In the midst of friends, family and faculty, the Fair Lawn High School Class of 2012, bedecked in crimson and gray caps and gowns, crossed the Sasso Field stage Thursday night to culminate their high school careers.

For the sake of the gowned graduates and their guests grappling with the torrid mid-90s temperatures, teachers and administrators pared down their planned speeches and gave way to the scheduled speeches by graduating seniors.

Valedictorian Irada Yunusova, a budding balladist who's headed to Rutgers in the fall, read a poem titled, "The Space in My Heart," that recalled her fondest high school memories, and Class President Zach Weinstein put a comical cap on the commencement with his "State of the Graduation," speech that offered the inspirational intimation, "We're the next great doctors, SNL screen writers, pro athletes, musicians, Nobel Prize winners, Walmart greeters -- it's up to us to change the world, or, in some cases, hold the door for those who will."

The commencement ceremony concluded with the class standing to sing the Fair Lawn High School alma mater as the concert band and orchestra played on.

Congratulations Fair Lawn High School Class of 2012!

Note: We could use your help naming graduates in many of the pictures. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

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