英語英文学科

Endings and Beginnings

by Lyn Swierski

I am writing this a few days after the new Class of 2022 thundered down the aisle, into the school gymnasium, to celebrate their Entrance Ceremony on April 2nd. Only two weeks earlier, the graduating Class of 2018, marched slowly down the aisle in their caps and gowns in graceful precision, a beautiful sight to see. It is amazing to attend these two events so close together. We watch the mature young women we have spent four years with, walking out into the world with their heads held high, holding onto their diplomas, symbols of the knowledge and experience they have gained from their time in university. Then, soon after, to fill the void, there is a fresh group of young students, most of whom have just finished high school, all in their crisp suits and heels, new to each other, and unsure about this unfamiliar place called Notre Dame Seishin University. I smile at how the new students rush into the gym, and in my mind's eye I can already picture them four years from now, standing straight and looking elegant, slowly marching out the door.

The recent graduates I've grown close to, especially those members of the English Drama Club that I direct, and the members of my seminar group, are precious to me. These new students cannot take their places. But life is cyclical, and there are few places that illustrate that aspect of life better than a school. March and April are two months that stand out in that way. We say goodbye to students we have watched and helped to grow, and we open the door to a new group, and trust that wonderful things lie ahead for them in the next four years. It's a beautiful cycle that teachers get to witness every year.