Le Lycee Francais de Los Angeles - Actualites Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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MESSAGE DU We are in the habit of praising our graduates as the leaders of tomorrow , but seldom stop to think about either what it means, or whether or not they want to be leaders . One natural problem is that the concept of leadership has undergone decided change. In a world increasingly beset with truly complicated problems, no one seems to be that anxious to assume the responsibility that goes with leadership. It is also a truism that in any one society — or even a sub-set of society- there can only be one leader, else there is chaos. The question then, as it relates to academic training, is how this experience can be best translated into pragmatic, day to day life. Are our graduates being pre- pared to be followers? The answers lie within you, each graduate of Le Lycee. And it will still be some time before you unravel this mysterious process which we call real life , but at some point you will know. But there is also the tendency here to look at things in just black and white, without the shadings and gradations that are really part of life. The choice is not between being a leader and being a follower; those are simply the end points on a continuum that spans and embraces everything in between. An important concept, however, is to always be a participan t. A participant is one who is actively part of life, and in the process, utilizing all of his or her talents, intellect, training and skills to make the best of it. This is a good description of the training you have received here at Le Lycee — training which shall be the foundation of your future accomplish- ments and successes. But you, individually, will be responsible for how you use these tools and this education. You have the opportunity — limit- less — to make a mark. You have the chance to do great things, even in a world marked by turmoil and uncertainty. You should never lose sight of the fact that the Chinese word for crisis is comprised of two separate symbols: one means danger and the other opportunity. So even in times of crisis, the educated person has the opportunity to do great things, even while skirting the dangers which abound. There is no limit to what you can do; there are no outside forces that can hold you prisoner. The intelligent, educated person does not become a victim of circumstance, nor a prisoner of events. We have great hopes for the Class of 1982, and we wish them all great success and prosperity by their own terms. We are proud of them, as we are equally proud of their parents who have continued to support the basic precepts of Le Lycee Frangais. You are all worthy participants in this grand experiment that we call life! RAYMOND KABBAZ

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Scenes From the Riviera Campus Key speaker for this year ' s morning awards program is Judge Elvira S. Austin, judge of the Municipal Court in Long Beach. Ma- dame Kabbaz was a guest at the enrobing ceremony of )udge Austin earlier this year. Judge Elvira S. Austin Judge Elvira S. Austin has led an exciting life, seemingly one step ahead of disaster. She was born in Kiev, Russia at a time when Stalin ruled the Soviet, and Nikita Krus- chev was the local governor. Her family fled the Soviet Union with retreating German troops in 1943, moving to Poland, and finally set- tling in Austria. They survived the final horrible days of World War II in Vienna, and in 1947, moved to Venezuela, which was in need of skilled professionals. (Judge Aus- tin ' s mother was a physician and her father was an engineer.) She moved to the United States in 1963, after receiving a bachelors degree from the Andres Bello Loy- ola University in Caracas, and law studies at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. In the United States, she graduat- ed from the Whittier School of Law in 1968 and was assigned to the public defender ' s office in Los An- geles. She was appointed a munici- pal court judge in 1980 by Gover- nor Brown, and currently presides in Long Beach. Among the many facilities at the new Lycee Riviera Campus will be a large Cafetorium which is a combination auditorium-cafeteria-gymnasium adjacent to classroom and adminis- trative buildings. Mi t Y i 3 i S R A typical classroom at the new Riviera Campus is this science room, complete with built-in equipment. The large, airy classrooms will welcome new Lycee students from throughout the South Bay area beginning this coming September. The new Lycee Riviera Campus has more than seven acres of land, and overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Apart from several classroom buildings, the recreational areas include a large paved area with basketball facilities (to the right of the fence) as well as several acres of grass with both baseball and soccer facilities in place.

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w IU.3 Escher Kabbaz j Lycee Fouuder and Director, with the Honorable Shimon Peres, Chairman of the Labor Party (Parliament of Israel) at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.