Bedford graduation features Kerry

Democratic presidential candidate hopeful John Kerry’s message at Bedford Senior High School’s June 6 commencement at UT’s Savage Hall encouraged students to devote time to service.

“Our greatest strength, our greatest responsibility as citizens, is service,” Kerry said, who referred multiple times to serving in the armed forces. “And it is the people who answer the call every day who keep America strong … So now you are ready, as the words at the doors of Bedford High tell you, to depart and serve.”

In his second visit to UT, Kerry spoke at Bedford’s commencement after graduating senior Brandon Spader requested an interview with the senator for The Goalpost, Bedford’s school newspaper. Kerry’s campaign responded to the request by volunteering him to be the graduation speaker.

The response was taken both positively and negatively, with those students, parents and school board members who opposed the speech believing the senator’s appearance would attract both public and media attention and detract from the seniors themselves.

But the general public was prohibited from attending, the media was confined to a platform behind the graduates and little attention was directed at Kerry until his speech.

He sat on stage between Bedford High School Principle Dennis Caldwell and School Board President William Henning, and spoke after the speeches of Student Council President Suzanne Johnson; salutatorian Ben Harmon; Chuck Faller, Bedford High School Alumni Association president; valedictorian Ariel Haskins; and Lindsay Drager, senior class president. The Bedford Varsity Choir also sang before Kerry spoke.

Contrary to the belief that the Massachusetts senator would turn the graduation into a political rally, Kerry’s speech neither alluded to the upcoming election nor referred to his bid for candidacy.

Instead, he focused his attention on the 372 graduating students and spoke about two historical landmarks: D-Day, the anniversary of which fell on the commencement date, and the death of former president Ronald Reagan.

“Yesterday, we lost one of our greatest optimists,” he said. “President Reagan’s belief in America was infectious. He was the voice of America in good times and in grief. On another D-Day 20 years ago, he stood on that windswept cliff at Normandy and he paid an imperishable tribute to the glorious boys of Point du Hoc. Many who had survived were there with him that day, and he spoke the nation’s heart.”

Kerrys speech was applauded and most of the audience and the graduates gave him a standing ovation at its conclusion.

“It was a really, really great speech,” Spader said, who met the senator for a private interview prior to the ceremony. “It summed up what America is. What he spoke about is going to touch the lives of everyone. It made our graduation great.”

Some students were against Kerry’s speaking at their graduation, but changed their minds once it was over.

“I definitely was against it, but it ended up not being what we thought it was,” said Bedford graduate David Herndon. “It wasn’t really a big deal.”

Fellow graduate Valerie Jesse agreed.

“I think everyone was against it, but when we saw him on stage, it wasn’t a big fuss,” she said.

Herndon said Kerry spoke with all the graduates for a few seconds on stage before they received their diplomas, adding that Kerry knew he was on the wresting team and an editor for The Goalpost.

“He took time out and individually spoke with all of us,” Herndon said, adding that he did not know how the senator knew information about him.

Other students wanted Kerry to speak at their graduation from the beginning.

“I thought it was very well done,” said Bedford graduate Ryan Crary. “At first, I thought it would be all politics, but everything he talked about was all on us.”

“I thought it was an honor for someone like him to come to a small town and having him come to our graduation and talk to us was wonderful,” Jesse said.