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ATTLEBORO - It was hard to tell which was higher - the temperature or the excitement - but as the band ushered the Attleboro High School Class of 2008 onto Tozier-Cassidy Field with "Pomp and Circumstance," those in the crowd put down their fans and picked up their cameras.

First to address the blue- and- white-gowned graduates was Principal Donald Frederick. As the last of the late-comers settled in on the bleachers, Frederick opened the ceremony by reminding the students that they are here to make a difference in the world.

An Attleboro High grad himself, Mayor Kevin Dumas motivated students to achieve their goals when he took the podium after Frederick. When he graduated 14 years ago, he said, he set out to become the mayor of Attleboro. It is important to succeed, but along the way, he added, one must remember to be kind and reach out to others.

The 139th AHS graduation had pages of history behind it. Every place and class in Attleboro High has a past, as does each graduate.

Superintendent Pia Durkin honored this history by asking grandparents and parents of the graduates to stand and be applauded. Each person is a member of a team before they are an individual, Durkin said. She quoted Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, noting that she knows how much the students love Potter: "We do not need magic to transform the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already. We have power to imagine better."

Durkin ended her inspirational address by offering advice: be kind, be honest, regardless of who you are don't feel entitled to anything you haven't worked for, always show your friends and family love, and wherever you are and whatever you do "Attleboro High School will be here to give you a hug."

A humorous moment of the afternoon occurred when Student Council President Andrea Alfani led them in a rendition of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." It was a moment she said she'd always remember.

The theme of memory continued with the Salutatory Address given by Lauren Bamford.

"I cannot say much to make today more memorable," she said, explaining that this made the address the most challenging she has ever written.

She told her classmates she hoped they remember all the bad memories from high school, not just the good ones. She said these are the memories that shape who we are.

"Be inspired and be an inspiration to someone else," she told her classmates.

Valedictorian James Bensson carried on Durkin's message saying that he acknowledges himself as a product of those around him. He talked about being a new student and not knowing anyone, and how the students of Attleboro became his friends. AHS helps people excel in whatever they want to do, he said, appreciative of the various classes and technical programs available at the school. "Education is the ultimate investment," he said and quoted Horace Mann, calling education the "great equalizer."

Although the gowns were long and the heat oppressive, all the graduates sat quietly, listening to their elders and peers, watching their friends receive their diplomas.

The ceremony ended with cheers and shouts from the bleachers as the graduates threw their hats for the 139th time in Attleboro High School history.