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Bri H., one of two student speakers at the June 4 Eighth Grade Closing Ceremony, likens the characteristics of the great McDonogh Oak of City Park in New Orleans to her classmates' opportunities in the years to come.

Henry Ward Beecher, a 19th century clergyman and social reformer, once said "Of all man's works of art, a cathedral is greatest. A vast and majestic tree is greater than that." This past summer, I visited New Orleans’ City Park, established on land donated by none other than John McDonogh. With 1,300 acres of land, City Park is one of the nation's oldest and largest urban parks. It has about 14,000 mature trees comprised of about 50 species.

The Park's pride and joy is its collection of mature "live" oaks: over 3,000, the largest and finest collection in the world. Of these "live" oaks, the biggest and oldest has a diameter of more than 8 and a half feet and has a crown spread of over half a football field. It is estimated to be 600-800 years old, a relic of an ancient forest. This tree has a name. It is called the McDonogh Oak.

One distinctive characteristic of the "live" oak is that its old leaves fall off the same time the new leaves emerge in the spring. So, even though it is a deciduous tree, this makes the McDonogh Oak appear to be ever green. Class of 2016, we are like the McDonogh Oak. We are the new, fresh, green leaves coming in, while the seniors are like the old ones falling off. We are going to the Upper School, while the seniors are going off to new adventures of their own. Our next four years will be exciting, fun, and unforgettable.

Another characteristic of the "live" oak is that it is very strong. When its wood is air dried, it weighs a whopping 55 pounds per cubic foot. Due to its strength, the McDonogh Oak withstood the devastating Hurricane Katrina and is still standing. Class of 2016, we are like the McDonogh Oak.

We all have different strengths which start out as tiny acorns inside of us, and as we work our way through Upper School and life they will grow to be giant oak trees. Upper School offers many opportunities for us to cultivate these strengths and to discover new ones.

Yet another characteristic of the “live” oak is that it has exceptionally far- reaching branches, almost twice as long as the height of the tree. For centuries, the McDonogh Oak has provided food and shelter for many animals including squirrels, quail, whitetail deer, and wood ducks. Class of 2016, we can be like the McDonogh Oak. The McDonogh Community that we are part of extends all over the world. Four years from now, after our graduation, we will branch out and carry the lessons we have learned at McDonogh with us and spread them.

Finally, another characteristic of “live” oaks is that while their branches reach for the sky like all trees, the live oaks grow so substantially that some of those branches touch the ground. In fact, the McDonogh Oak has multiple branches that rest on the ground. Class of 2016, we can be like the McDonogh Oak. We can rise to amazing heights, yet remain grounded. We could selfishly achieve just for ourselves, but we should selflessly achieve for ourselves and others. As John McDonogh said in his Rules for Living, “Study in your course of life to do the greatest possible amount of good.”

As you can see on our campus, the school is in the process of constructing great cathedrals of learning, the Naylor Building and the Edward A. St. John Student Center. Greater than that are the majestic trees that will grow from the acorns germinating inside of the classrooms, labs, theatres, studios, and athletic fields all over campus.

Betty Baggert, volunteer caretaker of City Parks' "live" oaks, was certainly right when she said that the McDonogh Oak is "still putting out acorns."