BY KEVIN SHALVEY

With a Rubik’s Cube, a first-grade T-shirt and 465 oversized, beach balls, the Manchester West graduation for the Class of 2007 turned out to be a well-behaved event.

None of the 465 graduates tossed beach balls during the Wednesday, June 13, graduation ceremony, probably because they were promised a surprise ending.

As class president Paul Renolis told students they could move their tassels to the left of their mortar boards, the Verizon Wireless Center broke into pandemonium as hundreds of colored balls filled the air.

That part was designed by Assistant Principal Mary Ellen McGorry.

“It was basically a caveat to have the kids behave themselves during the ceremony, and it worked well.

Everyone was well behaved,” said McGorry.

During her speech, valedictorian Julianne Quinn brought out a T-shirt she designed in the first grade.

When she drew the 11-year-old T-shirt, it was unimaginable that she would be graduating in 2007, she said.

She’s has grown into the shirt, which once drooped to her knees.

“If I can grow into this T-shirt, I know we can grow into the big shoes we have to fill,” she said.

While giving his speech, salutatorian R.J. Walsh toyed around with a Rubik’s Cube that Principal Jan Thompson mixed up for him.

“To me, high school was harder than a jigsaw puzzle and it’s harder than a game – with many more possibilities,” said Walsh, likening his classmates to the billions of positions the cube could take on.

By the time he finished his speech, he had all the colors on the right sides.

The graduates, too, found time to make a bit of noise during the ceremony. After Quinn’s speech they took the opportunity to chant, just once.

“It’s all over,” they sang.