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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-09-30, Page 36PAGE 8B The duality of graduation Mr. Stringer, platform guests, teachers, parents, ladies and gentlemen, and particularly fellow graduates. Valedictory. In sound and spirit, this work seems to echo the words 'valour' and 'victory', and indeed these words can be found to apply to the phenonmenon of graduation which we have undergone and are examining in retrospect this evening. Every one of us is here to celebrate and honour a personal victory. We made it. For us, the graduates, it's the fact that we're 'out there' now. For the parents and teachers it is the fact that they are seeing for the first time the finished product of all the care and instruction which they have given over the years. Many of them would like to hang on to their product for just a bit longer; there is a reluctance to let go. Of course, some may have been glad to see their kid go, but in any case, the fact that the break has been made is in itself a victory for parent, teacher, and graduate. The valour of this situation is virtually self-evident. If at one time in your life you can truly say that you feel an element of valour, how could it not be on the dignified and solemn presentation to you of your graduation diploma,, or on the walk of your son, daughter, or pupil to that presentation? So this is, in fact, an oc- casion of some considerable valour and victory. It is about now in the typical valedictory address, that the valedictorian presents his conceptual analogy of graduation which Will form the basis for most of the remainder of the speech. The circle is a popular one, dealing with the cyclical nature of our lives, particularly emphasized at graduation. Another com- mon one is the flowing of a river into its many tributaries, signifying among other things the separation of graduates into their individual paths in life while they remain part of a whole. I think, however, that these and most other analogies skirt the main concept which links Almost all aspects of graduation. The concept of which I speak is that of the duality of graduation. Nearly all of the ideas normally presented con- cerning graduation can be nicely tied in to this duality theory. The first of these is the time duality of .graduation, something Einstein might well have described; If you think back 'to the lowly depths of Grade 9, you will find yourself looking through a haze of• fuzzy and intermingled memories. It seems ages ago that you were low man on the totem pole. You might have a slight recollection of being in Grade 11, but anything lower than that is just ablur. On the other hand, if you think of your time at GDCI as a whole, it's hard to figure out where it went in such a hurry. It is as though you barely had time to blink, and suddenly high school is over and the world has been thrust upon you. So time here has been both very long and very short, and I think this paradox can only be attributed to the Valedictory address By Ken Wood great importance of this period in our lives. Another area of duality is the teaching we have had. One of the main purposes of our being here has been to learn from our teachers, and we have all done that. However, teaching is by no means a one-way process. As we learn from the teachers, the teachers also learn from us. For instance, they teach us how to do calculus and how to write expositions, and we teach them how to play broomball. All in all, a very simple exchange. .Ah, hear that? That's the seething noise that teachers make when they have an almost uncontrollable urge to shout our teacher -grad, hockey and baseball scores. The leaching' which we have received here has a second dual nature. Very simply, we received it both in and out of the classroom. In addition to our regular academic learning, whose value we will appreciate more and more as time goes on, we benefited from a great variety off ex- tracurricular education. The list is long. Athletics, drama, music, clubs, and students' council are a few of the obvious ones. Those less tangible include personal relationships with teachers, friendships with classmates, and so on. All of these things have shaped us over the past few years into what we are now, and graduation allows us to reflect on the true value of this shaping process. Teachers, parents, and classmates all merit thanks for their involvement in this process, and they should be aware that the efforts that they made and effects which they had are deeply ap- preciated by the graduates. It just so happens that we have here a very good real- life example of the positive effects of this shaping process. Three of the people who later will be coming up to this platform to receive awards, and who no ac- tually appear" almost respectable, only less than two years ago were ring- leaders of the infamous Cone -Ranger gang which terrorized a certain member of the mathematics department whose name, by his own choice, will remain... Sir Brewster Bakerino. The last, likely the most obvious, and certainly the most often cited element of duality in graduation is the view that graduation is both an ending and a beginning. Gone are the unyc of dance- a-thons, football games, formal decorating, and chemistry assignment' parties. In place of the". cnings we have .w challenges. Graduation promotes us from the security of overall guidance to the frightening and enlightening prospect of directing our own lives. It is at the' same time the gran- ting of freedom, and the imparting of responsibilities. But armed with the results of the guidance and shaping we have had here, and secure in the knowledge that our class is one that has seen success in all areas, we will go forth 'knowing that we have i d ed graduated. We're 'outhe now, and we're ready. I spoke at the beginning about the similarity of the word 'valedictory' to the words 'valour' and 'victory'. I would like to conclude by talking about thetrue meaning of the word. Valedictory comes from the Latinword, meaning to say good-bye, ,or more specifically, to say 'vale'. In ancient times, however, this expression conferred much more than a simple farewell. It carried with it a great level of honour and respect for the person or persons to whom it was said. It is thus with heartfelt sincerity and deepest pride that to and on behalf of the graduating class of Nineteen Hundred and Eighty -One, I say to each and every one of you...vale. Thank you. Good luck to all. Continuing in GDCI Grade 13 Pam Alcock Rick Alcock Colin Alexander John Alexander Laurie Bauer Sylke Becker Jane Bedard Paul Bellinger Dianne Bogie Brenda Bolton Kevin Bosworth Patti Botz Nick Brudnicki Pawel Brudnicki Joni Burbine Julia Carruthers Lisa Clutton Margaret Conlon Jacqui Denomme Willie Denomme Dean Doherty Randy Dumont ' Jennifer Dunn Juanita Fielder Sheila Berlet Shelli Berlet Darryl Beattie Marianne Anderson Stuart Crew Nancy Fincher Tom Foran Michael Frayne Steve Frayne 'Jim Fritzley Sharon Gaudette Wes Gautcher Robert Graham Tim Gregg Shirley Hall Lori Hassall Kevin Huyck Colette Isaac Three Cheers for the Class of '81 MEL BOGIE IMPERIAL ESSO AGT. 377 Cambridge St. Goderich 524-7502 Andrea Jackson Paul King Linda Knox Sonja LaPaine Brenda Love Heather Lowey David MacDonald Rick MacDonald Tracey MacEwan Ronald Maclnnis Janice McClinchey Mark Hunter David Lomas John Meyers Griff Murphy Mike Murphy Michael Paquette Gail. Pinkney Alan Rivett Janice Robinson Andrew Ross John Ross Lisa Ryan Jean Samis Kim Searls Allen Shackleton MaryLillian Simpson John Spence Sharon Sproul Debbie Squire Ray Stanton John -Paul Tigert Frank Vandongen Ronda Warner Dave Willis Rob Willis Greg Wilson Scott Wilson Rod Plunkett Joanne Sharp Jean Vogt 184 EAST ST. GODERICH 524-2113 EXTENDING TO YOU OUR WARMEST CONGRATULATIONS ON THE FUTURE volistW MOTORS LTD.