Darryl Engler, a Susquehannock teacher and graduate, will be speaking on June 7 to the Class of 2013 as a Distinguished Alumni.

  He was chosen for his long time contributions to the district as a math teacher and computer science teacher in the elementary, middle and high schools, and his work with the administration. Here are his thoughts on music, the current generation of high school students, and the person who spoke at his own graduation:

Courier: Who spoke at graduations [when you were in high school]?

Engler: No one. We just… we just sort of had graduations. Now I did, in 1965 at my own graduation, play a French horn solo on the stage.

Courier: Yeah, I was wondering about that. You play a couple of instruments. Where does that come from?

Engler: Music is the other half of my brain. I use the left half of my brain for my math background, I use the right half… for my music background. So I… [did] play French horn solo on the stage at my commencement. I played one of Mozart’s french horn concertos.

Courier: And weren’t you a musical director…?

Engler: I am, presently, the musical director of the Glen Rock Carolers… I [also] direct pit orchestras for various musicals – Central High School, sometimes York Little Theater… I play the organ at the church in Glen Rock, and various little things.

Courier: What’s changed since you were last here?

Engler: Well, the building. One of the things I might mention [in the graduation speech] is how the building has grown since… 1965. Size wise, population wise, staff is bigger, students are bigger, building’s bigger.

Courier: What one word summarizes the content of your speech?

Engler: Can I have two words?

Courier: Yeah.

Engler: Nothing’s fair.

Courier: And how does that [phrase] relate to your life?

Engler: It was sort of a quick way to deflect the discussion. …You come complain to me as a student to a teacher, and you say, “Something’s wrong, I wish it were this way or that way,” and I say “Nothing’s fair.” We now have one of two options: you can either accept it [as unfair] and do it anyway, or you can take your individual initiative and try to change it. [It’s better than starting] a 15-minute argument over whether the situation is fair or not, which… would do nothing.

Courier: What do you think of our current generation, the generation that you’re [directing] a speech [towards], the one that’s coming of age right now?

Engler: I know very few of the students that are here right now, [but] I’ve been working throughout the years with high school students… and I find that students today are very highly motivated… they’re moving forward, they’re polite, and I’m looking for great things in the class of ‘13.

Courier: How do you want to impact the Class of 2013?

Engler: Well, I hope if they [are asked]… 45 years from now, they’ll remember who spoke at their graduation. If they don’t know my name, it doesn’t matter, but [I want to] have some of my remarks rub off on them, either later that night, the next day,… the next week, or 50 years later… I hope to say something significant, but I’m [going] keep it short.