With its typical pomp and flourish, the Grenadier Band rolled out a thrilling performance commemorating the Liberty HS graduation of the 2013 class at Stabler Arena June 4.

The ceremony's theme honored the old British World War II slogan, "Keep Calm, and Carry On," and speakers urged their massive audience, and especially the graduates, to heed the spirit of that phrase as they pass beyond Liberty's halls and into the future.

Faculty speaker Meridith Guro said the simplicity of the five-word message has helped it withstand the test of time.

"As we transition from students to alumni, from children to adults, it is how we act in this time of adversity and not the adversity itself that will define us."

Quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson, Guro added, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

Guro also detailed her thoughts on the student body nickname, "Hurricanes."

"Our mascot is an upper-level disturbance. Haven't they heard of a lion or an eagle?" she asked. "Upon further reflection, I decided being a hurricane is perfect for our school.

"We embody the power of a hurricane through our hard work and motivation. Yet at our core, at the eye of the hurricane, we are at our best. Without this calm center our power would turn to chaos."

"Today we are at a pivotal point in our lives. We are leaping into the unknown … into the future." Guro said whatever challenges life throws them, as long as they remain calm in their centers, the Hurricanes will carry on.

Speaker Andrew Rodriguez began his laugh-inducing speech by revealing his mobile phone and snapping a photo of the audience.

"Smile, you're on Instagram!" he said. He then produced a litany of in-jokes and references that sent his fellow seniors into fits of merriment.

"At Liberty HS, we celebrate our triumphs in the form of family," Rodriguez said. "A family that is sports, family on stage, family in music, family in an academic setting. We are all connected in the way he handle our peers no matter the setting."

Rodriguez said they will now take the next step together.

"As soon as we walk out those doors, we walk out as adults. Men and women. We graduate tonight and abandon our adolescence, not fight, but because life demands that we mature."

Rodriguez said part of that maturity will be to take hold of their own lives, not be passive victims of circumstance. As a final point of Hurricane pride, he said, quoting a song by Drake, "We started from the bottom, and now we here."

And on that note, heralded for his great accomplishments over 35 years leading the school's band, was Gregory MacGill. School Board President Michael Faccinetto lauded the retiring band leader for helping to shape the Grenadiers into the successful and famous body of performers it is today.

MacGill's vision for the band that will outlast him and the graduating students too, Faccinetto said, and he challenged the seniors to develop enduring visions of their own.

"How will your life inspire others?" he asked. "Look beyond the next 40 years and try to change the world."

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Roy said being a Liberty HS alumni bears a responsibility to carry on the traditions and accomplishments of the alumni who came before.

"We have confidence that you, too, will make a difference in your community and your school. In your accomplishments in the classroom, on the stage and on the field, the Liberty HS class of 2013 has much to be proud of."