Every Friday the Waldorf School of Garden City High School gathers in the student room for the weekly Student Assembly. Most Student Assemblies consist of (1) an extended speech by a senior on a topic of particular interest to them, and (2) the recitation of a poem, either existing or original, by a junior. The Senior Speeches and Junior Poems are a rite of passage for Waldorf students and are a required part of the high school curriculum. This series of articles seeks to highlight their efforts.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Senior Speech
Senior Luna Splendori took the podium today to explain to the audience her special connection to Italy. She explained how taking a road trip across Italy with her cousins in 2012 opened her eyes to the varied beauty of the the Italian landscape. After beginning her trip in Rome, Luna and her family traveled trough Calabria, Galipoli, and the Amalfi Coast. Here she saw many diverse locales which made her realize how rich the country truly was.
“I became more aware of how the regions in Italy can differ…They almost looked like different countries”
While in Italy, Luna also had the opportunity to meet some of her family members for the first time. She recounted how, even though this was their first meeting, and despite the language barrier, seeing them felt like reuniting with old friends. Her time with her family let her experience a different culture than she was used to, and she feels it has enriched her life.
“Knowledge of other cultures can open your eyes to different ways of leading your life. Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it’s bad.”
Luna hopes to get the opportunity to study abroad in college and is considering Italy as her destination. Congratulations to Luna for a terrific speech!
Junior Poems
This week, three juniors, Yuqian “Jennifer” Chen, Youval Aberman, and Conchetta Bohm recited their junior poems. Their selections are below.
The Reeds
Recited by Yuqian Chen
The reeds and rushes are deeply green,
And the white dew is turned into hoarfrost.
The man of whom I think
Is somewhere about the water.
I go up the stream in quest of him,
But the way is difficult and long.
I go down the stream in quest of him,
And lo! he is right in the midst of the water.
The reeds and rushes are luxuriant,
And the white dew is not yet dry.
The man of whom I think
Is on the margin of the water.
I go up the stream in quest of him,
But the way is difficult and steep.
I go down the stream in quest of him,
And lo! he is on the islet in the midst of the water.
The reeds and rushes are abundant,
And the white dew has not yet ceased.
The man of whom I think
Is on the bank of the river.
I go up the stream in quest of him,
But the way is difficult and turns to the right.
I go down the stream in quest of him,
And lo! he is on the island in the midst of the water.
“If you Forget Me” by Pablo Neruda
Recited by Concetta Bohm
I want you to know
one thing.
You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.
Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.
If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.
If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.
But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine
“Bluebird” by Charles Bukowski
Recited by Youval Aberman
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I’m not going
to let anybody see
you.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he’s
in there.
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there’s a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I’m too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody’s asleep.
I say, I know that you’re there,
so don’t be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he’s singing a little
in there, I haven’t quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it’s nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don’t
weep, do
you?
Posted in High School Student Assembly
