Not finished, just begun
By the end of this month, hundreds of thousands of high school students will have gone through the time-honored ritual of commencement.
At first blush, the word "commencement" seems to be an oxymoron. Why do we call it "commencement" when it denotes the completion of 13 years of schooling?My Summit Hill High School Class of 1957 motto explains why perfectly: "Not finished, just begun." It's the "commencement" of the rest of a graduate's life.I was guest speaker at one commencement. I started with a quote from Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, saying, "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here." Little did Lincoln know when he said it that he was wrong; I, on the other hand, was right.Selected members of the graduating class - usually honor students or class presidents - school officials and sometimes guest speakers have spent enormous amounts of time trying to come up with those pearls of wisdom that they hoped would be just the right words to inspire members of the Class of 2017. They must compete with all sorts of distractions - babies crying, people shuffling in and out of the auditorium, people texting on their cellphones, beach balls being punched around by mischievous graduates or just plain inattention and indifference.Years ago, commencement was a dignified event. There was no yelling or screaming when a student's name was announced. Mostly everyone dressed the part befitting the occasion; today, try as they might to ensure decorum, school officials do the best that they can, but it is a losing battle.Through it all, however, the symbolism is not lost. It is a clearly defined phase of life coming to an end. The majority will go off to college, where about half will succeed; some will enlist in our armed services, while others will try to land a job with a high school education. Some will surprise; some will disappoint.I attended two commencement services this year, and I have come to the conclusion that these events are just as important, if not more so, for the parents and grandparents of the graduates.Elise Johnston, valedictorian of her class at Lehighton Area High School, said as much when she urged her classmates to "cherish our backgrounds and the progression from youth to childhood, and honor those who have brought you to this point."I was at a commencement program about 15 years ago when the speaker asked the students to rise and give a round of applause to their parents, grandparents and others who accompanied them on this 13-year-long journey. I thought that was a classy idea.Years ago, faculty members or administrators would write student speeches, which certainly ensured that there would be no controversial comments to upset the school community. Today, for the most part, students write their own speeches, but the content is usually approved in advance by the administration.I remember a Stroud Union (now Stroudsburg Area High School) commencement during the Vietnam War era where the class valedictorian, an anti-war activist, used four-letter words to describe the U.S. government and President Lyndon Johnson. There is a time and a place for everything.What I enjoy most is hearing student speakers tell their classmates that this is their time - a traditional passing of the torch. Northern Lehigh's co-valedictorian Jennifer Knerr said it so well. "It is our turn to leave a mark on this world, set higher standards and achieve what those before us could not."I watched intently as more than 1,200 graduates received diplomas at the two graduation ceremonies I attended. All of them smiled; some were extremely animated; two even did back flips, which brought gasps then wild applause from the audience.I wondered whether some of them would become world-famous for some extraordinary achievements or infamous for some inexplicable veering from life's conventional paths.I thought it would be interesting to track members of this class 25 years from now in 2042 to see what has become of them. What have they done with their lives? How close did they come to fulfilling the promises, expectations and exhortations of graduation night?There have been some great suggestions to graduates over the years. Here are some of them:• "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice." - Apple co-founder Steve Jobs• "If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right." - Admiral William McRaven• "Err in the direction of kindness." - author George Saunders• "As much as it's true that time is a thief, time also leaves something in exchange: experience." - actor Alan Alda• "Success leads to the greatest failure, which is arrogance and pride. Failure can lead to the greatest success, which is humility and learning." Commentator and writer David BrooksBy Bruce Frassinelli |