Prefect Last Word: Jed Crawford

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Yesterday afternoon, when I sat down to write this Last Word, I was completely stumped. I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about - the incredible excellence shown by our speakers at Ngā Manu Kōrero last week, but for some reason, I couldn’t string a single sentence together. For almost an hour, I just sat there, staring blankly at an empty computer screen.

I started thinking about all the speeches I saw last week at the Nga Manu Korero. I thought about how speakers much younger than me spoke fluently in a different language in front of some of the most experienced judges in the world. And yet, there I was, struggling to spit out a couple of hundred words.

The three boys who represented our school last week, Oli, Kura, and Noah stepped completely outside of their comfort zones. They took a massive risk, the kind of risk that many of us in this room wouldn't even dream of attempting. The amount of preparation and bravery they displayed truly represents our school's value of Excellence.

But Excellence wasn't the only value on display during that trip. We also saw an incredible demonstration of Manaakitanga.

Our Kapa Haka ropu travelled down alongside our speakers to Invercargill to support them. We celebrated their successes alongside them, I hope these boys truly felt the support behind them. These same principles of Manaakitanga should apply whether we are playing in a sports team, working through a tough problem in a maths class, or cheering on a mate who is stepping up to speak in front of hundreds of people.

That brings me to my biggest takeaway from the entire event. While the speeches themselves were outstanding, what stood out to me most was the way each school stood behind its speakers, sharing every success and triumph along the way. This was a huge reminder of the brotherhood that we strive for everyday.

It’s always easiest to cheer loudly for a sports team we watch on TV, or turn up in numbers for a massive Saturday home game. My challenge to us all is to bring that same sideline energy to the everyday triumphs of the boys sitting next to us. At the end of the day, every achievement adds to the culture, reputation and spirit of our school. When one of us wins, the whole school wins.

As is tradition, I will end my Last Word with a quote. This one comes from Israel Adesanya after he was awarded New Zealand Sportsman of the Year.

When he stood on that stage, he didn't see his award as a solo victory, but instead one shared by his coaches, his teammates, and his community. In his words "If they win, we win. If I win, you win."