Speech! Speech!

The following speech was given by our very own Stella Nickerson and Kate Thompson. They are two of the most awesome girls I've ever met. They wrote this particular speech in order to prepare all of us students for the trip home. I loved it and wanted to include it in my blog. Enjoy!




Hello everyone. We thought we would begin with a list of predictable in-jokes. Remember when the fire alarm went off all the time? Ha ha ha ha ha. Remember when we actually called the Dan Jones the Dan Jones all semester? Ha ha ha ha ha. Remember when Brother Whipple played the organ and the fireworks went off? That was so awesome!

But really guys. We've had a good semester. You all know what happened, you all know where we went, and you all know that we love you. So here's some parting words of advice from Kate and Stella.

There is a phenomenon known as performer's letdown. After months of a play consuming all your time and energy, and just after a very high point of performance, suddenly it's all over. You have all this spare time and energy and you're not quite sure what to do with yourself. You miss the people you used to see everyday, and you fall into a period of depression. We predict that you will go through performer's letdown. Don't worry. It's natural. There's nothing wrong with you. Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and keep yourself anxiously engaged in a good cause. Remember, the Savior understands everything, including post-Jerusalem letdown.

You have built a great experience here prayer by prayer, lesson by lesson, stone by stone into a metaphorical tower, citadel, or cardo of some kind. Reuse those stones—reuse them in your families, future wards, and careers. We talk about going back to real life, but guys, this was real life. We each had the idea to come to Jerusalem, and we made it a reality. Real life for the past four months has been amazing, and we can continue to strive for amazing in the reality that comes next.

One more point. We committed to build Zion. Our Jerusalem Center Winter 2010 community can continue to build Zion even if we're not living together. Just so you know, we are still committed to building Zion with you and will be for as long as it takes.

I am going to tell you a story. Last semester, we lived together. All of our guy friends left on missions. All of our girlfriends got new boyfriends. Many a time Kate said to me,. “When we go to Jerusalem, we'll have friends again!” You are those friends. We came here to meet you, and we don't want to let you go.

That being said, the quality of a friendship is not determined by whether you “keep in touch.” Even if we don't talk every day like we do now, or even every month, or even every year, we are still friends, and because of that we have all been changed. Never hesitate to wave to us on campus, or at Smith's, or in fifty years at General Conference. Also never hesitate to actually come hang out with us. In short, Let's be friends!