Dedication Day 2022

September 20, 2022

Dedication Day 2022 was September 19. Dedication is a Perpich tradition where new students and faculty/staff are welcomed into the Perpich community. The ceremony featured speeches from seniors in all six art areas: Lee Christianson, Dance; Alana Brandt, Literary Arts; Blake Herrick, Media Arts; Azalea Fustgaard, Music; Aiden Ritchey, Theater; Nina Holding Eagle-Bushaw, Visual Arts. The faculty speaker, Tory Peterson (Theater Instructor), spoke about our interconnectedness and how the rules of improvisation create a way of guiding us in the unknown and helping us with the craft of discovering the new. Our alumni speaker, Joetta Wright (Theater 2005), shared wisdom from her journey as a working actor. Our alumni performer, Maya Elena (Music 2012), played several songs and spoke about how “art is its process, not its product.” Bob Frey (Social Studies Instructor) served as emcee. New students and new faculty/staff members received their Arts High School pendants. Following the ceremony, the community celebrated with a reception.

Tory Peterson’s speech showcased the The 7 Rules of Improv as defined by Viola Spolin in her groundbreaking book, “Improvisation for the Theater”. Rule #1: SAY YES; Rule #2: YES AND; Rule #3: PLAY; Rule #4: LET YOURSELF FAIL; Rule #5: LISTEN; Rule #6: PLAY THE GAME; and Rule #7: RELAX AND HAVE FUN. “To take agency is to create the sense of control that you feel in your life, your capacity to influence your own thoughts and behavior, and have faith in your ability to handle a wide range of tasks and situations,” said Peterson. “Your sense of agency helps you to be stable, yet flexible in the face of conflict or change. Agency is your Response-ability. If you follow all these or just a few of these rules, your time at Perpich will be richer. Everything you learn, every game you play here at Perpich becomes a part of your artistic palette. Simply put…Perpich Is Your Palette. Use It.”

During his emcee speech, Bob Frey said, “I believe Perpich Dedication is a very cool and very unique event, one that has occurred here every fall for many years. So, what is Dedication? In short, Dedication is a ritual, Dedication is an opportunity, and Dedication is a promise. Dedication is when we, as the Perpich community, come together to publicly state our commitment – both individually and collectively – to our art, to our time, to our community, and to all that is Perpich.”