COMMENCEMENT: JUNE 9, 2022 As the graduating class looks toward the future, here are some words of wisdom that were shared with the entire school community.
LUCIAN TANN, Class of 2022
HELLO CATHEDRAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY. My name is Lucian Tann and I have the honor of representing my class of 2022 today. Now I would be lying if I said any of our experiences were normal. But I am grateful for everything that has happened because it has allowed us to become who we are today. From taking Zoom calls in bed, to those notorious Outdoor Ed trips and everything in between, we have developed traits that I am so proud of, and I would like to share three of them with you today. One, we are resilient. We all remember March 13 when we were told that we were supposed to stay home for two weeks. My immediate reaction was “YES, no school!” But when that trickled to a month, a month into two, and then in a blink of an eye the rest of our sixth grade was gone. Even though we had lost the one thing that was consistent in all of our lives, our school, we didn’t fall apart. Sure, we stumbled, but we didn't give up. Instead, we persevered. We used coping methods, like walking our dogs, daily Among Us game play with class- mates, bike rides and going to the beach. Even though we were stripped of the comfort of our routines and schedules, and losing our school experience, we developed resilience. There is one moment in particular that will always stand out to me. When we were able to return to school for seventh grade it was still very far from normal. Once inside our cohorts we pretty much didn’t see anyone outside of that. But to build some normalcy in what little allotted space we were given, we played games during our 15 minute snack periods. We are an inventive class when it comes to games, so we decided to use the light above the door as a basketball hoop. No, it wasn’t really a rim, it was just a box. But that didn’t matter. The numbers increased and the game got more and more heated. Even through the masks I could see everyone beaming and having a great time! To my classmates, I know this resilience and go-with-the-flow mindset will treat us well into our next chapter and I hope we can take those smiles as well. To the rest of the CSB students, I hope you can learn from your experiences, especially the harder ones, and take a similar resilience to every part of your life. (And check out our old hoop on the lower terrace. It’s still there!)
Two: camaraderie. Our class has been through so much together and that has helped create an unbreakable bond. One wonderful example of this is our eighth grade soccer champi- onship. What was most special about this experience wasn’t how we won or how well we played, but more how invested our entire class was. Whether you played or not you still cheered and every single person contributed. One of us became the self-proclaimed team photographer and despite him being on the final roster he didn’t even bring his cleats. Following the win it was clear that he contributed just as much as everyone else did, taking photos that we will cherish forever. Another friend couldn’t play but in the sweltering heat he put on the hawk costume. He played a crucial role as a “hype-man.” He created an electric environment, not just for the crowd but for the players as well. When we finally won, we decided that our teammate who brought the most excitement and up-beat attitude to the entire season was the perfect person to receive the trophy. Now I hope these bonds never break! And I also really hope that all of you find bonds just as strong. Finally, three: we feel safe with each other. Through these bonds that I just mentioned, we have developed emotional intelligence—we understand what others need. But more importantly, we have developed a sense of comfort and feeling at home with each other. One great example of this was when we were all tasked to give a chapel talk. “Ooh, scary.” Some of us were brave in
WINTER 2023 • RED & GOLD | 27
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