Circiter | Featured on Campus walk away thinking this is a warning to avoid the cynicism, ruthlessness, selfishness, or cruelty we might meet in the world by ascending into ivory towers or barricading ourselves behind iron-wrought gates. It is a rallying call to remedy those ills. So thanks again to Groton for a great four years, and good luck to the rest of you students—you’ve got big shoes to fill. And as for the seniors—we’ve got work to do. There’s a big, scary, nasty world out there, and it is in dire need of the values we take for granted here. Bring them with you wherever you go, and I think you’ll find the same wondrous surprise in the power of your Grotonian ideals that Aaron found (though the cur won’t admit it) in the power of that 68-inch, carbon-steel reinforced, snow, and probably lightning-proof umbrella. * * *
Richard B. Commons, Headmaster
Prize day speaker Mr. Philip Dimitrov, former prime minister of Bulgaria, addresses the graduates.
Graduate Arjun Aggarwal is flanked by his sister Sonaali ’12 and parents Sarika and Sanjeev.
And now I have the distinct honor of introducing our keynote speaker, Mr. Philip Dimitrov. Mr. Dimitrov was born in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, in 1955 and graduated from the English language high school there before attending Sofia University, where he graduated with a law degree. During the 1980s, as a practicing attorney, Mr. Dimitrov became a leader in the Union of Democratic Forces, a broad coalition against continued rule by the Bulgarian Communist Party. In 1991, Mr. Dimitrov was elected prime minister of Bulgaria. During his brief term in office, his government began an ambitious set of democratic political and economic reforms, allowing for a free market system that had immediate effect on the welfare of Bulgarian cities. Under his administration, observance of human rights became a legal priority, as did the restitution of property that had been confiscated by the state. After a year in office, Mr. Dimitrov called a confidence vote on himself, which led to his stepping down as Prime Minister. In 1997 he was made Ambassador of Bulgaria at the United Nations, and from 1998 to 2002 he was Ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States. During this time, Mr. Dimitrov was granted the Truman-Reagan Freedom Award for his contribution to overcoming Communism around the world. A professor of political science at the American University in Bulgaria since 2002, Mr. Dimitrov is currently a visiting professor at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. [Source for above facts: Wikipedia] To put Mr. Dimitrov’s political career and political courage in context, one must understand that from 1944, when communists seized control of Bulgaria, to 1989, when Mr. Dimitrov emerged as a national leader, Bulgaria was firmly behind the Iron Curtain, and the communist regime was ruthless in its suppression of dissent. Mr. Dimitrov nevertheless joined with others in asking persistent, difficult questions about representative government and human rights, refusing to be intimidated. It is no exaggeration to say that it is because of Mr. Dimitrov’s leadership that Bulgaria is now a democratic country, and because of his persistence that Bulgaria was able to join NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007. Thomas McGonigle, Lorcan’s father and friend of Mr. Dimitrov, recalls that in 1984 Mr. Dimitrov celebrated the 4th of July, with the specific hope that some day Bulgarians might join Americans in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What a dream that was, and what an astounding, historic realization. Mr. Dimitrov, it is a privilege to welcome you to Groton School as the keynote speaker for our celebration of the Form of 2009.
Excerpts from Mr. Dimitrov’s Speech: Thank you very much. Mr. Commons, guests, parents and above all, students. Oh, it was moving indeed to recall. We did celebrate the 4th of July—it may sound crazy from the distance of time—but for us it was kind of natural. … The fact is that in the years ahead, you will hear a lot of things about this world like: It has become so complicated that nowadays, we can hardly expect the efforts of a single
14 | Quarterly Fall 2009