If the title of this blog post comes as a surprise to you, you haven't seen my fifteen-minute long update video posted about a month ago, where I made the announcement that I will no long seek to speak at my high school's graduation or honor's convocation. The reason being is that after winning homecoming king, the Sons of the American Revolution nomination (SAR), and having an entire day where people talk about me and why I wear gray (March 10th - read the blog post if this is a mystery to you), I have had enough recognition for one year. As much as I love and appreciate it, it's time to get the spotlight off the critic and on those who are actually creating something unique and giving something to society; not those who write about it.
Just this past week at my high school, a mass email was sent by our assistant principal saying that anyone with aspirations to speak at graduation should see her immediately to get the information along with learning about the voting process. Despite me making this announcement clear in my video, and to those who have asked, I still received numerous questions (not complaining here, stating) about whether or not I had contacted the assistant principal to push this move forward. When asked, I would humbly say, "I have decided to drop out of the race" or something along those lines, usually with the shock of the person I was talking to to follow.
What I neglected to mention was who I endorse for the speaker at graduation. When somebody drops out of a race, be it presidential, mayoral, legislative, whatever, it isn't uncommon for them to endorse who they think is the best candidate still in the running. Now it's my turn.
My vote is for Miles Santiago, a soul who I met sophomore year in my US History course and somebody who has contributed to this blog in the past. Undoubtedly, Miles is one of the most unique people I've had the pleasure of meeting. His mannerisms, level of maturity, ambition, writing styles, and his level of thinking and speaking mirror those of a wise middle-aged man - not a senior in high school in suburbia Illinois.
Miles hadn't shown interest in speaking in graduation until recently, upon working on some side writing projects, some concise, some extremely extensive, that he'd always allow me to read whether or not I had asked. I made it a priority of keeping him in my close-knit group of friends because he was somebody so original, unfazed by outside forces, and so content on being what he wanted himself to be, that I couldn't let somebody like him slip through the cracks. Not to mention, every now and then, one needs to read thinkpieces filled with words they don't understand to emerge a better thinker and writer.
Miles asked me about a week or two ago if I'd be "okay" with him running for the speaker. "Why wouldn't I?," I claimed, "I dropped out." Then a few days later, after thinking about it constantly and what amazing things he could do and say for the student body, I implored him to do so but also asked him what his motivations were.
He replied, "I feel like I can provide a speech that won't be forgotten as soon as the next voice is heard. I will not be bothered by trying to sound pessimistic or optimistic, I will strictly state the straight truth. I want to speak not only out of concern for the graduating class of 2014, but youth as a whole. Moreover, I feel motivated by being the person that Pulaski himself looks up to and seek to do nothing but astonish him and everyone else. This speech is my final passion for [my high school], and will put the class of 2014 above all others."
I'll be the first one to admit I wished what I was going to speak about was that meaningful and significant. Miles has always been an enigma to me and, if I can assume, to those he meets. One could talk to him for hours, day after day, and still not adequately dive into the mind of his work, I feel. Furthermore, he is not well known amongst the student body; if you go to my school, I'd be surprised if you could pick the kid out of a lineup, despite his unique appearance with his short stature, lengthy dreadlocks, bronze skin, and often thick layers of clothing.
Miles making this speech would propel him to an unforeseen level of much-deserved recognition, I feel. When he walks up to the podium, I can hear the student body now - "who the hell is this kid? Does he even go to our school? Is he even a senior?" After his obnoxiously miniscule time limit of three to five minutes for the speech is up, I can hear the same student body roaring with applause and congratulatory comments after his unpredictable but sure-to-be rousing words.
Miles is my choice for the speaker at graduation; I can assure he'll do and say things I could only wish to say. Here is somebody who has written amazing pieces of work and has provided me with some of the most thought-provoking ideas and themes of the year. As a prolific writer, mostly of film analysis and criticism, I wouldn't feel right if I got to speak over somebody like him.
NOTE: My fifteen minute update is still viewable on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_y44OWtVCA
Just this past week at my high school, a mass email was sent by our assistant principal saying that anyone with aspirations to speak at graduation should see her immediately to get the information along with learning about the voting process. Despite me making this announcement clear in my video, and to those who have asked, I still received numerous questions (not complaining here, stating) about whether or not I had contacted the assistant principal to push this move forward. When asked, I would humbly say, "I have decided to drop out of the race" or something along those lines, usually with the shock of the person I was talking to to follow.
What I neglected to mention was who I endorse for the speaker at graduation. When somebody drops out of a race, be it presidential, mayoral, legislative, whatever, it isn't uncommon for them to endorse who they think is the best candidate still in the running. Now it's my turn.
My vote is for Miles Santiago, a soul who I met sophomore year in my US History course and somebody who has contributed to this blog in the past. Undoubtedly, Miles is one of the most unique people I've had the pleasure of meeting. His mannerisms, level of maturity, ambition, writing styles, and his level of thinking and speaking mirror those of a wise middle-aged man - not a senior in high school in suburbia Illinois.
Miles hadn't shown interest in speaking in graduation until recently, upon working on some side writing projects, some concise, some extremely extensive, that he'd always allow me to read whether or not I had asked. I made it a priority of keeping him in my close-knit group of friends because he was somebody so original, unfazed by outside forces, and so content on being what he wanted himself to be, that I couldn't let somebody like him slip through the cracks. Not to mention, every now and then, one needs to read thinkpieces filled with words they don't understand to emerge a better thinker and writer.
Miles asked me about a week or two ago if I'd be "okay" with him running for the speaker. "Why wouldn't I?," I claimed, "I dropped out." Then a few days later, after thinking about it constantly and what amazing things he could do and say for the student body, I implored him to do so but also asked him what his motivations were.
He replied, "I feel like I can provide a speech that won't be forgotten as soon as the next voice is heard. I will not be bothered by trying to sound pessimistic or optimistic, I will strictly state the straight truth. I want to speak not only out of concern for the graduating class of 2014, but youth as a whole. Moreover, I feel motivated by being the person that Pulaski himself looks up to and seek to do nothing but astonish him and everyone else. This speech is my final passion for [my high school], and will put the class of 2014 above all others."
I'll be the first one to admit I wished what I was going to speak about was that meaningful and significant. Miles has always been an enigma to me and, if I can assume, to those he meets. One could talk to him for hours, day after day, and still not adequately dive into the mind of his work, I feel. Furthermore, he is not well known amongst the student body; if you go to my school, I'd be surprised if you could pick the kid out of a lineup, despite his unique appearance with his short stature, lengthy dreadlocks, bronze skin, and often thick layers of clothing.
Miles making this speech would propel him to an unforeseen level of much-deserved recognition, I feel. When he walks up to the podium, I can hear the student body now - "who the hell is this kid? Does he even go to our school? Is he even a senior?" After his obnoxiously miniscule time limit of three to five minutes for the speech is up, I can hear the same student body roaring with applause and congratulatory comments after his unpredictable but sure-to-be rousing words.
Miles is my choice for the speaker at graduation; I can assure he'll do and say things I could only wish to say. Here is somebody who has written amazing pieces of work and has provided me with some of the most thought-provoking ideas and themes of the year. As a prolific writer, mostly of film analysis and criticism, I wouldn't feel right if I got to speak over somebody like him.
NOTE: My fifteen minute update is still viewable on Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_y44OWtVCA
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