian Edwin Rosá said he was counting the days until graduation, but then he realized a chapter of his life would be ending.

“I stopped counting,” he said.

He told his peers to study hard, but keep time for fun while in college and to find an enjoyable job and stick with it.

Rosá praised the achievements of the graduating class, saying some seniors were heading off to John Hopkins University, Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley.

“I hope to move on to bigger, but not better things,” he said of his plans to attend the University of California, San Diego. “Good job and good luck to Lodi’s Class of 2002.”

Interim Principal Bill Atterberry also celebrated the class’ achievements, not just in academics but also in athletics and performing arts.

The class had 42 seniors who earned the honor of being California Scholarship Federation Sealbearers and raked up $2.4 million in scholarships.

Also at the graduation, senior Stefany Jarrett sang “Keep the Candle Burning” while the graduates jumped out of their seats in a spontaneous wave and a mischievous senior threw a beach ball into the crowd.

Breanna Baszler, senior class president, presented the Lamp of Learning to incoming president Daisy Guiterrez.

The school’s Flower Girls performed their 82nd ceremony, giving red and white carnations to the graduating girls.

While some seniors were giddy with ear-to-ear smiles, others were subdued about finishing high school.

“It really hasn’t hit me yet to tell you the truth,” said Cassandra Camberos, 18. “I’m pretty calm right now.”

Camberos, who is planning to make a career in the U.S. Air Force, said she’ll miss friends and teachers. She heads to boot camp in July.

“I’ve always wanted to go into the military. I’m very patriotic,” she said.

For Kuhn, Friday brought mixed emotions. He’s been a Kings fan for more than a decade.

“It’s been a great series because the scores have been so close,” he said.

But he was equally excited to achieve his milestone, he said. He plans to attend college to study quantum mechanics or physics.

“I hope to one day own a computer game company,” he said. “That’s my goal in life.”