"The Speech that elicited Cheers and Boos"

Published in the Northwest Arkansas Times
Sunday May 21, 2006

Speaker to FHS grads: Break bonds of conventional thinking
By Kate Ward

Nearly 6,000 friends and family members poured into Bud Walton Arena on the campus of the University of Arkansas Saturday for a graduation ceremony that featured mixed emotions.

Robert Neralich, a humanities teacher at Fayetteville High School, served as the keynote speaker during the school’s 96th annual commencement ceremony. During his speech, Neralich encouraged the graduating class of 2006 to examine the world around them and not to accept things as they are. "We all tend to swim, at least somewhat unconsciously, in an ocean of conventional thinkings, doings and believings that we rarely question, making the assumption that these customary ways of thinking, doing and believing that we have inherited from our predecessors, are the only possible ones, or at least that they are the best ones," he said. "It is, of course, a major call to the ongoing process of self education to disabuse ourselves of these foolish notions and to discover that the water in which we swim, always in some measure, distorts and limits our perception of what constitutes both reality and truth."

Neralich, who has been teaching at Fayetteville High for about 15 years and has about 30 years of overall teaching experience, challenged the students to think of controversial issues in an unconventional way. "Many of you are aware that a professor at the UA was recently dismissed from his teaching post," he said. "I was appalled by his statement that one reason for his firing was that his administrative superiors did not approve of his unorthodox teaching methods and preferred faculty members who were not controversial.

"As a teacher, I am profoundly distressed that the term ‘controversial’ can be rendered so readily in a negative sense. When I think about controversial people, the names that occur to me constitute many of the world’s greatest benefactors. "

As Neralich challenged students to question controversial issues such as immigration, oil prices and economy, audience members showed mixed emotions. While most offered supportive applause, others shouted for Neralich to get off the stage. But despite the audience’s response, most of the high school seniors appeared supportive of Neralich’s views.

"Do not be discouraged on your sojourn through life by the chorus of conventional twits who tell you that the water in which you swim is just fine just the way it is, "he told the students." Do not attempt to respond to the critical council of obedient servants, good soldiers, corporate quantifiers and dress-for-success bureaucrats who will urge you to extinguish the candle of your creative potential. "

Neralich closed by praising the accomplishments of the Fayetteville High School graduating class and urging them, above all, to become controversial members of society.

i never had Dr. Neralich during my years at FHS
he taught Asian Studies
and I was more of an A.P. Lit kinda guy
11 years he's been VOTED by students to be keynote speaker
of the high school graduating class
11 years he's stood before them and spoken his mind
but now
perhaps because of the very bureaucracy to which he espouses against
it looks as though perhaps he might be choosing to leave the school
for good
his speech was in many ways inappropriate
more or less just opportunistic preaching of his political beliefs through the thin veil of "asking students to ponder difficult questions"
but in many more ways it was inexpressibly Appropriate
forcing his young not to leave the stale commencement ceremony with a vague sense of entitlement
but rather with a strong sense of moral direction and a keen desire to think
bravery like his comes along too rarely
bravery in the face of hisses and boos
bravery in the face of conflict, be it ever so uncomfortable
grown men booed at his insistence for literacy
actually booed at the concept of reading a book
booed, booed, booed
i really can't wrap my mind around it
and thusly
i cannot say it enough
Dr. Neralich
that odd, elfish figure
who's class i'd never considered taking
and who gave the speech that shook the rafters off Bud Walton Arena
deserves mine and your utter appreciation today
BRAVO
bravery inspires the masses
and the masses have certainly been changed