Bradford Era — by Fran De Lancey

Ben Hahn, a 2007 graduate of Smethport Area High School who returned home to deliver the commencement address Friday, posed a challenge to the Class of 2017.

He encouraged the class to question the traditional mindset, which is characterized by the attitudes of “this is the way it has always been done” when confronted by new ideas. The response often is “no way, not in a thousand years will that work,” he said.

“This type of mindset is not productive and worse, it is harmful in a variety of ways,” he said. Read more