Graduation Speech for Class of 2011 (pdf, 66.23KB) - St. Louis ...
Graduation Speech for Class of 2011 (pdf, 66.23KB) - St. Louis ...
Graduation Speech for Class of 2011 (pdf, 66.23KB) - St. Louis ...
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<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> University High School<br />
<strong>Graduation</strong> Dinner <strong>Speech</strong><br />
May 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
In my three years in <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> I’ve come to understand that this is the quintessential<br />
question <strong>for</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> natives.<br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
The question itself appeared on the cover <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> Magazine this spring.<br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
One thing I’ve learned about this question is that the only thing worse than saying that<br />
you went to the “wrong” high school – whatever that may mean to the person who is<br />
asking – is to say that you didn’t go to high school in <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> at all.<br />
So instead <strong>of</strong> saying “Xaverian Brothers High School” which just seems to confuse<br />
people, I’ve begun to respond – as politely as possible – with, “why do you ask?”<br />
I believe the question “Where did you go to High School” really has more to do with the<br />
person who asks the question than with the person who is being asked, so I respond,<br />
“Why do you ask?”<br />
Are you asking <strong>for</strong> noble reasons? Are you hoping that perhaps we went to the same<br />
high school, or that I will know someone who went to your high school? Perhaps we<br />
might be able to establish a social or business connection through our high schools.<br />
Or are your reasons <strong>for</strong> asking less than noble? Are you trying to size me up? Are you<br />
planning to make assumptions about my intelligence, my socio-economic status, even my<br />
personality based on where I went to high school?<br />
What will people hear when you say, “<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> University High. The U. High. SLUH”?<br />
Will they think <strong>of</strong> you as a “Man <strong>for</strong> Others?” A person <strong>of</strong> faith, skill and leadership.<br />
Or will they have a different impression <strong>of</strong> SLUH? Maybe they’ll think you’re arrogant,<br />
or that you think you’re better than everyone else.<br />
The fact is, what they will hear when you say “SLUH” is beyond your control. More on<br />
this later…
Now, in deference to all <strong>of</strong> the alumni fathers and older brothers in the audience, I’m<br />
about to <strong>of</strong>fend all <strong>of</strong> you.<br />
I believe the class <strong>of</strong> <strong>2011</strong> is the greatest class in the history <strong>of</strong> <strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> University High<br />
School. I told you that you could be the greatest class when we met <strong>for</strong> the first time at<br />
the beginning <strong>of</strong> your sophomore year, and as seniors you proved.<br />
Your scores on standardized tests, your athletic achievements, a new service trip to<br />
Appalachia, a renewed Prep News <strong>for</strong>mat & website, the proliferation <strong>of</strong> all things<br />
Gadfly, some <strong>of</strong> the most memorable stage per<strong>for</strong>mances, and the first class in the history<br />
<strong>of</strong> the school to have 100% participation in the class gift even be<strong>for</strong>e you’ve graduated –<br />
I would challenge anyone to find a greater class in the history <strong>of</strong> SLUH.<br />
But in case you plan on spending your college years or even the rest <strong>of</strong> your life checking<br />
in to see if your records have been broken, if some class has had a higher ACT average,<br />
more service hours, a larger class gift than yours, let me save you the suspense. Some<br />
class, maybe many classes will come along and break every one <strong>of</strong> your records, start<br />
new initiatives, and give even more back than you guys did.<br />
We didn’t challenge you to be the best class ever so you could spend the rest <strong>of</strong> your lives<br />
looking back on your high school years. We’ve been training you to stretch your mind<br />
and your muscles to be ready <strong>for</strong> the achievements in front <strong>of</strong> you, not behind you.<br />
President Laughlin is fond <strong>of</strong> saying, “we don’t have a great high school because we had<br />
a great high school.” You heard him say it earlier this evening. <strong>St</strong>arting next fall we’ll<br />
be challenging students to break all <strong>of</strong> your records and recreate the school again. We<br />
will not protect your legacy against them just as we did not protect the legacies <strong>of</strong> the<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> grads who came be<strong>for</strong>e you.<br />
What we now expect <strong>of</strong> you is that you will go out into the world and set new records,<br />
give us new bars to hurdle over on the roads beyond SLUH. We expect you to be leaders<br />
on your college campuses and then in the workplaces you will go to beyond them. We<br />
expect you to be active in your parishes, to be community & civic leaders. We want you<br />
to be great husbands, fathers, uncles & even grandfathers some day.<br />
And how do we expect you to do these things? Be Religious, Loving, Academically<br />
Competent, Committed to Justice and Open to Growth.<br />
Come on, you knew you weren’t getting out <strong>of</strong> here without at least one more reference<br />
to the Grad @ Grad, right? It’s <strong>Graduation</strong>!<br />
The Grad @ Grad are the requirements <strong>for</strong> graduation, because long after you’ve gotten<br />
sick <strong>of</strong> hearing me talk about these things, you will find that these are the requirements<br />
<strong>for</strong> being leaders in life.<br />
Tonight, I’m going to take a small liberty and add one more graduation requirement, and<br />
I say “small” because I believe it’s a requirement you’ve already fulfilled.
I once asked a colleague <strong>of</strong> mine, Mr. <strong>St</strong>eve Ruemenapp, one <strong>of</strong> the many wise educators<br />
I’ve had the good <strong>for</strong>tune <strong>of</strong> working with, what he thought an all-boys Catholic high<br />
school should require <strong>of</strong> its graduates. His response: “Do the boys know that God loves<br />
them?”<br />
When you look back on this place, if you look on this place, I hope you don’t just look<br />
back to see if your records have been broken, to relive your Glory Days.<br />
I hope you remember that you were loved here, and that through the love <strong>of</strong> your<br />
teachers, your parents, your friends, your coaches, your classmates and teammates, you<br />
came to understand that God loves you, and that he did not give you all these graces,<br />
these talents, this opportunity <strong>for</strong> your glory, but <strong>for</strong> his.<br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
At a place where you became a true Man <strong>for</strong> Others and not just <strong>for</strong> yourselves.<br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
At a school where you learned to dedicate your thoughts, words and actions to God’s<br />
Glory, not your own.<br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
In a community where you were able to feel, and share and express God’s love.<br />
Where did you go to High School?<br />
<strong>St</strong>. <strong>Louis</strong> University High. The U. High. SLUH.<br />
Why do you ask?