Eads High School Salutatorian Speech - 2004

By Steven Alan Arth

May 28, 2004

According to tradition, the salutatorian addresses the past, but I figure my class can use all of the advice they can get. While composing a speech of this importance, it is difficult to decipher what is appropriate while at the same time making it interesting, amusing, and even insightful. It seems as though every year the same speech is given. Not the same words or even the same topic, but producing the same result -- nothing. One trouble I have faced is deciding exactly what effect the valedictorian and salutatorian are supposed to create. Do we inspire? Some believe that is the object, but how many people go out thinking, "hmm....I wonder" or "that's a good point," and of those, how many will remember what was said the following day?

If my speech is to be inspiring, what can I possibly say that isn't going to fade away in a couple of hours, or even a couple of days? People are prone to be most impacted by things that are dramatic, awe inspiring, or insightful--things that make them think. Unfortunately, my personality doesn't entail much in the area of drama, which leaves me with the option to inspire with a bit of insight. The first topic that came to my mind when contemplating ideas of relevance to graduation is the town of Eads. What impact the town has a whole has had on my life, and what the individuals I have grown up with have meant to me. As I pondered these thoughts, one reoccurring and pressing thought stuck in my mind:

Sadly, the town of Eads has few opportunities for young adults and teenagers. Other than it being a safe and comfortable place to live, there is very little that will draw them back to this town after leaving for college or whatever endeavors lie before them. What people find in Eads is strength in their family and community. All of the people that have grown up here share childhood memories, but memories and community ties alone can not sustain our small town. It takes the chance for opportunities, such as worthwhile careers, and even the less important things like recreation to sustain a community. These two key elements are what Eads, and small towns like it, lack the most.

Some say that small towns simply do not have the resources needed to survive in today's world. There is no question that Eads will face many challenges if it is to survive, but lack of resources is fortunately no longer an issue. Small towns like Eads have more opportunities now than ever before. Our students have the ability to take previously unavailable courses online and in the Distance Learning Lab. We have access to technology that can overcome many of the problems that have historically plagued small, rural towns. Any telecommunications job that can be outsourced to a foreign country could just as easily be outsourced to people living in Eads. Any business that can go online from Denver could just as easily go online from Eads.

I believe that your future is what you make it. This year we have had the opportutnity to begin a student youth council in which students can actively participate in local town meetings, as well as pursue their own endeavors, such as the first steps toward the goal of building a local recreation center. This group, with community support and participation, can be exactly what this town has been needing. Youth are often and accurately referred to as the "future of tomorrow," and a large part of Eads' fate lies in their hands. No one knows more about the things that will keep youth here than the youth themselves. This is not to say that young people have all the answers. Young adults must recognize and appreciate the wisdom of older, more experienced minds. However, those older minds must also recognize the potential of the youth. I would like to encourage not only the underclassmen, but the graduating class as well, to participate in the youth council. The council is a window we have been given to express the ideas and visions we would like to see become a reality.

In closing, I would like to leave both my classmates and community with a challenge that I hope to see become personal to each of you. Put not only words, but actions to what motivates and inspires you. Even if it doesn't pertain to Eads, drive to make your vision a reality that will benefit not only your own future, but also the community in which you reside.