The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-06-10
VALEDICTORY AT
SCHOOL CLOSING
DELIVERED ON WEDNESDAY
EVENING BY SYLVIA
QUITO

delivered Dy sylvia Gulto WSu-
nesday evening at the High
School auditorium in connection
with the graduating exercises:
Dear Parents, Teachers and
Friends:
81 am proud of this oppor-
tunity to appear before you as
yaledictorian Of the senior class
of 1888. It seems to have been
the custom in the past for vale
dictorians to say farewell on this
occasion. The object of these
farewell speeches apparently was
to bring tears to your eyes by
expression of a feeling that all
good things Of life are left be-
hind when one graduates from
high school. As / stand before
you tonight / have no such feel
ing. / see no reason why anyone
should shed tears on this oc-
casion. I see no reason why any
one should say farewell. 1t is
true that this is an extremely in
Iteresting period of our lives. Let
us pause and look at the situa-
ton as one Of Education and
Training. That is the true sig
nificance of this occasion.
1T has long been recognized
that an essential factor in the
American democracy is the educa-
ton and training of the youth of
the land. This is a fitting sub
ject for discussion and to it I
shall limit my remarks.
There is a deep public in
terest in education and training.
The American people are intense
~ interested in the welfare of
their children. Loose statements
are commonly heard that the
youth of the land are running
wild. and that agencies for their
control are Intellectual. / wish
to deny that statement. The pub
lie schools in general are alert to
the changes in the trend of the
times and they are managed by
competent and self-sacrificing
men and women. We are CRATE
full for the modern public school
system which you have provided
for us and we feel sure that our
training has been the very best
that it is possible to provide.
"PubIic school education is one
of the greatest services offered
by the government. The school
boards should be made up of the
recognized leaders of every COM
munity. The greatest care should
be- used in the selection Of all
school officials. Public interest
in education and training should
be more intense than in any
other governmental activity. We
who are graduating today have
benefited from an intense interest
and it will be our aim to conduct
our lives in such a way that this
interest will be justified and
stimulated.
Education in democracy is
taken for granted. A democracy
is a country where individual
achievement and advancement
are limited only by persons own
ability. A child Of humble birth
may therefore aspire to the high
est position in the government.
Democracy, therefore. demands
universal education. Four score
and seven years ago our fathers
brought forth upon this continent
4 new nation, conceived in liberty,
and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal
said Abraham Lincoln many years
Iago. Equality Of birthright would
lose its meaning If there was no
ipublic school system of education
and training for the youth of
America. Equality Of opportunity
does not mean sameness of edu-
cation. Democracy demands the
adaptation Of educational train
ing to the individual differences
which characterize the students.
Our public schools should meet
this demand with rs much diver
| sification rs ii il possible to crowd
into four years and at the same
time make certain that funda-
mental courses are required Of
all. Our public school education
and training II an efficient in
strument Of democracy.
ssEdncatiOn ii continuous
lifelong process. II begins IN the
cradle and ends in the grave. II
il not something which il done II
Ia child formally and with the aid
of books and teachers alone. but
lit Is the result of the persons
own reaction 10 bis environment.
To-day, for us, Is only the com.
meneennet st this process You
4 have given us some Of the fanda-
mental principles npon which "a
huIsd our lives. Won have given
ux some ~ the sools with which
IL work. Yen have taught IL ho~
Ia rrn.g AMI write and calculate