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

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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.

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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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FOUNDERS RAYMOND KABBAZ ESTHER KABBAZ 12