PORTLAND – While Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland has been the site of many graduation ceremonies this June, few probably started the way Bonny Eagle’s did last Friday night.
Karl Eliot Douin, president of Bonny Eagle High School’s class of 2010, didn’t beat around the bush during the event’s opening speech in front of thousands.
In his short speech, Douin blasted those who felt Bonny Eagle was doomed to failure based on the debacle at last year’s graduation, and called on his community to elevate itself above the stereotypes that resurfaced in the wake of last year’s graduation, during which Superintendent Suzanne Lukas withheld a diploma from senior Justin Denney for blowing a kiss and waving to his mother in the crowd.
The specter of last year’s ceremony wasn’t lost on the district’s school board, which altered the format from last year. Instead of Lukas dispensing diplomas, Principal Beth Shultz had the honors this year. In fact, Lukas took no part in this year’s ceremony. The politics surrounding graduation weren’t lost on those in attendance, evidenced by Douin’s statements.
“I’ve written probably seven versions of this speech … but each seemed to be a cop-out,” Douin said to the assembled students and audience. “Each ignored the topic that looms over all our lives, that looms over our school and that looms over this graduation … but I’m too proud of Bonny Eagle High School to let things go on.”
Douin then listed the excellence shown within the district by standout students, athletes, faculty, parent-volunteers and coaches.
“People make fun of our school, whether it’s the media, Windham, Gorham. They say we’re idiots, we’re druggies. Our school is seen as a joke. We need to take more pride in our school, in our community. And it starts with you guys. Some of you are probably here tonight just to see what would happen. Some of you want to see our school go down. A year after, would we fail and mess up yet again? Well, we’re not messing up, and we’re not going down. This class is not going down. This school is not going down. And this community is not going down,” Douin said, engendering a huge ovation from the crowd.
Switching focus and getting more specific, Douin then went on to defend the Sacopee Valley Teachers Union, which went public last week with a vote of no confidence in the superintendent.
“Last week, our highly respected faculty took a stand, despite being silenced and put in fear for years, they stood as one and took a stand. They took a stand to protect the school district they love, the school district they helped to build, the school district they are proud to be a part of. And now they are asking for the community’s support, our support,” Douin said. “We need to stop ignoring our district’s problems and start fixing them. If we want to prove to the cynics that we are who we say we are, we need to take accountability.”
After Douin’s remarks, Principal Beth Schultz spoke about the importance of lifetime learning. “Instead of giving you 10 top secrets, seven keys to success or even three principles to guide your life,” Schultz said, “I’m going to keep it simple and give you just one: Do not stop learning … learn all you can from each opportunity in your life.”
Valedictorian Ben Hall then addressed his fellow students saying, “We’re an awesome class. No, really, we are. This is the class that has survived bird flu, swine flu, SARS, No Child Left Behind and Y2K.”
Keynote speaker Jeff Neal, an alumnus of Bonny Eagle High School and popular history teacher at the school now, told the assembly of his “final lesson” as a graduate, dealing with the loss of a fellow student just before his own graduation 23 years ago.
“It was our final lesson, one of the most painful for a young person to learn, and one that was not in any textbook,” Neal said. “Life is fleeting. Carpe diem. Learn to seize the day.”
Once the speeches were made, Douin was the first to receive his diploma, followed by the rest of the senior class. Douin then introduced each student by name as they walked across the platform to receive their hard-earned diploma from Schultz.
Ryan Lambert assists classmate Briana Lavin as they wait backstage at the Cumberland County Civic Center for the Bonny Eagle High School graduation ceremony on June 11. (Photo by Rich Obrey)Send questions/comments to the editors.
