The Graduate

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#405: “The Graduate”
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31: Days to Remember ↓
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Mark 11:24

24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

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“The Graduate” is episode #405 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on May 23, 1998.

Summary

Connie is finally graduating from high school but faces a dilemma when the principal doesn't like the prayer she wants to say at the graduation ceremony.

Plot

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Just before graduation, Connie Kendall is called in to see her adviser, Miss Hartl, and is informed that she has been chosen to be class valedictorian for Odyssey High School's 50th graduation ceremony! Her excitement is soon tempered, however, when Principal McFadden tells her that the prayer she offers in her graduation speech must be inoffensive to all students. He offers her a pre-written "acceptable" prayer that has been used before. Connie is shocked at being asked to hide her faith. She is even more confused when Miss Hartl advises her that she and other staff members, who feel this is an issue of religious persecution, will support Connie if she decides to defy the principal and mention Jesus in her prayer.

In the meantime, Connie's news that she is valedictorian is greeted with glee by Katrina Shanks and Whit, who both offered valedictory addresses at their graduations, but Eugene is ashamed to admit that he was not valedictorian of his high school. It wasn't because of his grades, but because he was unwilling to compete with Larry Kent, who not only had good grades, but was a very popular football hero and homecoming king. The other students mocked Eugene because he didn't fit in. Eugene even refuses to help Cody Carper with his math homework because he now feels inferior to Connie.

Katrina locates Larry Kent, who tells Eugene that he and many other students were inspired to academic success by Eugene's brilliance and gives him an honorary valedictory certificate from his alma mater.

Eugene, Katrina, Whit, Tom, Jason, and Jack all arrive to see Connie’s graduation and notice that she looks nervous. When it is Connie's turn to speak, she explains she has chosen not to pray, for the first time in 50 years of graduation ceremonies at Odyssey High School, because she is not allowed to express her faith freely and will not defy the authorities because of that faith. The crowd is awed into silence, but soon shows support for her stand by singing a hymn.

Connie graduating in Clubhouse Magazine.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why wasn't Eugene the valedictorian of his school?
  2. Why didn't Connie want to say the prayer the principal gave her?
    • On the other hand, why was she concerned about saying her own prayer?
  3. What factors led Connie to her decision not to say a prayer?
    • Do you agree with her decision?
      • Why or why not?

Cast

Heard in episode

Role Voice Actor
Cody Carper Landon Arnold
Connie Kendall Katie Leigh
Eugene Meltsner Will Ryan
Miss Hartl Pamela Hayden
John Whittaker Paul Herlinger
Katrina Shanks Pamela Hayden
Larry Kent Jesse Corti
Principal McFadden Jesse Corti

Mentioned in episode

Character Mentioned By
Jason Whittaker Connie Kendall
Jerry Whittaker John Whittaker
Bernard Walton Connie Kendall
Jack Allen Eugene Meltsner
Joanne Allen Eugene Meltsner
Tom Riley Eugene Meltsner


Notes

Trivia
  • Listeners wrote in saying that the episode was wrong and that Connie did have a right to pray, and the staff agreed with them. So instead of re-recording the episode, they added a line to Chris's wrap up saying exactly that.
  • A reference to the events of #380 – #381: “The One About Trust” is made in this episode's opening scene.
  • This is the second episode in which Cody Carper advances the plot (or, in this case, subplot) of the episode by seeking homework help from Eugene—the first being #402: “Arizona Sunrise”, three episodes earlier.
  • Eugene and Katrina's new habit in this episode of kissing each other hello may have been inspired by Connie's teasing them about not doing so in the couple's previous episode, #393: “Wrapped Around Your Finger”.
  • This is the final episode to feature the 2nd AIO theme song (except for #467: “Broken Window” five albums later, though technically the AIO theme song doesn't actually appear in this episode).
Allusions
  • There is a 1967 movie with the same title as this episode.
Goofs
  • Connie being named valedictorian may feel a little inconsistent with her portrayal in previous episodes as an average student. Much of the humor between Connie and Eugene is based on things she does not know or understand. This makes it improbable that she would be the student with the highest rank in her class. It could be, however, that the valedictory tradition at Odyssey High is not to choose the student with the highest rank, but to select the student who would be the best representative (for various reasons) of the whole class to offer the valedictory address.

Quotes

Connie Kendall: Prayer is a very special thing—a one-on-one conversation with the Creator and Lord of the Universe, made possible through His Son. Anything less isn't a prayer.

Cody Carper: Post-haste... boy, she's movin' post-haste! Maybe Mr. Whittaker can help me... post-haste. I like it!

Eugene Meltsner: Please, Katrina, not in front of Miss Kendall!

Katrina Shanks: All right, Meltsner—spill.

Eugene Meltsner: Katrina, please, not in front of the trains!

John Avery Whittaker: Huh. That was odd.
Connie Kendall: What?
John Avery Whittaker: Eugene's behaviour.
Connie Kendall: Well, as Bernard would say, how could you tell?

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