Extensions of Remarks

30090 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS October 31, 1985 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS LANDMARK COLLEGE CONVOCA for my difficulties, but I also felt bitter at For any young person entering any college TION-LEARNING DISABILITIES the system through whose cracks I had or university today the experience can be in AWARENESS MONTH fallen. And I felt scared about the prospect timidating, and often overwhelming. of coping with this disability." Not only must they cope with the de He concludes with joy and confi mands of their studies, most of them have HON. CHARLES McC. MATHIAS, JR. never been so conscious of being individuals OF MARYLAND dence: We lead the way into the future for other on their own. They are half-way between IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES students with the same affliction. And hope boy and man, between girl and woman. And Thursday, October 31, 1985 fully, learning day-by-day to surmount our if that weren't dilemma enough, are con cerned with and caught up with the same Mr. MATHIAS. Mr. President, the obvious difficulties, we may also help to pro o vide a mirror in which we may see not only dilemmas that we and the world face. They month of October was designated as our disabilities, but our immense potential are confronted with choices and questions Learning Disabilities Awareness as well. but their questions: "Who am I?" "Where Month by Senate Joint Resolution 191 am I going?" "Why should this or that be?" adopted on September 19, 1985. On These speeches, one from a con Now imagine adding to all this, the this last day of the month I want to cerned and compassionate citizen and burden of being a young person with a place before the Senate two speeches the other from a learning disabled stu learning problem. The dream of college be that deliver the message that the reso dent who is overcoming the disability comes a nightmare of frustrations. The de convey a powerful message. They de mands and challenges must seem insur lution was intended to encourage. scribe the enormous cost of ignoring mountable. Mrs. Mathias has called my atten What strength of character . what tion to these speeches that she heard learning disability and the reward of finding a way to surmount is obstacles. depth of wanting . what determination on October 4 at the first Convocation . what courage must it take to pursue the of Landmark College, of which she is a I know that all Senators are con thought of a college career? To believe trustee. She herself was forced to cerned with this problem and will find enough in yourself even though all your overcome the problems of learning dis these speeches of great interest and school life your hopes have eluded you, your ability and so she could fully appreci value. I ask that they be placed in the confidence has abandoned you, your mind ate the thoughts expressed by John RECORD. seems to have betrayed you? Meyers, publisher of Time magazine. The material follows: Few of us can imagine the cost to one's Because of her own experience she JoHN MEYERS SPEECH-LANDMARK COLLEGE self-esteem that a learning disability exacts. found the words of a student, Keith CONVOCATION But most of us can imagine how much Not only am I honored to be your speaker, courage it takes to retrieve it. Promise!, very touching and profound You students who are entered here must ly moving. She says that "above all I am grateful for the opportunity it gives me to address this audience and what it rep never doubt your courage-or yourself-for else, it is the new found presence of resents. that is what got you here. And here is this young man-his new sense of The occasion today is an experience of where with courage, your hopes may be re self-that brings tears to my eyes." personal significance to each of us. For kindled . your confidence regained . John Meyers speaks to the learning some, fulfillment ... for some, promise ... your pride restored. disabled in confident and encouraging for others, challenge. Here is where courage is matched with terms, but he also speaks to all Ameri For me, it is a chance to express many of caring. cans who care for the future of their my own feelings about what we celebrate Those who support your wlll to learn are country. He says: here ... not the new facilities, the beauti more than teachers of skills, coaches of lan ful campus, the unique programs, the im guage, solvers of problems-they are allies In our zeal to create the better mathema pressive classrooms-not the institution in your struggle . sharing your defeats, tician, better scientist, better technician, but the size of its dream: the frustrations, the painful progress. better student • • • we must not ignore the This union of caring and courage, this better person. To set free those bright young minds whose potential might otherwise go unused; bond between teacher and student occured Preparing a student, to my mind is no to me when I noticed a short article on the more whose will to learn might otherwise go un important than preparing a person-a noticed. sports page of the New Y'ork Times Just a person whose influence for good in our soci week or two ago <maybe you saw it>-about ety is not based on scholarship alone, but on I am sharing your beginning-and I must confess that I have spent a good deal of the football team of Eastern Oregon State his relationship with his fellow human College who was beaten 86 to 0. beings. time wondering how I should begin my re marks to say something that holds meaning What was remarkable <besides the score), Mr. Meyers saluted the courage of for so special and varied a group-students, and the point of the article, was the atti students at Landmark College and parents, faculty, administration, members tude of the losing players. What might have elsewhere who "believe enough in of the board, friends and supporters of the been a humillating experience was instead a yourself even though all your school school. kind of pride at their individual efforts. life your hopes have eluded you, your I'll begin by asking you to remember Just One of the players said: "Everybody tried two words: "CARINO" . and "COUR to do the job. We tried to keep each other confidence has abandoned you, your AGE." Because to my mind, it is these two up. We told each other 'Don't give up.'" mind seems to have betrayed you." qualities more than any others that repre Eventually the idea was to disregard the Keith Promise! is one of the coura sent what this school is all about. scoreboard and seek smaller victories. The geous young people about whom John It was these two qualities that were defensive end siad: "For me, I thought I had Meyers was talking. He followed with needed to accomplish what we dedicate a pretty good game. You can look at the his own story of pain and hope and ul here. And it is these two qualities that will score and say 'that's awful,' but we did a lot timate success. An important element be demanded to achieve what we hope for of positive things.'' of his achivement was the example here. 86 to 0. But what triumph of spirit. Long after we leave the celebration and With that kind of courage and caring, and help of his sister, Sonda, who congratulations and well-wishing-perhaps that kind of attitude, there are no failures. showed him the way and led him to when the history of this college and its be Unfortunately life is not a game. And the discover Landmark. He says. ginnings are recorded-these two words world these young people face is not so During a period of about a year, I had to CARING and COURAGE-wlll stlll serve to caring. Once graduated, what then? reorganize my thoughts about myself. I felt define both its spirit and its expectations. It has always been hoped by every Ameri relieved to know there was an explanation What do I mean by courage? can generation, that the next generation e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member of the Senate on the floor. Boldface type indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. October 31, 1985 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS '30091 will reshape society while serving its needs. student body. They are places of learning effort into studying and paying attention in That won't be easy. for each, single, separate, individual, class. However, the work soon became in Rarely, I think, have the American people person . with his or her own thoughts creasingly difficult. By progress report time, ever had so much at one time to worry over, and feelings and promise. Places of discov I would be failing at least fifty percent of cope with, be frustrated by, or angry at. A ery-not just of knowledge-but of one's self my classes. I remember rifling through the confusion of problems-some immense, all as a human being. mail to intercept this news of failure. The complex and none easily resolved. There is still considerable power to the image I felt projected on to me was of a lazy Almost every week, we find we must con idea that a student should be primarily edu troublemaker.

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