Keep it simple, Principal Mary Nadeau told Nokomis Regional High School graduates Friday night.

Nadeau told the students from Corinna, Etna, Dixmont, Hartland, Newport, Palmyra, Plymouth and St. Albans, gathered in the packed gym that technology and information available over the Internet has been rapidly increasing. Simpler times are being replaced by a high speed, technology drive era.

She joked that out of the 3.5 trillion texts sent annually, at least “only 2 trillion” came from students at Nokomis.

However, she said even as the world picks after up its speed, graduates should take time to appreciate the beauty in simplicity.

“Slow down and keep it simple,” said Nadeau.

In their personal interactions, Nadeau urged grads to not be afraid to reach out to others with words of encouragement.

“Often it doesn’t need to be anything elaborate or fancy,” said Nadeau. “Just keep it simple.”

Nadeau said she wanted to praise the students for their hard work, overcoming rough patches along their high school career and each taking a unique path.

“You’ve shown great character,” she said.

Class valedictorian Sara Packard mirrored Nadeau’s call for simplicity in her sentiments, when she urged classmates to find wisdom in the simple morals of Little Golden Books — a popular brand of children’s books with golden binders.

Work hard, she said. Play hard but not too hard. Take a mental health day. Stop to smell the strawberries. Harvest. Give thanks.

“I wish to all my fellow graduates that you’ll make your life golden,” she said.

Commencment speaker Rep. Ken Fredette, R-Newport, told graduates that they should heed advice of author Henry David Thoreau, who once said that he took to the woods so he could “live life deliberately.”

Fredette said Nokomis graduates should do the same and live life deliberately and purposefully, while taking risks and encouraging friends and family.

“You’ll be able to say, on that last day, that you lived life deliberately,” he said.

Kaitlin Schroeder — 861-9252

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