Mount Greylock Graduates 88 in Class of 2009
 The future's so bright. See more pictures of the graduation here. For list of graduates and awards, click here. |
Wearing their sunglasses at night — or at least under darkened skies, the seniors marched into the gym making more than a sartorial statement about cheap sunglasses. And it wasn't so much about the future being so bright they had to wear shades.
No, the dark glasses were about saving light, and other energy uses. The plastic shades' bright green temples, or ear pieces, sported the tag "It's easy being Green." They were part of a fundraiser to install energy-saving meters in the school.
It was a theme picked up by Superintendent William Travis, who first noted the knowledge gap between past generations and the class of 2009, most of whom had been born in 1991.
For them, the Soviet Union never existed nor a Berlin Wall, U-2 was never a spy plane, Walmart has always been bigger than Sears, and "gas stations have never changed flats but most serve cappuccinos," he said, "and they have never gotten excited about getting a telegram, a long-distance phone call or a fax."
And while some things haven't changed — massive layoffs, foundering banks, war in the Middle East — this generation will have the added onus of dealing with the delayed action on climate change and the costs of excessive consumerism.
"The essential question for your generation will be how do escape the locus of carbon fuel dependency," said Travis "You'll be making rules that were previously unthinkable and imposing limits on what we use and invest in.
"In the words of one environmentalist, your generation will render a new emancipation proclamation not for a specific race or species but for life itself," he continued.
Their education at Mount Greylock has prepared them for the new "brain-based" disciplines that will seek those solutions, said Travis. "Our survival as a people will in part depend on your future successes."I'm betting on you to succeed me, so I'm going to put on my green-colored glasses, sit back and just watch you," he said, whipping out a pair of shades to the roar of the delighted graduates.
Speaker Matthew T. Vaughan of Dalton, selected by the class, urged his classmates to aspire to integrity in all their pursuits, hearkening to the nation's founders who rejected oppression and injustice.
"They did not let their own personal ambitions keep them from supporting what they thought was morally right," he said. "These men risked everything they had earned in their careers - money reputation ... our forefathers strived to do what they believed was right."
Referring to Yale University professor Stephen Carter's works, Vaughan said one must first determine what is right and wrong for him or her, then put it into practice and be willing to openly stand by it.
"While the second step is easy in practice, it's usually the toughest to carry out," he said. "Arriving at a conclusion and and actually doing what you believe in are two very different things."
The road to integrity means eschewing selfishness, "to do the most good for the greatest number of people." Remorse is the most effective weapon against selfishness, he said, referencing a long ago playground prank that went awry. "In order to be proactive citizens we all must develop a good sense of integrity."
The faculty's selection for speaker, Michael Leja of Williamstown, took a more light-hearted note, imagining the small, tight-knit class as a "potent brew" that, like coffee, can be both bitter and sweet."Some of us have done great things in these past four years, others of us have made horrible mistakes, but do we hate each other for those mistakes?" he asked. "No. We stick together in the end. We can deny it all we want, but I don't think there is anyone else that we can trust more than each other."
And since the faculty selected him, Leja said he felt he should mention them, and so recalled and thanked the instructors and programs the class has taken over the years and how they had prepared them for the future.
"Though we cling to our groups, we are all still the same brew. One powerful potent blend of friends," he said.
English teacher Blair Dils was presented the Teacher of the Year Award. The concert band performed several selections, including the national anthem. Several graduates joined senior high choir to sing "The Road Not Taken" and "You Are the New Day." The diplomas were awarded by School Committee members and, at the end, the graduates ceremonially tossed their caps into the air in celebration and to the cheers of family and friends.
"You will make a lot of choices some will be very challenging and difficult," said co-Principal Timothy Payne. "It will tempting to take the easy route to do nothing; maybe to adopt a simple look at the world and say I can't fix it and so I'll just sit on the sidelines. "But it is my hope that you as a class and your generation go forward, that you put aside the easy thing and do the right thing."
To help them tackle those challenges, he told them to put on their glasses and he'd give them a gift: to think of the greatest laugh they'd ever heard. Something to conjure up in tough times to bring a smile to their faces.
"I hope it reminds you you are fortunate and blessed."
