Honor, Courage, Commitment

            I found myself choking up a bit during our recent Veteran’s Day Assembly; which was odd, for me, as this “Army Brat” was raised to have a stiff upper lip and a mandate to conceal one’s emotions at all times. There were three distinct moments in the Assembly where I realized that even cynical New Yorkers can discover that they are proud of their country and their fellow citizens. The first moment - believe it or not - occurred when our Advanced Band and Chorus performed a magnificent rendition of the National Anthem. An over sized American Flag was projected on two 20 foot screens as 800 Lasallians stood and tacitly acknowledged the patriotic values that are enshrined in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights; as well as the importance of their protection, which was symbolized by the presence of nearly 20 Alumni Veterans standing at attention in the Duffy Lewis Gymnasium.

La Salle alums & staff who serve/have served in the Nation's Armed Forces

The second emotional moment occurred during that portion of the ceremony in which photographs of every alum who had ever served in the Armed Forces were being projected on the two giant screens facing the assembled students and which ended with a tribute to deceased Lasallian vets and the introduction of those alum vets who were in attendance that morning. Not surprisingly, our students were wonderfully appreciative of their presence that morning and spontaneously gave them a standing ovation. My emotion emerged out of two dynamics which were subtly present during this part of the ceremony.  The first was a function of the substantial number of alumni from the Sixties whose photographs flashed across the screens - reminding me - as is only possible for adults belonging to a certain age demographic - how much unintended havoc the Vietnam War imposed upon one generation of adults, - and which lingers even to this day. The second dynamic was the spontaneous - and supportive - reaction of our students to the service of their alumni forebears. The “received wisdom” of media pundits and commentators is that today’s adolescents are more or less self-absorbed, unconcerned about wider social issues and focused almost exclusively on material advancement. And yet, here were 700 teenagers leaping to their feet to acknowledge the service of those Lasallians who had gone before them, and who had dutifully accepted the possibility of paying the ultimate price to defend our shared freedoms. In that emotional moment, I realized how profoundly transformative is La Salle’s Mission to Nurture - Inspire - Challenge - Motivate the students entrusted to our care. In ways that we adults can only dimly appreciate, they get the significance of the contribution their alumni forebears gave to serve, protect and defend their country. They may not appreciate the emotional consequences of that service; but the spontaneity of their standing ovation persuades me that they are internalizing the School’s motto to Learn - Serve - Lead.

            My final emotional moment was in response to the background music that was being provided by our Advanced Band as the photographs of La Salle alums who had served in the Armed Forces were being displayed on the giant screens facing the assembled students. Megan Foley, faculty member in charge of the Instrumental Music Program, had arranged a medley of patriotic songs which the Advanced Band (and, at particular moments, the newly formed String Ensemble) executed with a seamless effort one would ordinarily associate with professional musicians.  As I marveled at their successful negotiation of a variety of key and tempo shifts, it suddenly occurred to me that these are teenagers who are executing this enormously challenging arrangement of patriotic music. And, it was at that moment that I realized this is why, fifteen years after arriving at La Salle, I am fortunate enough to be the School’s “Salesman-in-Chief.” The “magic” our faculty perform on a daily basis in support of the students entrusted to our care is not just phenomenal, it is real and transformative. 

And, it was on display at our Veterans Day Assembly - but not just there. Back-to-back League championships in Varsity Football and four consecutive League championships in Varsity Girls Volleyball, not to mention a national recognition for the Cheer Program and increasingly higher rankings for Mock Trial demonstrates that not only is the Mission of La Salle High School alive and well, it is thriving, in no small part, because of your commitment to the values of nurturing, inspiring, challenging and motivating the students entrusted to our care.