Whoa--too much fun in Ann Arbor--graduations are great, so much celebration and excitement in the air. The weather cooperated, for the most part, and the speakers were pretty good, too. Superb speech at the University graduation by a selected senior, and all the speeches focused on citizenship, involvement, volunteering and NOT just seeking fame and fortune.
One historical note that I found fascinating was that it was in Ann Arbor, on the steps of the Michigan Union, that presidential candidate John F. Kennedy first tried out the concept of the Peace Corps, and called students to volunteer. Hundreds signed up that very day, and Kennedy knew he had a winning concept.
Volunteering, whether for social justice, to combat global warming, or to alleviate a host of other social ills, is still a high priority on most campuses. I'm always pleased to see the number of students who take alternative spring breaks, or set up new nonprofits to combat issues.
This week has been busy, a quick day trip to Dallas, catching up on a variety of projects, and yesterday, going to a political rally---for better, fairer, more equitable funding of public education here in Illinois. It was a fun, charged up crowd. Our three all went through public schools, and the resources were less than stellar. Hearing some students talk about what they had in their schools (what high school needs TWO Olympic sized pools?) and others talk about what they didn't have was enlightening and frustrating at the same time.
Ahh, fairness. What a concept.
No comments:
Post a Comment