Forever Young…
(Eighth Grade Graduation Speech - Marine View School Class of 1990)
Welcome parents, teachers, and friends of the class of 1990. Today we are gathered to celebrate the completion of another stage of our formal education. We have strived for eight years to reach this day, and we have succeeded. We have grown older and more mature, but we have maintained the same level of curiosity and the same urge to explore as a child. “Forever Young” – that’s the spirit of the Marine View Class of 1990.
As we leave our secure school of Marine View, we will have to try to make new friends, but we must also keep the old ones. Within the last eight years, I have switched from one school to another. I have not stayed at one school for more than three years, but this moving around has helped me in the past, present, and hopefully, in the future. It has helped me make new friends and learn to adjust to new situations. These experiences have taught me a lot other than academic subjects.
We can all recall the first day at Marine View. Even though we knew some of the other kids, we were frightened, and maybe a little bit lost, because we didn’t know what to expect. And yet, with the help of our teachers, parents, and our own perseverance, we managed to sail through the years with flying colors. I’m pretty sure most of us can remember the day we received our locker combinations. Many of us needed to ask for keys because we just couldn’t manage to open our lockers. Boy, was that embarrassing! What about trying to act like responsible, calm, mature young adults instead of wild and crazy monsters in those frustrating hallways that hardly fit 50 at a time, let alone 250?
It has been a really great experience to be in a school where almost everybody was determined to learn, and where we had a great group of teachers who was already ready to help and guide us. During the past two years, our school has been the top in both academics and sports.
We, the class of 1990, had a school year filled with quite a few memorable events, both good and bad. We saw our teachers picket, we lost a teacher, had our sports programs postponed, didn’t join the science fair, sold the most magazines, and of course, there was the walk-out! I believe that most of us have learned from these experiences.
Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage; and all the men and women merely players.” We, as students, can relate to this. Each phase of our lives represents an act. Today, one act is over and the curtain is down, but the show must go on. The next act will be high school. We may still have stage fright, but we are also confident, because through the efforts of our teachers and our own determination, we have been well rehearsed for the next act. There may be new players, scenes, and directors, but I am confident that we’ll all do well. Someone once said, “Whoever acquires knowledge and does not practice it resembles he who ploughs his land but leaves it unsown,” and “knowledge begets knowledge.” As long as we apply what we have learned with our child-like curiosity, we will succeed. Therefore, no matter how old we become, the spirit and ability to learn of the class of 1990 will always remain “Forever Young.”
These are the Days…
by Vivonne Lee\
News Editor
Marina Volsunga, Vol. XXX, No. 6, Friday, June 10, 1994
Whether you’re an optimist or a pessimist, this year’s graduation theme should suit your taste. As we move on in the world, we will always remember these days at Marina, not the good and the bad, and they will forever linger in our minds, if not in our hearts.
During these past four years at Marina, we each had our own goals, our own paths to follow. Sometimes, that road was smooth, and other times, it may have been a bit bumpy. But because of our own determination and the support of the staff, our family, and friends, we were able to make it through. These are the days to take pride in. These are the days that have molded us…shaped us. These…are the days…gone by.
However, the future for some of us may seem bleak, while for others may appear to be very bright, and still, for the rest, it is a little bit murky and truly unpredictable. Sooner than we realize, our familiar support system may change and what we have learned will be put to the test.
Yet, Marina has given us more than just an education found in textbooks. It has given us one of the greatest gifts of all. That is, the power to choose and not be chosen. With this, we can look ahead to the future. These are the days yet to come.
Despite the good memories we may want to cherish, there will still be those that we would like to forget. These are the days when hatred and racism still exist on a large scale. These are the days when people still suffer from hunger. These are the days when kids kill each other for shoes, electronic devices, and other material possessions. These are the days where people lack a conscience and blame others for all their problems and resort to violence to “solve” them.
Yet, these are these are also the very special days that we will never forget – the days of friendship, love, and laughter. Let your days gone by be the guiding light for the days yet to come.
There are those who make things happen, those who watch what happen, and those who wonder, “What happened?” Don’t just be an observer. Remember, these are the days that you make them!
See who else has signed my guestbook