'Love and Loyalty' Theme of Haverford School Graduation Speech

The Haverford School's student body president Michael Green spoke during the school's 129th commencement ceremony in the its Field House, on Friday, June 7. The text of his speech is below:

There are two virtues that Haverford didn’t teach us, but showed us: love and loyalty. When helping someone with a math problem, when holding the door for one another, when pegging tennis balls at each other during bench ball, that’s love and loyalty. When a teacher comes to school three hours early and stays three hours late to help just one student, that’s love and loyalty. When a headmaster rips his shirt off and goes crazy in front of the whole school for an EA Day pep rally, then hugs and comforts a boy who is suffering through the death of a loved one, that’s love and loyalty. When a community comes together to support one another after losing an amazing person, that’s love and loyalty. And when a class of 103 boys come together as a family of men to overcome the worst of times and celebrate the best of times, that’s love and loyalty.

I don’t understand love and I can’t define it, but I know I’ve seen it and been apart of it here at Haverford because I shouldn’t be here, but I am. This year was so tough that it’s hard to believe we’re finally done. I’ve been asked by many people, including myself, why I’ve been at Haverford so long, and if I could go back would I switch schools? Every time I come up with the same response: If I didn’t go to Haverford then I would have had class with girls, I wouldn’t have had to wear jacket and tie, I would have been less competitive, I would have had an easier time, but I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I love whom I’ve become. I contribute a lot of this to Haverford, my parents, my family, my friends, my teachers, my mentors, and my brothers of the Class of 2013.

Each of us has taken and given much to this community. And for this, we’ve all become loving and loyal people. Class of 2013, friends, brothers, boys, the training is over and the bell has rung, it is time for us to set sail on the sea of life searching for the “infinite abyss” and I can’t wait to ride the currents on our journey there.