L’Observateur / May 20, 1998

The happy end of a high school career is a time for celebration, certainly.

It’s a mark of achievement and a rite of passage into adulthood. However,it’s also a neon sign to the teen-ager that it’s also time to take on more personal responsibility. This is hardly more exemplified than withdrinking alcoholic beverages.

The next several days will include a host of graduation parties and celebrations of all kinds. At many of them beer and other alcoholicbeverages will be consumed to excess. That can, of course, lead to DWItickets, alcohol-induced traffic accidents, arguments and fights and possibly even a fatality caused by abuse of alcohol.

Graduation is a happy time. It’s when family and friends come together tocelebrate academic achievement and offer best wishes for a promising future for the graduate. It should not include extended hospital visits andfunerals.

Various illegal drugs will also certainly be consumed in connection with graduation celebrations. It’s a shame when academic achievement iscelebrated by doing something truly stupid, such as using these illegal substances.

We hope for all the graduates of 1998 a long, happy, prosperous and contented life. Most will enter the workforce, launching their careers, orcontinue their education at institutions of higher learning. However, tobest achieve and continue their past successes, the abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs should not be a part of the program.

On another topic, we also hope the Class of 1998 will not let this point be the high-water mark of their lives. Graduation is a celebration of whatthey have already done.

Looking to their future, we urge them to become involved in their communities, to contribute, to lead, to achieve.

We urge them to be a positive example for those who will follow them. Weurge them to do their part to make this world better. Everyone cancontribute in at least some small way. A few may well go far, with goodfortune, hard work and keeping to discipline.

Finally, a piece of advice to graduates: to everyone, in all your dealings, please, be kind.

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