HS Graduation

Last night some of the SFS staff and students attended the graduation of the high school here on South Caicos. It was facinating, and seemed to me to be one of the most joyful events on the island that I've experienced thus far. There were only 21 graduating seniors in all, one of whom is college-bound and set to leave SC in the next few weeks, yet somehow the awards ceremony went on for hours and hours. (I don't know exactly how many because I left after 3 of them, but even back at the SFS center a few blocks away I could hear talking and cheers and music coming through the PA system up until I fell asleep after midnight.) Several government officials, alumni, and other dignitaries gave speeches. The keynote speaker's address included a complete recitation of Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go!, which of course made me think of Dave because he gave me a copy of that book just before I got on a plane to come down here, a handful of famous quotes (by Marcus Garvey, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Obama), references to the hardships brought on by hurricane Ike intermixed with pleas for money and 'thank yous to previous donors, and quite an impressive collection of cliches and mixed metaphors. My favorite of the latter was, "Don't forget that you are walking in the footsteps of the giants whose shoulders you stand on." I had to snap myself out of a brief daydream about over-sized contortionists after that one.

I was struck by the many constrasts between the ceremony here and that of my own high school graduation. There were many prayers incorporated into last night's speeches, introductions, and musical interludes despite the school being a public institution, but even more impressionable were the repeated warnings that without God, our Heavenly Father, by your side every step of the way, you have no hope for salvation or a life of righteousness or any degree of future success. Another difference between my graduation and this one was evident in the general tone of the event. Instead of "Congratulations! Reach for the stars! You can be anything you want to be!", the message last night was "Congratulations!", yes, but also: You are sure to face adversity over and over again throughout your lifetime, but do not succumb to the evils of temptation, apathy, and violence. The boys were instructed to be law-abiding citizens and advised that "it's okay to not smoke weed". The girls were encouraged not to get pregnant right away, but to wait until they have the means to raise a family properly. (No word to the boys on their role in either pregnancy or parenting.) All were cautioned that "AIDS is real, and it's out there!"

"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails" was the official theme of the graduation ceremony. An empowering message that clearly resonated with the audience, evoking enthusiastic nods, cheers, applause, and, especially from the older generations, murmurs of understanding and agreement. The phrase was painted onto the backdrop behind the stage and reiterated by every single one of the speakers. A passage intended to demonstrate the value of being a "realist" was also worked into a couple of the speeches, and reinforced the theme. It went something like this: When the wind begins to blow hard in an off-course direction, the pessimist gives up, accepting the inevitable, and the optimist waits, expecting the winds to change, but it is the realist who adjusts his sail.