Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/97177
���His words, his cadence, his voice... reverberate in my heart, inspiring my deeds to this day.��� graduation, I panicked. I was sure I would trip before reaching the podium, afraid I���d shake visibly for all to see, develop a facial tic. He, on the other hand, was characteristically calm and reassuring, confident that I could pull it off. [And though I still get inexplicably nervous ��� in fact I actually woke up this morning in the midst of a vivid dream about this event ��� I am here today, Dick. And, for the first time in my life, I actually volunteered to speak.] Dr. D���s faith in his students had no less profound an effect. In a recent email, Ji Yeon Yuh, ���83, professor of history at Northwestern University, reminded me, ���He is the one. . . who knew I would be doing what I do now and told me so, to my utter disbelief at that time, having had no idea then what a scholar was. A scholar might as well have been a space alien, for all I knew!��� And I bet that if I could pause to ask all of you, I���d elicit dozens and dozens of similar stories. Cornel West is on to something. At Latin, so many of us are who we are because Dick Dolezal loved us, cared for us, believed in us. He was our angel. In his presence, we were inspired; we were our best selves. And now that he is no longer here to nurture our spirit, to provide wise counsel and to be our moral compass, what now? ��� Anonymous Let me suggest that we, each one of us, take up the Dolezal challenge. Take the time to read that text you never read or skimmed uncritically; pick up Bleak House or Beloved; enjoy Emily Dickinson, Mozart, Bach; edit carefully; show more compassion; listen to someone intently; cherish your friendships, for as Dick once reminded us, ���The test of how you will fare with all the people you meet is implicit in the quality of your friendships.��� Do an act of kindness: Bring someone jelly beans or Blommer chocolates; contribute to Latin���s scholarship fund. In a graduation speech we did jointly, Dr. D reminded the Class of 1993, ���You do have to be true to yourself; you need to be an individual, and you must keep your gaze upon the genuine needs of others.��� So, let���s honor Richard Dolezal not only with words but with the eloquence of actions. Let our actions be part of his legacy. Then, imagine his smile. Left to right: Ingrid Dorer Fitzpatrick with Dr. Dolezal; Dr. D���s copy of The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces; a photo from the 1967 yearbook; the letter from Headmaster Neville hiring Richard Dolezal in 1960. LATI N SCHOOL OF CHI CA GO 27