The Senior Address
by Michael P. Gilbane '00
Given at Commencement, May 28, 2000

Thank you Mr. Widmer. I have been thinking a lot about summer internships over the past few weeks. And before I forget and get into my speech , I wanted to ask the King if there were perhaps any princeships available over the summer from late June to about early August.

I'd like to thank King Abdullah, as well as all of the faculty, family, and friends for being here today. But most importantly I would like to thank my classmates. Having the opportunity to speak today is perhaps the greatest honor I could receive. The past three years here at Deerfield have been the greatest of my life, and I owe that to all of my classmates. As we look back on what we have accomplished here at Deerfield, I think that we all have a lot to be proud of individually, as well as together as a class. At the beginning of this year, we set out with the goal in mind of being one of the greatest classes to graduate from this Academy, and I think we have done that. This year was not an easy one, but we came together as a class to give each other strength through the tough times. Most importantly, I am proud of our class for setting the standard for future classes to strive for.

When I was asked by the class to speak today at graduation, I was hesitant at first. I was certainly nervous about having to speak before a king, but more importantly I was nervous about trying to put into words exactly what Deerfield means to me. As I debated whether or not to accept, I decided that I would go and ask one of the teachers that I respected what I should do. I caught my teacher right at the end of class and asked if he thought that I should accept as graduation speaker. The teacher asked me if he could speak frankly, and I replied yes. "Well Mike" my teacher said " I just don't think that in this day and age that you would be selected as class speaker." "Well", I explained to my teacher, "what I mean to say is that I have been selected as speaker, and I am not sure whether or not I should accept." "Oh, wow" my teacher responded.

Now some of you may wonder why I am telling you this, but I think that it illustrates a point of mine quite well. It is amazing in this day and age that I was selected as class speaker. In this our tenth year of coeducation, I think that all would agree that the level of talent, both male and female, is unbelievable here at Deerfield. As an instution, Deerfield has come a long way since its all-boy days, and I think that we owe a lot of that to the introduction of females here at Deerfield.

For the past few weeks, we all have been reminded that this final day was approaching us, whether it was through the advancing date of a culminating experience, or the "countdown" that Shavi Rogers maintained on his door. Like many of you, though, it still hadn't really hit me that after I got my diploma, my days as a Deerfield student would be forever in the past.

I wasn't able to grasp the fact that we were leaving Deerfield permanently until I began packing up my room about a week ago. As I sat there, boxing up personal items, I was forced for the first time, to wrestle with the fact that I was leaving this community, never to return as a student.

With each passing minute, I felt as if someone were pulling my heart out. After three years here, Deerfield has become a way of life for me. We go home for holidays and a few weekends, but for the most part this is our home.

For a few hours, I walked around campus, doing my best to soak in ever last bit of Deerfield that I could before the sun slipped away. I walked past the little brown house on that trip around campus, and I began to think about the Czar. Mr. Hindle has been here for 44 years, and with his departure, a new era at Deerfield truly begins. He has been here as a student and a teacher. In his time, he has witnessed the end of the Boyden era as well as the end of the all boy Deerfield of years past, two major milestones, along with countless others. How strange it is to think that students of the class of 2004 will never hear his raspy voice or sing along with him in the school song.

As I continued to walk down Albany Road and towards the East Side of Campus I walked past Chapin, and thought about my days as a sophomore here at Deerfield. As I thought back to those days one memory stuck out in my mind. As a bunch of friends and I sat around in Chapin, the "cardboard palace", arguing about some great moral issue, a Billy Joel song started playing over the radio. There was a lull in the debate for a moment and as we sat there silently, while Billy Joel proclaimed "this is the time to remember, cause it will not last forever. These are the days to hold on to, cause we wont although we'll want to." The conversation picked back up a second later, and we all forgot about that moment, but as I think about it, I am not sure that there are any better words to describe the Deerfield Experience. This truly was the time to remember.

As I walked towards Johnson Doubleday, a flood of memories hit me. I thought about how our role as a class changed so much from sophomore to junior year. We were becoming leaders. We were also getting a lot of homework. I remember late nights in the dorm studying for tests and writing papers. As I stood there, listening to the sound of Rickey Martin blaring through an open window "Livin la vida loca" I was reminded of my difficulty with foreign languages. But as I looked back, the pain and agony of those nights had faded away, and all I remember is the experience.

Walking past the Manse towards the Arms Building, I began to think about our Headmaster. I thought back to one grim winter afternoon, when I wasn't sure if the spring and sunshine would ever come. I was sitting in the Greer with Justin Kelly, when Mr. Widmer walked in and sat down. He stayed with us for twenty minutes, just hanging out and talking. To me that's perhaps what is the very essence of this great institution. Whether it was dinner at Mr. Sheridan's and Mrs. Robertson's house or hanging out in the dorm with Mr. Clark, the faculty at Deerfield was always there for me.

As I continued in my wandering. I somehow ended up at the library. I sat down on a bench for a moment and admired the beauty of the Deerfield campus.

As I looked around my eyes crossed a sculpture that we have all passed 100 times on our way to class, but this time my eyes stopped and I began to think about what that sculpture really represented. I contemplated the sculptures title for a few minutes. Connections. There was significance to that name, and it was only then that I realized that my sadness was foolish.

At that moment I realized that even though we were leaving in only a week, never to assume the same role in this community, Deerfield would always be there for us, always be a part of us. The connections that we have forged with our coaches, teachers, and most importantly each other, won't end today as we walk across this stage, and won't end 70 years from now when we sit and reminisce over the glory of our Deerfield days.

Over the past years we have all spent at Deerfield, we have all learned some of life's most important lessons from the faculty. More than just teaching us science or history, our teachers have been friends and role models for us. Some of them led us not only in class, but also on the field and in the dormitories.

In the classrooms we have learned value of hard work, determination, and commitment to excellence. We have pushed ourselves, striving each day to learn and accomplish more. The greatest thing that we have learned in the classroom was the pleasure of finding things out, the joy of learning. Even I will admit that there are some things in the classroom that are just plain boring, but I think we all would say that at least one teacher reached out and really sparked our curiosity. Whether it was Mr. and Mrs. Hammond or Mr. O'Brien, we are eternally grateful to all of our teachers for their selflessness and for all that they have given up to be a part of this unbelievable community. Most importantly we thank our teachers for giving each of us that priceless gift of knowledge.

On the fields we have all learned how to kick, throw, and perhaps even block and tackle, but more importantly, on the playing fields we have made friendships and learned about life.

Some criticize that Deerfield places too much emphasis on athletics, but I think that this vision is very narrow to say the least.

Some of my most memorable moments occurred during games on the lower level, and more importantly, I think that it is on that lower level where many of us matured the most in our years at Deerfield.

No matter which team we were on, or at what level we were competing, it was through athletics we learned about the importance of teamwork, communication, sacrifice, and hard work. On those very fields many of us first sparked friendships with each other, and in the heat of battle many of us learned the most important lessons.

For the past three years I have known that there was something very special about Deerfield, but I was never able to put my finger on exactly what it was. From the very start I knew that Deerfield must have been an unbelievable place. When I was choosing among prep schools, it came down to Deerfield and Exeter. In the end, it was my brother, an Exeter alum, who convinced me to come to Deerfield. He told me, only from his experiences playing games here at Deerfield, that there was something very special at Deerfield that did not exist at any other prep school. In retrospect, I think that it is easy to see what is so special about this place, what is so great about Deerfield, and what sets Deerfield apart from every other school.

The paths of tradition here at Deerfield are well worn. I encourage those that are still here to celebrate this, to revel in it. I cannot express with words the feeling that we have all had at one time or another. The feeling of being part of a tradition that is perhaps as old as Deerfield itself, as many traditions here are. However the one thing that I urge you to do is to never be afraid to step off the path that tradition dictates you should follow. Set off and find your own route. If you merely follow the paths of tradition and never have the courage to set out on your own, you will never truly experience Deerfield. I think that is what we mean when we say, "Be worthy of your heritage." Appreciate the trails that were established by those who came before you, but don't merely follow in their footsteps.

It is in this tradition of "Being Worthy of Our Heritage" that Deerfield has worked so hard in the past few years to create an excellent program of community service. All Deerfield students are involved in this service in one way or another, whether it is through Heritage Day or through seasonal Community service. Deerfield has imparted in each of us a great sense of social responsibility.

There are perhaps as many different Deerfield Experiences as there are ways to walk across this very quad. This is why I am not standing up here talking about my Deerfield experience. Each is unique, and each has its unique set of highs and lows, some more than others as a few of us can vouch for. But there is always one thing that all these experiences share together, and that is Deerfield.

There is a spirit so great in this Pocumtuck valley that it can be felt from one edge of the globe to the other. It's a pride, a unity, a bond that extends anywhere and everywhere that a Deerfield person is or ever has been. Perhaps the most incredible thing about this spirit is that it all emanates out of right here. Nowhere, Massachusetts.

This is why I am not sad today, as we all begin another leg of life's voyage, because no matter where we are, or how long we have been away from this unbelievable place, it is never hard to find your way to Nowhere. We will be very much a part of this community, and for that I want to thank everyone who is a part of Deerfield from the students and teachers, to the all of the staff members. I can honestly say that after three years here, my life has been forever changed, and I owe that to all of you.

I suppose as addresses like this end, it is customary for the speaker to pass on some lofty quote from a famous or deceased writer, but perhaps I'll break from tradition here. I would like to leave you with a few simple words that I was left with as I prepared for this next chapter of my life. As I waited in nervous anticipation of leaving home, my coach and good friend Ed Lee gave me a book called The Power of Positive Thinking, and on the inside cover he wrote, "set your short and long term goals, and always trust your heart, because that's where God is. Remember, race, creed, color, status are all irrelevant. Dream high, and your dreams will come true."

To my classmates, the bonds of Deerfield will forever tie us together. Don't ever forget this. Thank you.