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Commencement The Salutatory Address Thomas DeGirolami ’22
I am honored to represent the Hackley Class of 2022 as salutatorian, and I want to thank Mr. Wirtz, Mr. King, and all of my outstanding teachers. When I was told that I would be speaking at Commencement, I started to think about what a salutatorian actually is. And as I turned to writing my speech, I realized I had no idea what it was supposed to be about! So… I decided to turn to a topic that I do know something about—and that I also know is universally considered riveting, exhilarating, and wildly entertaining: classical etymology! (Quick disclaimer: this speech is not sponsored, paid for, or otherwise endorsed by the Hackley Classics Department in any way). It seems reasonable that a salutatorian is supposed to give salutations. But what really is a salutation? In this speech, I'd like to take you through some different connotations of salutations. The word "salutations" derives from the Latin salutare, meaning “to greet" or "to welcome.” In a first and most well-known connotation of the word, I welcome you all to today's commencement exercises. Welcome, guests! Hello, families! Greetings, Hackley faculty and friends! Salutations to all! Now that you surely feel adequately welcomed, I'll move on to a second connotation of a salutation: to show respect.
This is a more etymologically accurate version of the Latin salutare I mentioned before. For the ancient Romans, following the proper formalities of honor and respect was absolutely critical. In fact, our word "salute'' derives from this same meaning. Even though none of us are soldiers… yet (I'm looking at you, Danny. Go Army 2026!), I'd like to consider the function of military salutes. Soldiers of all stations and ranks salute when they first meet, as well as when they depart, paying one another the same respect. They are both respectful beginnings and endings. In this distinctive way, I would like to salute my fellow members of the Class of 2022. We made it, and what we have accomplished here deserves respect. But this is only half a salute—the salute due to us. The other half is the salute we now owe to others. We will all be graduates very soon and go our own different ways. When we go, I urge you to remember to salute others.
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