Way beyond ordinary.

It was just an ordinary day of senior speeches in Middle and Upper School Chapel: Maria Zoccola and Sydney Sanford each had her five minutes today. But there's never anything ordinary about senior speeches. A tradition begun in 2005, each member of the graduating class has the chance to say something important, witty, wise, insightful -- sometimes the speeches are all those things. Mostly, though, they are unique windows into the soul of the speaker, beautifully written and delivered with poise and confidence.

It wasn't always that way: When senior speeches started, says English teacher Shari Ray, plenty of girls resisted, saying it was too much pressure, too nervewracking. Gradually, though, the seniors found their voices, and Mrs. Ray says today no one would think of not taking her turn in Chapel. Rev. Bush even says that fifth graders tell her what they will speak about when they become seniors.

Back to today, and two extraordinary speeches. Maria delivered the passionate yet controlled speech of a true activist. Sydney told about the house -- and burden -- she carries, masterfully using metaphor to describe her own pain, and her decision to keep going, keep the house lights on, the petunia beds tended and the weeds pulled out of the cracks in the driveway. (Links to videos of today's speeches, and all of the Class of 2011 speeches so far, are here.)

When you think about how powerful it is to be able to tell your own story, and be heard, you understand the power of the senior speech. In a world that needs strong, passionate women's voices more than ever, the seniors of St. Mary's show us whose voices we'll be listening for in the months and years to come.