Kevin's Speech:

Although this is a little off the subject of animation, it’s not that far off… and therefore I crave the indulgence of my Desktop visitors in presenting it here. What follows below is a graduation speech, made by one of my animation students, Kevin Boze, at our recent Graduation ceremony at the Henry Cogswell College in Everett, just north of Seattle. Kevin has been an amazing, ‘grade-A’ student for all the time I’ve know him… especially so where illustration and 2D animations studies are concerned.

So respected was Kevin that he was asked to make a speech on behalf of the entire Digital Arts department. Kevin has known it tough, still has it tough in some ways and yet he has always been there for everyone else… offering a helping hand and a usually hilarious joke to lift the spirits at every opportunity. Consequently Kevin has earned the respect of both his fellow students and the faculty. However, even by Kevin’s high standards he touched the hearts of all those who heard his words. His speech deals with ‘Life’ and ‘comradeship’ and ‘ethics’ in an increasingly selfish and unethical world. His words speak generically but what he says about all aspects of life can be applied to the world of animation just as easily. I repeat his speech here so that, maybe, you too can be touched… and maybe inspired too.

Kevin’s words speak to the higher selves within us and remind us that we each have a duty to one another and the art that feeds and frustrates us. Kevin is, as I say, an exceptional artist/animator and, hopefully, the world will reward all his hard work by opening its doors to his talent and welcoming him in. I believe you will see that the following speaks not only to his college and his fellow students, but to us all... hence its inclusion on this forum….

“Good afternoon.

They say you should always start these things with a joke or with a quote. Those of you who know me can imagine which one I’ll choose first.

[Here he tells a great joke… far too long to repeat here… but one that brought the house down with its succession of unfolding punch lines!]

And now for the quote: the French philosopher Andre Malraux wrote, “One cannot create an art that speaks to men when one has nothing to say.” He wrote that back in 1938, when writers had no shortage of weighty issues on which to comment. Humanity was on the verge of a major technological revolution, but it was also on the verge of the Second World War. Those must have been momentous times; they make the debates of today seem shallow and inconsequential. At the dawn of the new century, we have the ability to communicate like never before, but Malraux would ask, “Yes, but are you saying ANYTHING?” As we rush at an ever-faster rate into our high-tech future, the importance of art to convey ideas certainly will not diminish. Now more than ever we need to inject a dose of humanity into our sterile cyberworld.

As a child, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. I dreamed about being an air traffic controller, or maybe driving an ambulance, or working as a DJ for a classical music station. Always, though, one goal remained firm in my mind: it was my life’s ambition to go to college and get a degree. I didn’t get here immediately; it’s been 25 years since I graduated from high school. Life has had its distractions and obstacles. I’d take a class here or there but there were many times when that goal simply seemed unobtainable. The dream would not die, however. It kept returning at each detour. It would nag at me like a hungry cat scratching at the door. I finally realized this dream could be accomplished, but I couldn’t do it alone. I learned to accept help when I needed it and to help others in return.

Today, a goal that once seemed impossibly far away is here, and we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our parents, our friends and our families for their support and encouragement; to the faculty for sharing their knowledge with us; and especially to our fellow students for the way we’ve all helped each other make it to this day. In these self-centered and isolated times, it is an exhilarating experience to discover the spirit of cooperation that thrives at this school. In contrast, I hear stories from a friend who is attending law school, which is all about ‘winners’, ‘losers’ and who can climb over whom. It is a race to the finish line where second place is last place, and when you go down, you go down alone.

That attitude has no place at Cogswell. I’ve never heard a student say, “This isn’t working!” without at least two other people immediately turning around and saying, “What’s the problem? How can I help?” I’ve never seen a student find a better way of doing something without immediately sharing that knowledge with others. When we stumble, someone always steps up to make sure that we don’t get left behind. It reminds me of an experience I had in the Army with a physical endurance test requiring forty push-ups, forty sit-ups and running two miles within a time limit. If you didn’t pass this test, you were in a lot of trouble. The first time, those in the best shape who finished first were ordered to go back and help their fellow squad members who were struggling against the clock. The next time, they didn’t need orders. They turned back without being told. Everyone made it over the line in time. We all won as a team.

More than 100 years ago, British playwright and social critic Oscar Wilde reminded his fellow humans that “It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection; through art and art only that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence.” Yes, life can be unfair. Life can be harsh. I can just about guarantee there will be times when you’ll be frustrated and disappointed and on the verge of giving up. It’s not that Life is out to get you; it’s just that Life doesn’t cater to your needs. But we can create our own justice when we work together, when we reach out to share our strengths and weaknesses with our fellows, when we seek to improve ~ even a little bit ~ the way things are. That’s when we will reach our goals, and we’ll do it without hurting or forsaking each other in the process. We can preserve our humanity without compromising our art, if we do it together.

Finally, I offer my sincere and humble thanks to those who helped me realize my dream today. I’m sure each one of us here has others to thank as well, and I invite you to join me in repaying that generosity a thousand fold. In the words of Henry James, “It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance, for our consideration and application of these things, and I know of no substitute whatever for the force and beauty of its process.”

Good luck, Class of 2004, and thank you all very much.”

Tony. :^{)}=- Personal Blogsite: http://blog.animaticus.com "The Animaticus Foundation" http://www.animaticus.com