St. Charles North High School

by Laura Quock , Salutatorian
Wednesday, May 25, 2005

With high school winding down, I've been contemplating what I've learned the past four years. Let me tell you, I've learned plenty. I think we all have. I learned how to take an integral, cite a research paper, hold a conversation in Spanish, and, courtesy of Mr. Dobbertin, I've learned the fact that the dark ages weren't really dark. But when I really think about it, all of the life lessons I've learned have come from the hallways. Yes, you heard me right, the hallways of St. Charles North. They've taught me many things that can be used when I'm no longer walking, or trying to walk, through the school. All I need to know I learned in the hallways of SCN.

First off, remember the up and down staircases? I know that I always grumbled about having to walk that extra distance to reach the next staircase. I felt that my precious time was being wasted. But, really, going the wrong way didn't work. There was no way around it. Trying to go down the up staircase resulted in having to turn around and go back, wasting even more time. So in the end, the shortcut didn't work. Taking shortcuts does not always work. The only way to get the job done is to do it the right way. You never know what you might see while talking the scenic route. There are no short cuts to any place worth going.

Think about your daily ventures through the hallways. Do you walk alone or with friends? Chances are, you do both. Now, which do you prefer? I believe that being with friends is a lot better than being by yourself. You know what I mean - it is much easier to get through the congested hallway when you can follow behind some friends through the crowd, rather than trying to go it alone. You also have a much better time. Rather than walking unaccompanied, you can laugh and enjoy the company of others. When that burly football player rushes down the hallway and knocks you down, your friends lift you up. They pick you up when you are down. As Oprah Winfrey says, "Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher." What would life be without friendship?

Now, how often do you walk through the hallways thinking about how long you have until lunch or that test you didn't study for? Some of us walk with our head down and do not look up to see what is around us. Have you ever looked around to read the flyers or see the newly painted walls? That water mural is not something you want to miss. Sometimes we need to step back and look at the things that surround us to change our perspective. This also goes for those who walk extremely fast. Slow down. It can be a good thing. As Ghandi says, "There is more to life than increasing its speed."

As for those darn public displays of affection in the hallways.I know I've stumbled through the link on a Wednesday morning and had to quickly avert my eyes, not to mention trying to get to my locker! I admit that I've had my share of complaints against these displays of affection. However, they've taught me something as well. Love is important. It's a big part of life. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, and it involves the heart. Everything you do, you should do with your heart. If you don't, why bother? Use it to accomplish your dreams. Put your heart in what you do.

If I could give you one piece of advice and one piece of advice only, when you have left high school behind and are struggling, think about what the hallways have taught you. Honestly though, I think high school has prepared us for so much. We are ready to move on to bigger, better, and brighter things. We all have our futures ahead of us. We have the potential to do anything. Think about it. We still have the rest of our lives to live. What an amazing thought. No one says you have to change the world, but I believe that we have the potential to succeed at whatever we put our minds to. We are pure potential. I'm not saying our lives will be easy. Things will be hard, there will be obstacles and we'll be pushed around a few times. But I'll let you in on a little secret.the key to success is..you know, I just can't tell you.

But I can tell you that you have better things to do than sit here and listen to me. Go out there and live your life. Reach high and go for the top, just as you do when you climb the staircases in the hallways. Thank you Class of 2005 and congratulations.

For questions, comments or suggestions, please contact Todd Hewell