In a ceremony laced with 99 years of history, Fillmore High School graduated 280 seniors Thursday night.
The students took their traditional last ride around campus in big yellow school buses, screaming and rocking as they approached the stadium to be dropped off for a procession around the track.
"It is not that different from when I graduated in 1964," said Olga Stranahan, who was watching two grandchildren, Shane Ragatz and Jessica Leon, receive their diplomas.
Stranahan said she remembered walking under the same type of flowered arches 45 years ago that pairs of ushers were holding up for the class of 2009.
In another tradition, some pranksters had changed the giant letter F on the hill behind the school to read "08," perhaps in retaliation for last year when it had been modified to read "09."
A fence near the track was transformed into a solid wall of sparkling color as the crowd used it as an impromptu parking area for the dozens of balloon bouquets they brought for the graduates.
Students said that they loved their school and would always remember it for its small size and family atmosphere.
"The people were the best," said graduating senior Abraham Cardenas, 18. "Everyone was close."
Cardenas plans to study architecture in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Victor Moreno said his memories of Fillmore High School will be filled with his time playing football and of his favorite teacher, Henry Beltran, who taught wood shop.
"He was down to earth, one of the guys, one of our own," said Moreno, 18.
Moreno plans to go to Moorpark College to continue playing football and study criminal justice.
Samantha Wu, 17, said she had had a bit of culture shock when she came to tiny Fillmore from her home in Hong Kong, but that she adapted.
"The people were so nice, and I had a good time on the swim team," said Wu, who plans to attend Ventura College and study nutrition.
The crowd and graduates had plenty of time for picture taking and shout-outs to one another, as a glitch in the sound system delayed the ceremony for about 15 minutes.
"This is my worst nightmare," said Principal John Wilber. "I swear it doesn't have anything to do with the budget cuts."
Class president Perry West gave a speech in which he praised the class for its achievements, including sending six sports teams to California Interscholastic Federation, having 48 class members receive California Scholarship Federation membership and having 67 students accepted to four-year colleges and universities.
"We were enthusiastic, friendly and hilarious," he said. "We knew how to have a good time without being ‘the party class.'"
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