Transitional times

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: June 7, 2008

Procrastinating led to his success.
That’s what valedictorian Earl Campaigne III jokingly told his parents, teachers and classmates during his class remarks at Waynesboro High School’s graduation Saturday.
During a steamy, hour-long ceremony on the athletic field – a nurses’ station and free bottled water were available for those in need — the 204 graduates, along with four others receiving certificates of completion, got doses of humor from Campaigne and words of wisdom during the commencement address given by Howard Clayborne, a retired WHS English teacher.
Campaigne also offered a tribute to Glenn Anderson, a math teacher at Kate Collins Middle School and a JV soccer coach at WHS who passed away earlier this year. Senior class president Megan Elliott said the class would make a donation to a memorial scholarship fund set up in Anderson’s memory.
Thanking WHS teachers and principals for “showing us mercy,” Campaigne once again asked for mercy, this time from the heat, “so make this quick, go home and get crunk,” he said, using a slang term that has several connotations, the most polite one meaning to have fun.
Clayborne, who still substitutes at the school, reminded graduates during his 15-minute speech that it was the 70th anniversary of graduations at WHS.
He said graduation is an exciting and sad time during the transition to a new life. Some, Clayborne said, would continue that life in Waynesboro, while acknowledging that others would want to leave. He noted that many previous graduates had, indeed, chosen to make Waynesboro their home.
Reading excerpts from three seniors who wrote about graduation during their English classes, Clayborne said they were realistic about the world beyond WHS. And in that world, Clayborne said, they need to exhibit characteristics of personal responsibility, calling on them to respect the English language while also respecting themselves by not dressing inappropriately.
He told graduates to always keep a positive attitude – “be as positive as you can be everyday” – and quoted from William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” and a familiar Irish blessing.
He advised them to cherish their moment in the sun.
“Remember that today is one of the high episodes of your life,” Clayborne said.
Campaigne, quoting from Gary Bolding, an art professor at Stetson University who gave that school’s commencement address in December 1998, said graduates should take advantage of this high episode.
“Your families are all extremely proud of you,” Campaigne said in repeating an altered version of the original Bolding quote that has since been used at other graduations. “You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing right now. This would be a most opportune time to ask them for money.”