Tight-knit class of 18 seniors graduates from PUC Prep

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Monday, June 09, 2008

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By CARLOS VILLATORO
Register Staff Writer

Four years of attending classes, doing homework and studying for tests came to a jubilant end Sunday morning for the 18 graduates of Pacific Union College Preparatory School. Dozens of friends, family members and school staff gathered at PUC’s Dauphinee Chapel to watch the young men and women of the closely knit class of 2008 graduate.

But before the students could move forward, they took a moment to reflect on their years of sharing and learning at the school. Paul Emerson Hein, 19, who is affectionately known as PJ to his classmates, said his years at PUC Prep were highlighted with a few juicy pranks.

Hein said during his freshmen year he and his pals planned to film him on fire and post it on Youtube, the widely popular web site that lets its members post videos of anything from their dogs skateboarding to their favorite music groups. The stunt called for Hein to be doused with a small amount of gasoline and lit on fire for a few seconds while he ran down a street, he said.

“We were going to do it for a prank,” he said.

But the boys soon realized that they couldn’t control the flames and stopped in time for Hein to walk away without being seriously injured.

“I just got a little singed,” he said.

Hein said he plans to study at UC Davis and eventually become a brewmaster.

For Christopher Daniel Madrid a trip to Oahu, Hawaii, helped define his years at PUC prep he said.

“Hanging out on the beach was something worthwhile,” he said.

Madrid, who plans to continue studying at PUC toward a business degree, said he will miss the tight-knit sense of camaraderie that the Class of 2008 shared with each other.

“We got to know each other a lot more,” he said.

Madrid’s father, Daniel Madrid, who is a business professor at PUC, challenged the graduates to move past mediocrity.

“We learn that being normal is settling for less,” he told the graduates. “Just because people around you are unmotivated or negative, doesn’t mean you have to be. Fight the reprogramming of mediocrity, go on to college, go on to school go to a community college.”

“The future is ours, now let’s blow this joint and party on,” his son added.

3 comment(s)

vocal-de-local wrote on Jun 9, 2008 2:52 PM:

" "We learn that being normal is settling for less"?

What's wrong with "average" or "normal"? I value a clerk as much as an engineer. Not everyone should attend college. Some people should pursue occupational careers, for example. Not every person who is "average" or "normal" is unmotivated or negative. Of course, such labeling might become a self fulfilling prophecy in an educational system that doesn't value young people unless they are heading in the direction of "more". Keep in mind that "more" can mean different things to different people. Same with what we consider "normal" or average".

We have set young people up to be so competitive with one another, is it any wonder that their pranks have evolved into trying to light a person on fire? Next they'll be putting it on video and submitting the film for "show off" at their graduation ceremony. I'll take "average" any day over what our young people are now doing to prove they have value. "

DarkLoki wrote on Jun 10, 2008 9:17 AM:

" How is it being competitive? They were just bored kids and wondered what they could get away with. Don't judge people and/or their actions unless you know more about it. Next time keep it to yourself. "

vocal-de-local wrote on Jun 10, 2008 1:47 PM:

" DarkLoki, no, I won't keep it to myself. I think people like you who just want to hush people like me up when something is uncomfortable, further exacerbates the problem.

Have you ever heard of popular shows such as "Wild Boyz" and "Jack Azz"? Some kids are seriously injured mocking these acts. They often put it on film.

Please tell me, if these were just acts by bored kids to "see what they could get away with", why would they be filming them? Filming records the act for playback. And exactly WHO do you think they are playing them back to? They are downloading them onto MySpace and YouTube for OTHERS to see. This is "show off" to the extreme.

And why have we turned into such a culture of "show offs"? Because our youth lack value in themselves. Because we continuously tell them that being "average" is not good enough. Because we aren't sending youth the message that they are valued for being just who they are. If "average" is not perceived as "good enough" and if many of our youth do not have the inherent capability to move beyond average, yes, they will do outrageous stunts to prove their worth.

If everyone moved beyond "average", than "average" would just move to another place anyway. How long would we remain content in that place?

When we tell our youth that average is bad, or that mediocre people are unmotivated or negative, we push them to prove their worth in inappropriate ways. Someone has to be "average" or even "mediocre". I think it's more appropriate to tell young people to do the best that they can within their own inborn capabilities and learn to be content with it. "

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