“How are you?” That was one of the many questions posed by keynote speaker Ted Wiese at the Senior Symposium on Friday, Sept. 29 during school. Over 250 students sat attentive, hanging onto Wiese’s every word.
The symposium, an annual event at Orono since 2001, was created in honor of the late 1999 Orono graduate Timothy Cashin. Unfortunately, shortly after graduating, Tim passed away in a boating accident. However, his legacy never changed. Tim was remembered around school as an amazing leader who would take any opportunity to learn about how to become a better one.
“One of Tim’s favorite things to do was to get out school to go to the senate leadership conferences,” former senate adviser Doug Erickson stated before the speech. “When he passed, his family was heavily supported by the community, I think, because of who Tim was here…[all they want to do] is honor Tim and give back to the community by giving you guys the opportunity to experience what Tim loved the most.”
Energetic and connectable, Wiese took the stage captivating the senior class. From sharing stories about being a cowboy to guessing the top number one hit songs from each grade level for the seniors, the students sang along and laughed in amusement.
The main takeaways from Wiese’s speech were how to maintain a good attitude and use that attitude to lead effectively. He campaigned his idea — backed by science of the benefits of responding to the question of “How are you?” — by saying, “I feel great!” Wiese pointed out that everybody talks to themselves, and until you get control of what you are saying to yourself, nothing will change.
He used his daughter, a diver, as an example of this principle. “My daughter would never want to walk up to the high platform saying, ‘I’m not that good at this…well, here we go!’”
The other main story he shared with the senior class was about meeting a motel manager that was wearing a button that read, “I am #2”. When he asked her who was #1, she replied in a sly tone, “Well, you are.” Students who wanted one received a button with the same slogan at the end of the speech, on the condition by Wiese that students would respond in the same manner as the motel manager when others asked who was #1.
Overall, students learned about Tim Cashin and the impact he left on the school. “I may not have known Tim,” Wiese said, “but I know that he knew how to lead, and I know that he loved to do it.”
Wiese ended on a note encouraging seniors to take advantage of their year, to finish strong and not leave any opportunities behind in the dust.