Chivalry isn't dead

Paul A. Valipour came back to visit staff and students today. He is an impressive 2003 graduate of Vanguard School. The year following his graduation he entered the Marine Corps. “If my country needs me I will fight to defend it.” Paul spoke these words very passionately.

Throughout his four years in the Marine Corps Valipour was shuffled around quite frequently, being sent to Japan for three years and deployed to Korea, Indonesia, The Philippines and Iraq along with various other countries. Paul said, “The war would not be necessary, if everyone just got along.” His words are very similar to those of another great American, President John F. Kennedy, “It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.”

During Paul’s tours of service he said he did not take another life. The first time he witnessed a fatal injury he was in disbelief, he said. The man was on the edge of death, bleeding profusely due to the loss of both of his legs. “You see it at the movies and you know when it happens it will be horrible. It doesn’t hit you at first, but when reality sets in it’s like, whoa.”

Paul was honorably discharged this year and is starting a new career as a Substance Abuse Technician at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights next week. Through serving his country he protected all mankind and similarly continues in his new career path of helping those in need.
“The most notable thing about Paul was he wasn’t sure what direction to take so he joined the marines. Most people don’t find themselves, he did,” said Paul’s team leader Robert Koralik.

Whether you are for the war or against it, the men and women who fight for our country are true heroes. It takes an immense amount of strength to go out and fight for what you believe. All this being said, we are sincerely thankful for Paul’s depth of character, courage and safe return home. Natalie DeMeo, Paul’s former teacher and mentor said perfectly in the simplest terms, “Paul is a hero.”

Story by Jaclyn Cimarusti
Photos courtesy of Paul Valipour's myspace page


“Be glad today. Tomorrow may bring tears. Be brave today. The darkest night will pass. And golden rays will usher in the dawn.”-Sarah Knowles Bolton

Vanguard Celebrates International Pirate Day

Barbaric, unsanitary, selfish, always pushing beyond the liits is a sum up of the life of piracy. Pirates emerged in literature, children’s songs, and in the movies, but beyond the border of the surface, there is so much more history behind the men who walked the plank.

Pirates were indeed scoundrels and thieves but in their own surroundings had a code of conduct. It might sound strange but pirates had morals. They chose their own captain, distributed the loot equally between each other, and even had severe punishment if one crewmember stole from another.

Contradictory to some people’s beliefs pirates hardly buried their treasure, most of the time they spent it leaving no trace of evidence. A pirate’s life was far from glamorous. Conditions of the ship were unclean, diseases and sickness plagued the crew, the sleeping quarters were rat and bug infested, and food and water were scarce.

There are many famous male pirates but there were also female pirates. A woman as a pirate was a rare occurrence and very few existed. Despite the number of them they made an impact. Women were considered an inconvenience on a pirate ship. They were looked at in a sexual manner so many of them posed as men to seek their fortune without any hassle. Two famous female pirates were Mary Read and Anne Bonne. Working their way to the top they are truly legendary. Both avoided execution by claiming pregnancy, while all the men on the ship were executed (go figure.)

The life of piracy is not for the weak hearted because the strength it takes to overcome the obstacles is astronomical.

Jaclyn Cimarusti