- seniors speak out - seniors speak out"I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past."
William Faulkner's message is both a blessing and a curse. We have been given the curse of writing stories and poetry of the human heart. We have also been given the blessing of writing stories and poetry of the human heart. This is not a job to take lightly; if you want to write, you do it well. You get it right. There is no room for "good enough" in our art form; we are messengers of humanity. Through our sardonic wit, our eloquent descriptions, our constant insight and our sense of youthful wonderment; we do what we love and hope we do it well.
But if you falter, remember you have each other. Never be afraid to reach out to your fellow writers, your friends. This Board will only be as good as the humanity that runs through it, so never be afraid to embrace it. Being a senior, I'm seeing the start of something really cool; I wish I had another year or two to see it through. Enjoy it! Don't be afraid to laugh and be goofy and tell really bad stories about Peanuts, your fellow writers know what's it means to be a literary dork. I've loved the last few months I've spent with you guys; last year I had a cup of coffee with the legal midget and the Amish boy with an Afro, this year I'm glad that we get to do it every couple of weeks. There is a spark of something in this Board that is just waiting to get out.
David, 2002
