Dana: Congratulations to Class of 2009

First of all I would like to say congratulations to the class of 2009. 

So I’d like to tell you a long-winded story about when I was boy, growing up in rural Minnesota, because I think it is just so relevant to you seniors and your accomplishments at Cate. One day me and the boys decided to go rafting out on the river. So bob and fred and my brothers george, and I, and of course my beloved animal friends of various species, owlie and squirrly and froggie and racoonie and lizardie and mousie and toadie and  doggie and birdie and of course, hamsterie, (we unfortunately had to leave cowie behind, hahaha) we all hopped in the old inflatable raft and started down the long, winding river. We paddled for hours  - The sun was hot, and I could see squirrly was getting tired, and birdie and froggie were starting to fight. Mousie was getting started with his antics again, oh that mousie, hahaha.  so we stopped for a break in a calm eddie. And right then owlie started hooting; he had seen something rustling in the bushes, and sure enough, doggie jumped out of the boat and came back with a great big kingsnake in his jaw. Fred made doggie let go, and so the snake dropped to the floor of the boat. “Why, let’s name him snakie, I remember saying. “sounds like a great name, Ben, said young george.” 

Later on, back on the river, we unexpectedly plunged into a violent, churning rapid, and were swiftly flipped end over end after hitting an exposed rock in the middle of the waterflow. Oh, it was chaos. All of us, fred, and tom and young george and I, and squirrly and foxey and froggie and owlie and lizardie and mousie and racoonie and toadie and doggie and birdie and hamsterie and snakie went flying up in the air.

(Sam sign)

as my mother tucked me and my brothers into bed, and of course squirrly into his little squirrel bed, and froggie and doggie, and, well, you get the point. 

You can see how the relationships I forged with my uncreatively named furry friends are just like those that you have forged with your classmates and your beloved faculty. And that is why I am so proud of you, class of 2009. I wish you all bright futures