Principal's Address at Summit's 2003 Graduation
Dear 8th grade graduates, members of Summit's Board of Directors, faculty
and staff; Ms. Angelika Schroeder, from the Boulder Valley Board of Education;
parents, family members, honored guests, 6th grade students (who are about
to leave pixiehood behind) and 7th grade students (who are about to become
our next graduating class):
It is my pleasure to welcome you to our 8th grade graduation. It is traditional
for the Principal to give a charge to the graduating class and, no, this
does not mean you get to use my credit card or my jumper cables. Rather it
means I get to give you a little principal-like advice before you head out
the door to greet the summer vacation which is calling out to you at this
very moment.
You have heard and read many stories during your time at Summit. Allow me
to tell you one last story before you leave. This is a story about a desert
planet called Araknis, a planet with almost no water, no atmosphere to contain
moisture. No plants or trees grow on Araknis, no flowers bloom. The day time
temperatures range in 120 - 125 degree Fahrenheit range. At night it drops
down to below freezing. Mountain ranges three times the size of Everest tower
over this world. There are canyons that could swallow a city the size of
New York. It is a world of awesome beauty and power, but it is also a world
which is desolate and in which it can be difficult to survive.
On this planet live a people called "The Freemen." Their homes are the mountains
of this desert planet and they follow the teachings of a man who died centuries
before. This man was a scientist who proved mathematically that if 3% of
the surface of the planet could be covered with water it would create a permanent
change in the climate of Araknis.
There would be enough moisture exchanged back into the air that for the first
time in the history of the planet, clouds would begin forming. Rain would
begin falling. Eventually an atmosphere would be created and Araknis would
slowly, over many tens of thousands of years, be transformed in a lush and
verdant garden planet.
And so these people, the Freemen, dedicate their lives to the simple task
of collecting water. They collect the moisture from dew in the air, from
the few underground springs that bubble forth into dark, hidden caves in
the mountains. Even their own body fluids are collected after they die. In
huge pools they have hewn out of stone in the mountains they collect and
store this moisture, and they have done so since their leader gave them the
vision of how they could transform their planet into something beautiful.
Slowly, each generation covers a little bit more of the surface of the planet
with its precious water. Generation after generation this goes on. In the
pursuit of this quest there are many challenges to overcome, many battles
that must be waged. They know it will take tens of thousands of years to
complete this goal. But they are committed to adding their small share to
this noble task and to see it through to the end, no matter how long it takes.
Some of you may recognize this story as being from the science fiction classic
Dune by Frank Herbert. I love this story because I think in many ways
it describes so well the world in which we live -- a world of great beauty
and promise but also one which is in great need of repair.
You begin to enter the world as young adults at a time when there are enormous
challenges facing humanity: What are these challenges? War, prejudice,
fanaticism, cruelty, violence, sickness, hunger, environmental destruction
and great ignorance. And you know what? It has always been this way.
But, of course, there is also great beauty and much that is good in our world:
love, kindness, compassion, wisdom, creativity, altruism, honor, courage
and great hope. And you know what? It has always been this way, too.
What keeps our world from completely falling apart is the balance in which
these different aspects of reality exist at any given time. As long as what
is true and beautiful outweighs what is destructive and cruel, our world
goes on. But it is a delicate balance which is maintained by upholding certain
truths.
And therefore we have tried to teach you some of these truths during your
time at Summit. What have we tried to teach you? I would mention 10 things:
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We have tried to teach you the power of words, for words can create or destroy.
Therefore you have hopefully learned to choose your words with care.
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We have tried to teach you the satisfaction and enjoyment that comes when
you apply your minds to a worthy task in creative ways. Therefore you have
hopefully learned to approach each new endeavor with a sense of excitement
and with an open mind.
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We have tried to teach you to strive for excellence in all you do. Not
perfection, but excellence. Therefore you have hopefully learned to always
do work of which you can be proud.
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We have tried to teach you how to treasure good friends and how to be a good
friend, for friendship is a gift that should always be treasured. Therefore
you have hopefully learned to treasure the friendships you have made at Summit.
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We have tried to teach you the importance of acquiring knowledge in diverse
areas of study: mathematics, science, history, geography, technology,
international relations, foreign language, English; for it is this knowledge
that will enable you to continue shaping your lives and making sense of our
world. Therefore you have hopefully learned to never stop learning.
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We have tried to teach you that the creative impulse -- as expressed in art,
music and literature -- is an essential part of what it means to be human.
Therefore you have hopefully learned to the importance of the arts as an
expression of the human spirit.
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We have tried to teach you that you are each special and unique and of infinite
worth. Therefore you have hopefully learned to respect and value yourself
and all people.
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We have tried to teach you the necessity of being vigilant regarding your
rights and the rights of others; to "stand up" for yourself and to "stand
up" for other people. Therefore you have hopefully learned a sense of greater
responsibility.
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We have tried to teach you that you are part of a larger world community
to which you have responsibilities and to which you are integrally connected.
Therefore you have hopefully learned to get involved.
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And finally, we have tried to teach you to never compromise the integrity
of your own mind or of your own spirit. Therefore you have hopefully learned
to always be true to yourselves.
Above all else, I hope it is these truths, these lessons that you will take
with you and that will constitute the legacy of your time at Summit.
So you have been taught some important truths. And my charge to you, as you
graduate, is to use these truths to add your measure of good to our world.
I believe that the choices we make, the kindnesses we extend, the ways we
apply our minds and our hearts, do make a difference in our world. We may
not always see it, but each drop is added to a larger pool and its impact,
while not always apparent, is real nonetheless. As James Baldwin once wrote:
"Though we do not wholly believe it yet, the interior life is a very real
life, and the intangible dreams of people have a tangible effect on the world."
My charge to you is to make your dreams have a tangible effect on our world.
If you do, eventually our world will be covered by enough kindness and enough
wisdom that we will see a transformation. We have a vision of what this world
will look like. We know where we want to go. It is up to you to help get
us there. We live in a world in need of repair. My charge to you is to do
your part to help repair it. As it says in "Ethics of the Fathers": "You
are not obligated to complete this task, but neither are you free to refrain
from beginning it."
One of last year's 8th grade Exemplars, Eve Aquilar, ended her talk at graduation
by saying this: "We must impart the same patience, enthusiasm, and inspiration
that were given to us during these three amazing years at Summit. Get involved.
Help others. Change the world, one person at a time."
To effect positive change in our world you will use your minds and your hearts
-- and you are fortunate to have fertile minds and caring hearts. Hopefully
your time at Summit has made you brighter people and also better people.
I believe it has. And with your hearts and your minds I know you will make
a difference. Your teachers and I feel blessed to have known you during your
time at Summit. You are a special group of young men and women.
Take the legacy of what you have learned at Summit, carry with you into the
future, and help to transform our world!
-- David B. Finell, June 6, 2003
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