May 24, 2022
Complexity. The education we received at Kenston added complexity to each one of your lives and mine, class of 2022. We were sharpened and dulled, repeatedly; molded and melted, repeatedly; tested and praised and even some of us scolded, repeatedly. We laughed and we kept quiet together, seeing our class change weekly, monthly— its dynamics, its social structure sometimes punctured. Yet every night we all went to a different home, drove a different way, and all ended up at the same place the very next day to transform ourselves through our creativity, our sovereignty, and our voices.
Creativity defines us. Creative within the bounds of what we can control, collectively and on our own. As we progressed through high school, specifically, we saw ourselves change— no longer did it seem, for some of us, our outfits mattered because what we wear never defines us, but it reminds us that comfortable clothes make for the most comfortable days in school. More ingenuitive and unique outfits— sweatpants and hoodies and slippers, less “nice things”. Call it creativity, call it laziness, yet we, the class of 2022, all agree that the years progressed, the years are gone, we are ourselves, we move along.
And freedom, sovereignty. We all used to ride the bus to school, some more than others; those who did every day to and from school were not as “cool”. There was always a ride option somewhere, there had to be, for $5 a day and home an hour earlier was worth it. But I say freedom and sovereignty as between our sophomore and junior years most of us became drivers. Most of us became “licensed operators of deadly weapons” as we would learn in driver’s ed. And to those who are not licensed, catch up. It’s stress relief on four wheels, barring the occasional near-accident or spin-out on a snowy day when the plows haven’t yet made their way to your street. Just ease into the stop, accelerate SLOWLY, and if you skid DO. NOT. BRAKE!
Our voices define us. Our voices within the bounds of the candidates on a ballot— we can vote. May 3rd, August 2nd, November 8th— two primaries and a general. Two primaries? Yes, voter-friendly. Anyways, class of 2022, WE can vote. Vote how you want, with or without your meager wallet, but remember the right you have— it has been mentioned throughout our lives, nudging us constantly… I would hope to see we all care enough to participate, enjoying the short thrill of filling in small circles and placing a ballot into a machine… and the “OhIo Voted” sticker. But don’t forget the most important— LOCAL ELECTIONS.
What we heard in middle school about high school, well, throw it all away. It was not that difficult. We are here, sitting in this room, ready to be forever gone and free. Maybe not free, just… progressed, aged, older. No matter how hard we try to pull and tug ourselves out of this district, away from the beautiful campus with the wind turbine, not everything will give. In fact a large part will not give; it will remain in the buildings forever. It will remain on the turf forever, on the trails, in the parking lots as well. WE can never leave. Not the whole of each of us, at least. That one part, it makes us miss these years a little, and it makes Kenston miss us as well. It wants the whole of us back, and we want the whole of us gone. But that will never happen, fortunately or unfortunately. Now the years ahead of us want us more— those miles driven, trends followed or created, and hopefully plenty of ballots cast! Leave these years, never forget these years. Happy graduation.