Peace Pole given to Dundee High School
By Penny Groff
Dundee High School had a special dedication ceremony for their newly installed Peace Pole on Wednesday, May 19. The pole, which was a gift from the faculty to the school and students, was placed in front of the school near the flag pole.

“It is the perfect thing the faculty can give as a gift to a new high school,” said Michelle Sanford, high school counselor. “It sets an example for what we should aspire toward— to become more tolerant of culture.”

The Peace Pole was donated by the faculty of Dundee High School. All faculty donated money and then voted on the languages and cultures that would be represented on the pole.

“The cultures that we chose are all representative of the Dundee heritage and partially cover the rest of the globe,” said Mrs. Sanford.

A common phrase, “May peace prevail on Earth,” was used on the pole. This phrase was copied over the pole in English, Potowatamy, French, Spanish, Japanese, Hebrew, Arabic, and sign language. Most of these cultures were involved in the settlement of Dundee. Others were chosen because of the business influence behind it toward the city.

“We hope that our school will be a symbol of peace in the educational community,” said Mrs. Sanford.

Flowers and landscaping were detailed around the Peace Pole. The school’s FFA chapter and the agricultural and business classes of the school took part in helping to organize the surrounding flowers.

In a ceremony dedicating and presenting the pole, many people helped to present the meaning behind this Peace Pole. People involved in the ceremony included representatives from Diamond Electric, various cultural programs from the surrounding area, and foreign language teachers from the school. Poems and speeches were read in many different languages.

After the dedication ceremony, the students took part in their annual spring picnic. The picnic included a filling lunch followed by a day of relaxation and fun outside on the school’s front lawn. Students played sports and lounged, enjoying the good weather and relaxing, thinking about what had been said during the ceremony.