HHS Graduation 2024

Dear Graduates,

 

Congratulations on your graduation. Watching your evolution as human beings has been our privilege and joy. We have prepared you to take control of your destiny; are you ready? Einstein reminds us that few people are capable of expressing opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Never has the strength of your character to express differing views been more necessary or challenging. I believe you are ready. 

 

What happens when people lack the courage to differ from the prejudices of their social environment?

 

Groupthink happens. Fear and unwillingness to question the group are inviting, easy, dangerous, and ever more prevalent in your world. Our Spring musical, Mean Girls, is about a group of high school girls, The Plastics, who follow their leader fanatically and unthinkingly discard their personal opinions. While darkly funny, the message is never to relinquish your free will.

 

Everywhere are unseen forces designed to mislead and paralyze clear thinking and ethical behavior. Do you listen openly, verify, and analyze? All parts of our history are replete with good people surrendering their free will to social pressures, resulting in ruined lives, reputations, and even the deaths of innocent people. 

 

Who would believe a small group of naïve teenage girls could convince an entire community to burn at the stake 20 innocent members of their community? Children no older than middle school students can't convince the good people of Salem, Massachusetts, to surrender free will to mob rule, yet they did.  How could this be possible? Groupthink. There are more horrific historical examples of our inhumanity to one another, but evil leaders - not 13-year-old girls, perpetrated those.  

 

Challenging Groupthink requires courage and commitment. The Taliban believes females should not be educated. Who would believe that an 11-year-old girl writing a blog could bring international attention to the issue?  Malala Yousafzai risked her very life to challenge opinions that differed from the prejudices of her social environment. 

 

The issues society confronts are yours to work through, solve, or turn away and surrender your free will to Groupthink. The pressure to conform, to pick a side, is powerful and safer. Burn our neighbors at the stake, for surely those who disagree must be witches.

 

The news and social media portray our differences as vast and intractable. The most divisive issues encompass our deepest perceptions of fairness, human rights, and decency. 

 

Yet, truly, we are more connected than disconnected, more similar than dissimilar. Step beyond the social pressure and prejudice to conform; exercise the full measure of your intellect and humanity. You are capable of doing just that; it requires only your open heart and strength of character. I believe you are ready. 

 

Live a life supporting the common good and our shared humanity. Congratulations on your graduation.

 

Sincerely,

Louis N. Wool

Superintendent of Schools