PITTSTON - Lou Harashinksi's great-grandfather Anthony Pasquerello had a son and three daughters. One of the daughters became Harashinski's grandmother and the son became Darren Minich's grandfather.
In tracing relationships like these, you could come to grips with the essence of the Pittston Area High School Class of 1986, which celebrated its commencement ceremonies last night.
The class of 1986 consisted of 330 graduates, six of whom had perfect 4.0 grade averages and another 40 of whom qualified for the National Honor Society.
Beyond the academic achievements, however, lay a greater familiar truth - approximately one-fifth of the graduating seniors from Pittston Area High School's Class of 1986 are linked together by family relationships.
"There's no doubt, we've got a lot of cousins this year," said the school's principal, John Donovan. "There aren't that many brother and sister combinations but there's a bunch of cousins."
Harashinksi and Minich - two of Pittston Area's 330 graduates - posed for multitudes of pictures this week with their cousins Michelle Musto and Larry Miller.
Other cousin groups bearing names like Calabrese, Menichini and Pesotine joined in the Pittston routine as the cameras clicked away during the days preceding the school's commencement ceremonies.
"It felt weird going all the way through school with this many cousins because none of us were good at the same thing," Harashinksi, 17, said.
For example, Harashinksi - the son of Louis and Gale Ann Harashinksi, 313 Simpson, Dupont - was a college preparatory student; his cousin Michelle was in general education.
On graduation night, none of this mattered.
"I think we're all going out tonight together," Harashinksi said, hours before his graduation.
Commencement opened with the proud members of the Pittston Area Class of 1986 filing through two rear gymnasium doors, the classes' 180 girls dressed in white gowns and its 150 boys dressed in either red or blue.
Amid blinking cameras and shouts of encouragement from friends and family, the graduates found their way past flags and floral arrangements to their seats.
Following a salute to the flag and the National Anthem, the audience heard the Rev. Julio Serra, pastor of the Mount Carmel Church in Pittston, ask God to bestow his favor on the graduates.
"Give them ideals and make their life beautiful," he said. "Above all, keep them in the palm of your hand, right now and in the years to come."
The graduates then heard their fellow student Jeff Bachman offer a class prayer. "Help us cherish memories of our friends," he asked.
Another student speaker, Anissa Burns, proclaimed, "We have reached our goal - graduation."
Outside the gymnasium, within earshot of the podium, an ad-hoc gathering of the Proud Fathers Society stood together, comparing notes.
"I had one last year, one this year and now I got two to go," said Edward Herron, whose son Robert sat inside among the graduates.
Another father, David Berlew, drew on a cigarette as his daughter Annie listened to a musical selection inside. "I've got six down and one to go," he chimed in.
"They can't wait to get out, but then in two weeks they really miss it," added an obviously experienced father named Mike Guzzy, whose son Richard was about to graduate.
Inside the gymnasium, the evening's ceremonies neared a climax when Dr. Anthony J. Mussari rose to deliver the commencement address.
Mussari - an associate professor of communications and history at King's College - received hearty applause when he assured the audience his remarks would be brief.
After noting that he could not remember a single word uttered by the commencement speaker at his own high school graduation in 1959, Mussari challenged the Pittston graduates to set out on one simple goal.
"Just be a good person," he said.
"Be a good human being. That won't get you on News-watch 16 or on the front page of The Times Leader but it will give you what every person in this room is seeking - personal happiness, contentment and peace…In spite of what any TV commercial says, just be what you feel comfortable being, regardless."
Frank J. Nardone, the president of the board of education, presented the beaming graduates with their diplomas.