Hasmig's reading of Kyle's "I Believe" poem

My name is Hasmig Minassian and I’m one of many, in Kyle’s Berkeley High CAS family of teachers and friends. Our community has spent the last four days honoring a young man who raised a passionate voice to every cause he believed in, who constantly stretched a loving hand onto the tense shoulders of a good friend, and who valiantly faced the world’s troubles with his intellect, his profound sense of duty, and a pulsing heart too big for his body. 

At the beginning of the school year, I assigned the students in my US History class the Bull Durham credo called the “I Believe” poem.   It is intended to be a reflection of the values and experiences which shape each of them as they approach our country’s rich and complicated narrative.  As a tribute to Kyle, I’d like to read his aloud today.  Clearly our dear boy knew himself well.

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Bull Durham Credo

American History

Ms. Minassian

9/11/2009

I Believe

By Kyle Harty Strang

I believe in summer night baseball games

I believe in playing basketball til they shut the lights off, and then still playing

I believe in staying up late until you pass out

I believe in practice makes perfect

I believe in double servings of food

I believe in eating candy til you feel sick

But I don’t believe in the Giants because I love the battle of the bays rivalry

I believe in facing your fears like Luke Skywalker

I believe in back massage chains

I believe in fasting on Yom Kippur

I believe in getting your jeans soaked from falling in tide pools

I believe in tattoo art because it will never go away

I believe in fighting for what you believe in

I believe in never backing down

I believe in jumping off the biggest rock just to prove a point

And I believe in ‘one person can make a difference’ because if everybody believed they couldn’t, nothing would ever change