May 26, 2007

Commencement Remarks
by Ned Durgy '07

photo by Bob Falcetti

            The first vital ability that I acquired at The Taft School was that of conceding; surrendering and perhaps, even eventually accepting. In light of this I do not feel beaten, nor do I feel oppressed. Instead, a sensation of liberation has steadily enveloped and comforted me over these past four years, accompanying this monstrous realization as it has settled in my mind. There is no place for unadulterated idealism at this school, or in this world. The unwavering faith in the prevalence of justice and the ultimate benevolent and empathetic nature of humanity that I carried here; that is what I have conceded, the simplistic vision of a perfect world. I was very glad to see it go. For what is an education worth if it does not inspire the participant, even forcibly, to question who they are and what they believe, in universal context? Time and again we were coerced into this action. I draw a natural conclusion: that the convinced action of a determined and obstinate minority will never completely terminate all injustice, dishonesty, and decay; that the moment of deliverance will never arrive absolutely. Without the hope of worldly salvation, what remains? Do we struggle onward on principle? Must we embrace the pursuit of mortal personal pleasure as the ultimate goal of existence like the Marquis de Sade? Taft has relieved us of our innocence, our inexperience. However, the trade is more than fair. What we have gained is far more valuable.

Over these four years we have abandoned our pubescent selves, in favor of the hybrid that stands before you. Perhaps misleadingly manly, and by many accounts still quite young. Aside from the moments of both birth and death, the most stark and dynamic transformation of our lives is currently concluding. And despite the school that binds us, we are each incredibly unique people, having entered this place with deceptively dissimilar values, goals, perspectives, and eccentricities. That is undeniably clear now in retrospect, after an indescribable shared experience. Inspired by this experience, we have cut our losses, and by the guidance of our school and peers, willingly shed our youthful ignorance along with its immaculate vision. We have been exposed here to truth and it has humbled us. But in no way has Taft left us helpless to confront this reality, or without the means to affect positive change within it. Battles still can be won and lost. Just this past Wednesday several among us attended a Watertown Zoning Board of Appeals hearing to speak in favor of what will be the first residential windmill in Connecticut. Despite a determined opposition the measure passed, with a favorable vote of 4-1. Likewise, we as a class will not despair in the face of these skirmishes, but realize the fortune and inherent advantage of our circumstance. We have not been left to shrink before adversity, but conditioned to rise eagerly to challenge and conquer it. For bestowed upon us all is an insatiable ambition to succeed and the faculties to do so.

We are grateful for this ability, and all that we have been given, appreciative of the privilege that we have enjoyed during our time here at Taft. Perhaps most of all we are thankful for a timeless, dependable truth, the just inspiration of all our future efforts. I honestly did not realize the significance of our school’s motto. Until this week I never accurately interpreted it. Instead, this final truth was constantly and painstakingly demonstrated to me over four years of life here, ingrained in my subconscious, only to emerge quite recently. We will be forgotten. Our words, our works, and our memory will all fade, buried like the visage of Ozymandias by the sands of eternity. We will not despair, for this fact does not make life inconsequential. At the ready to fill this apparent void is a more noble and realistic purpose: that we may not strive to succeed in this life for ourselves, our own pleasure, or even our legacy, for all these things will lose significance, legitimacy, and meaning with time, but that we may accept the duty that lies before us: to leave this world in a better state than in which we encountered it, by, at the most basic level, living not for ourselves, but for all, for the greater good. We recognize the impossibility of a perfect world, but instead dedicate ourselves to approaching that impossibility by how we live our lives. This is the greatest glory and the highest purpose, all which we are invited to seize today.

As this experience concludes, I am sure that each one of you will be hard pressed to deny that you will miss it. Nearly as difficult as facing the future is accepting that we will miss this place. We may not miss intimately knowing 7:50 on a Saturday morning, but at times we will miss even our ignorance. We will miss the people who have become our family, whose loyalty and support we will count on until death. We are going to need each other in the years ahead. I am confident we will all accomplish the truly impressive and meaningful, yet I am equally confident none of us will do it alone. I pray only that we begin the next installment of our lives for each other, and that in time we may extend this blessed capability to all those with whom we come in contact; that we, by our time together here, might maintain the hope and ambition that we have worked so hard for, that we might live and achieve for the betterment of all.

Thank you family, thank you teachers, thank you friends.