Malcolm Gauld
One of my favorite events of Hyde’s graduation season is the International Families Reception on the day before graduation. The graduating seniors read their speeches to their parents in their native language. Most of the parents have only been on campus for a few hours and many of them have never before been to America. Most do not speech English. (Then again, their English tends to be a lot better than my Chinese!)
As shown in these photos, the parents stand as their son or daughter reads his or her speech.
The faculty assembled really don’t know what the students are saying. We simply study the faces. (On the following day, the roles will be reversed when the full graduation ceremony will be conducted in English and the Asian parents will read the faces of the audience members to learn how their children’s speeches are received.)
Suffice it to say that the International Families Reception has taken its place as a truly powerful component of a highly inspirational weekend.
Onward, Malcolm Gauld
