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HACKLEY REVIEW COMMENCEMENT SUPPLEMENT 2021
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Commencement Addresses The Salutatory Address Kiriann Fitzpatrick ’21
Thank you Mr. Wirtz, Mr. King, Mr. Bileca, Mr. Variano, assorted guests, friends and families, soon to be graduates, and all others who could be here to support us or are watching from home. And most importantly, Congratulations Class of 2021. I feel I must begin with an acknowledgment of our achievement of becoming graduates. Throughout this year, we have demonstrated flexibility, strength, and most importantly perseverance. And as I look out at our class I see so many incredibly accomplished people. I see artists who are capable of creating things that are unimaginable to me, athletes with admirable work ethic and endurance, people who have worked to better our community, whether that be as community council members, service leaders, or simply as students. And most importantly, I see those among us who have truly embodied a character colored by kindness, generosity, and integrity which the rest of us should strive to equal. But before we get too caught up in celebration, I want to recognize the challenges that we have faced along the way to this moment. This year has been incredibly difficult, it has included loss and sacrifice, both within our community and for the world at large. It has been filled with moments that have made us angry or sad or even hopeless. And it is important to recognize and validate those feelings. It was upsetting to see my friend be quarantined five times throughout this year not due to irresponsible behavior, but rather
unfortunate circumstances. But I was comforted by the knowledge that because of our ability to have pool testing, this community was kept safe and that we had the privilege of receiving an in person education that most didn’t and I remain grateful for that. It was upsetting for me as a musician to learn that it was not safe for students to perform in person for the first two coffeehouses of the year, events that many had looked forward to and had spent time dreaming about. But it made all of us more appreciative of the spring Coffeehouse where we were able to hear live, in person performances. And it spotlighted just how much work was being done behind the scenes in order to give us an enjoyable experience. And in one of my hardest moments of this year, it was upsetting to read through posts on the harassmentathackley instagram account that brought attention to the pervasive issue of sexual misconduct, that some within our community were already far too aware of. While I allowed myself to be angry and sad over what I was reading, that anger pushed me to fight for change within the community. So for my senior
