Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Winter 2008 | Page 6

www.thorntonacademy.org

Maine Supreme Court Holds Proceedings at TA
State Rep. Valentino
requested Civics in
the Schools visit
Thornton Academy students
had an up-close look at the
workings of the Maine Supreme
Court in October, when three
appeals cases were heard on
campus.
State Representative Linda
Valentino ’74 worked with
Chief Justice Leigh Saufley to
arrange the visit, the first of its
kind here. The Maine Supreme
Court has held proceedings in
a variety of communities the
past three years as part of its
Civics in the Schools program.
Valentino said she was honored
that the Maine Supreme Judicial
Court selected Thornton as one
of four high schools in Maine to
visit this school year.
“Having the Supreme Court
at Thornton Academy is not
only a prestigious event for the
school and the community, but
an invaluable learning experience for students,” she added.
Headmaster Carl J. Stasio Jr.
echoed these sentiments.
“For our students to see the
working session of the court is
both an honor and a rare opportunity, a valuable real-life lesson
that we appreciate being able to
offer,” Stasio said.
High school students who

Court at work.
“It reaffirmed that this
is what I want to do, that it’s
what I want to go to college
for,” she said.
Others were impressed by
the justices themselves, who
took the time to press lawyers
on both sides of each case in
order to clarify their legal positions.
Political science teacher
Andy Carlson said that the
event gave students an indepth look at the judicial
branch of government and that
such a unique educational opportunity “takes the mystery”
out of how courts operate. The
visit tied in well with classroom goals to study the inner
workings and responsibilities
of state, local and federal government bodies.
“It was a great event. We’re
very lucky to have someone
like Representative Valentino
Photo by Jennifer Hass
who has a connection with our
The Maine Supreme Court on Oct. 23 held appeals arguments at the Harry
kids and who wants to give
P. Garland II Auditorium.
them opportunities they probably wouldn’t have otherwise,”
Carlson said.
The three cases that were
watched the proceedings at the
Benham ‘08. “But I found it really
heard at TA are Liberty InsurHarry P. Garland II Auditorium
interesting. It captivated me to see
ance Underwriters Inc. v. Estate
said it was indeed an educational
how much work went into the arof Faulkner et al, Marie Glenda
and attention-grabbing experiguments and how each case came
Wilson v. Bath Iron Works Corpoence.
alive as they talked.”
ration, and E. Perry Iron & Metal
“Just reading about the cases
Brittany Sawyer, also a senior,
Co. Inc. v. City of Portland.
initially, I didn’t necessarily think
is interested in pursuing a legal
I’d get that into it,” said Colin
career and also enjoyed seeing the

Travis Roy Visit Highlights the Importance
of Perseverance in School and in Life
Middle School students
interact with spinal
cord injury survivor
Travis Roy spoke with Thornton Academy Middle School
students about the importance of
perseverance and having a positive attitude on Oct. 3.
Roy—who grew up in Yar-



mouth, Maine—is a former Boston
University hockey player who was
paralyzed in 1995, just seconds
into his first collegiate game.
After recovering from the
accident that left him a quadriplegic, Roy returned to BU and
graduated in 2000 with a degree
in public relations. Today he is a
popular motivational speaker who
is active with the Travis Roy Foundation, which was
established in 1997 to
help spinal cord injury
survivors and to fund
research for a cure.
“I’ve found that
having a positive attitude and the energy
that comes from it will
take you farther in life
than anything else,”
Roy told the crowd of
students, faculty and
staff in the Harry P.
Garland II Auditorium.
Roy added that
while it has been a
challenge to adjust to
life after his accident,
the experience has
taught him how to be
hopeful when facing
Travis Roy
adverse situations and

Photo by Jennifer Hass

Motivational speaker Travis Roy visited Thornton Academy in October
to speak with Middle School students.

how to conquer life’s hurdles. He
encouraged the Middle School
students to make goals for themselves and to hold fast to the
values that mean the most in life,
such as love, pride and respect.
The visit tied in with an
emphasis on perseverance and
resiliency at the Middle School for
2007-08. Students in grades 6-8
and their teachers read “Eleven
Seconds,” the book that Roy
penned with Sports Illustrated’s
E.M. Swift. Students and teachers
also discussed ways that they set

POSTSCRIPTS * WINTER 2008

goals and reach them – despite
challenges along the way.
Students enjoyed the interaction with Roy and were touched
by his visit.
“I thought he’d be upset to
tell his story, but he seems happy
to inspire kids,” said sixth-grade
student Leah Rush.
To learn more about Travis
Roy and his foundation, go to
http://www.travisroy.com and
http://www.travisroyfoundation.
org.