I bumped into Sue Houston's advisory group Tuesday morning while they were wrestling with the question, "How does a senior stay motivated to the end?" I was immediately transported to May of my own senior year....and all of the emotion I experienced at that time!

 

I recall the warmth of spring....the mixture of excitement and anxiety over separation from a school I had known for four years....the potential loss of friendships that had meant everything. So, the question is not a new one, and there is no one snappy answer to it.


 

The threat of a college reversing its decision is a regrettable motivator, for it assumes the complete collapse of intellectual passion. Seniors who had the passion and foresight to design Senior Projects (which begin Monday) have the luxury of a new, immersive diversion. Many others will find stimulation in their work and projects. Some will have to look for inner strength.

This is the "Focus" group....a student-initiated team that brainstorms and executes healthy weekend activities.

 

I am driving to Groton, Massachusetts this afternoon to attend my 40th Reunion at Lawrence Academy. I'll have to read name tags to identify many people who were once close friends. On the other hand...in a way...my senior year seems like yesterday. I can hear Cream playing "I Feel Free" on the radio; I can see the college campus I toured while it was on strike; I remember irritating my parents because my dorm room was a mess.


 

Soon enough, it will be May, 2050, and these students I know today will return having found their way. They'll describe careers to one another....describe their grown children....joke about balding.


 

They'll recall the intensity of adolescent emotion. They'll revisit cherished corners of this campus. They'll remark on the safety of life in a village within a rural village.


 

But for now, we have to focus on three weeks!