Tears and joy

Paul Clinton

Graduates of Corona del Mar High School remembered their lost friend

in a heartfelt commencement ceremony Thursday.

The event seemed almost as if it were partly a memorial service to

Brian Campbell, the senior who died in January of a cerebral hemorrhage

after he bumped his head on a curb while getting out of a car.

Robert Cunard, an assistant principal at the school, presented

Campbell’s family with an honorary diploma for their lost son and

brother. Campbell’s mother, Shelly, accepted it with tears in her eyes.

The presentation was followed by Taumata Grey’s acoustic tribute to

Campbell. After strapping on a guitar, to loud cheers, Grey, also a

graduate, performed “T to B,” a song he wrote in Campbell’s memory.

“It was touching,” said Josh Ludmir, one of five valedictorian

scholars. “I’m glad our class came together for Brian Campbell.”

Ludmir was joined at the head of the class by Jennifer Cummins, Julia

Lee, Karl Snyder and Lindsey Yourman.

Although it had its somber moments, the ceremony was not grim.

The nearly 250 outgoing seniors cheered loudly, hurling their tasseled

hats toward the sky after they were declared graduates by Serene Stokes,

a board member with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

During one eloquent speech, senior Erik Knuppel urged his classmates

to follow an ethical path as they leave for college, the work force or

other pursuits.

“We owe it to ourselves to be honest people and live well,” Knuppel

said. “We are captains of our own futures.”

The graduates seemed acutely aware of the event’s momentousness.

Before lining up in the procession across the commencement stage, Jeff

Zimmerman said he has looked forward to the day. He is headed to USC to

study computer science.

“This is the biggest moment in our lives so far,” Zimmerman said.

“Everything has been leading up to this.”

Campbell’s death wasn’t the only thing on the minds of the teenagers.

For many of them, senior year was a whirlwind.

“It went by really fast,” said Allison Schauppner, who also is headed

to USC. Graduation day “is kind of like the icing on the cake.”