Keeping an American tradition dating back hundreds of years, the Class of 1999 will bid farewell with a valedictory and salutatory address to the Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District at the high school commencement exercises Sunday, June 27. The valedictorian is selected as the student with the highest academic standing in the graduating class; the salutatorian is the student with the second highest academic standing in the class. Arthur Jonas, principal of the Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, recently announced the two outstanding students. Justin Shanes is described as straight-laced, motivated, and a well-spoken young man, thought to have excellent leadership potential, Justin is an outstanding example of a youth movement that is going in the right direction. He is a multi-dimensional senior this year at POBJFK High School. His impressive cumulative average of 101.06 and SAT score of 1490 put him at the top of this year's graduating class. Although he has distinguished himself academically, Justin prides himself on his ability to have balanced scholastic success with avid participation in extracurricular activities. A passionate thespian, he has received acclaim for his roles in many school plays, as well as in Sing. For the past two consecutive years, he received high honors at the Spanish poetry contest at Hofstra University, winning first and second place, and was recently named a National Merit finalist. Aspiring to major in political science in college, Justin has displayed his intense interests in both law and politics via his involvement with the Moot Court Club, of which he is president, and the Model UN Club, of which he is under-secretary general; recently, he even worked on the campaign committee of an attorney running for the position of district court judge. Justin is also actively involved in Mathletes, wind ensemble, Tri-M, Federal Reserve Challenge, and the Wall Street Investors Club, and bears the distinction of belonging to the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honors Society, and Thespian Troupe 1919. According to Mr. Jonas, "He is an intelligent, verbal and witty young man who is well deserving of all the accolades he will receive this year." Julie Baher has the qualities of intellectual curiosity, brilliance, talent and diligence. Academically, she has consistently taken the school's most rigorous courses. She sets her goals extraordinarily high, then meets or surpasses them. She will graduate with six AP classes, having made high honor roll every year. Her talents include singing and writing. Immersed in activities both in and out of school, Julie has always made time to tutor others. The list of Julie's activities and accomplishments is long and varied, but they do not reveal what an up-beat, dynamic person she is. She has a wonderful sense of humor. She is compassionate and modest. She is well-organized and efficient, and she gives 100 percent to everything she does. "Challenge is what makes Julie thrive. She always wants to improve; herself, her community and the world at large," noted Mr. Jonas. The graduating senior has emerged as a leader in several school activities, including her term as president of the Foreign Language Club, editor-in-chief of JFK's literary magazine, and news editor of the Spectator. In future years, Julie hopes to enter the medical field.