Life Aboard HMCS Rogers

Welcome everyone, I’m sure that all my Rogers boys feels like it was only yesterday when Mr Snow invited us to sign our lives away. And I’m sure it was within the first grueling week of intense Grade 9 academic stress that we realized it is going to be a long four years at sea. Now to you non-Rogers people, the nautical analogy might seem confusing, but to Mr Snow, it was the perfect analogy to describe the journey on which the Rogers lifers embarked four years ago.  And like any other great odysseys, our journey was filled with tales of great achievements and also accomplishments of seemingly inhuman feats. And each story is deserving of its own dedicated dinner but due to legal concerns the details of those stories will unfortunately not be disclosed.  And with the bad jokes out of the way, here are your Rogers Lifers of the 2019 grad class: First up the list is an athletic man with high achievements in both rugby and hockey, Joel Cook. His personality is a mirror reflection of his good looks but it is his incredible ability to withstand head trauma that I am certain will be the fascination of generations of doctors to come.  The next person I will be introducing joined Rogers after his city caught on fire. Axel Ewashko joined Rogers after Fort McMurray suffered its tragic fire and quickly proved himself as an invaluable member of the rowing community, going on to win many medals for Brentwood.  The next two guys I will introduce together as the friendship they forged is truly inspiring. Evan Donegani and Braydon Glazier have been inseparable since the day they met. I can't think of anything else other then Evan and Braydon when I think of the word friendship, and I’m sure their bond will be everlasting.   Now, there are actually a couple of people on this list that I want autographs from because I'm sure they will be famous one day, and Jeremy Hounsome is one of them. Jeremy has already shown incredible promise in the artistic fields as he is proficient in multiple artistic media and instruments but it is his incredible drive and vision for the future that I’m certain will deliver him the success he so deserves. Ever since Clifford MacFarlane stepped foot on campus, his goal was to make the starting line for the senior soccer team. A regret, I’m sure, will motivate him to do great things in the future.     A rugby prodigy, Matthew McDougall Percillier is an unbelievable rugby player on the pitch, and he has successfully battled the pressures of living in his older brother’s shadow. Matt is now on his way to UBC where he will continue his incredible performance on the rugby pitch as well as in the classroom.  We have all experienced some sort of change throughout our years at Brentwood, whether that be physical or mental. However, Graeme McKay has somehow managed to remain the same lovable and huggable guy I met in Grade 9.    For the last two guys, I will also introduce together, as they are the dynamic duo when it comes to number 1 inspections. Brandon Robbins and Benjamin Stephenson are two truly sensational individuals. As roommates they’ve somehow managed to hold the record for the highest percentage in number 1 inspection fails in Rogers history. I’m sure that kind of chemistry will serve them both very well in the future.  I would like to now dedicate the last part of my speech to all the teachers, coaches, duty masters, house parents and staff that have assisted us during this rollercoaster ride. I’m sure that without their care and guidance many of us, including myself, would not be where we are today - both literally and figuratively.  I will leave you with a quote from someone we all know and love, Dr Seuss: “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go”  Thank you and best of luck to you all. Michael Lui, Rogers ‘19