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Thank you President Hall. Wasn't it that noted American
educator, philosopher, and child psychologist - Mr. Rogers - who
used to say "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a
beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine?" Yes, it is a
glorious day in so many ways, especially as the graduates think
about the sum total of their experiences during their tenure at
the University at Albany. Remember that first campus visit,
your first college class, your first grade on a college exam,
your first oral presentation, and your first all-nighter? Maybe
the university could have provided a little bit more information
to you and your parents when you first started this journey.
In the spirit of David Letterman, I would like to offer a
summary of the 10 things you wish you and your family knew
before coming to the University at Albany several years ago:
| 10. |
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That you can't wear flip-flops in
the snow.
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| 9. |
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That you have to pay two million
dollars for books.
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| 8. |
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That two-thirds of your diet would
be fast food and the other third would be caffeine.
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| 7. |
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That everyone is from New York
State or from Long Island.
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| 6. |
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That UAlbany and George Mason
University would infect their fans with the disease "March
Madness."
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| 5. |
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That you would be represented in
the Student Senate by a Chairman named "CHOOCH."
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| 4. |
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That you would have as much chance
of winning the tsunami lottery in the Arabian desert as you do
the housing lottery at UAlbany.
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| 3. |
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That shooting quail while hunting
is not as exciting as hunting shots on Quail Street.
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| 2. |
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That the university, and the
President's office in particular, have been sued repeatedly for
identity theft by a little green frog.
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| 1. |
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That your first out-of-body
experience would occur on something called Fountain Day when the
unconscious you ran, sober and half-clothed, into freezing water
on a freezing day. |
Today you are receiving well-deserved accolades for the
investments that you have made - economic, emotional,
intellectual and spiritual investments. Several years ago you
were sent on an audition, and your presence here today suggests
that you did win a role - in your first big play. But now your
second audition in the real world will be more complicated:
- your lines will be more intricate, you can't memorize them
anymore.
- the props and scenery will change (the World Trade Center)
is gone, there is more sand on the stage.
- the other actors will seem more competitive, they may
speak multiple languages, and they won't always be supportive of
you.
- and both the quality and impact of your success on this new
stage will have a ripple effect on other actors, on other
stages, in this country and in the world theatre.
It is almost unfair to say to you, on your day of
celebration, that there is an urgent need for today's graduates
to consider how, as a change agent, you can have an impact on
the world. The penalty for ignoring this responsibility for all
of us is significantly greater than the stress or pain of
sacrifice that accompanies a commitment to change. An optimist
views today's world events as a temporary setback; a pessimist
says that Armageddon is near; and the fatalist doesn't act
because in their mind events are predetermined.
The reality is that accelerated technology renders the world
smaller and smaller each year and the geographic borders that
have supported and protected our national identity have become
porous and our egocentrism fragile. While on the surface this
may cause uneasiness in reality it is a blessing for we now have
no choice but to engage the beliefs, values, behaviors, personal
space, psychic space, traditions and cultures of others. In
other words, our reality show is HUMANITY and you must
contemplate and then commit to the role that you will play.
Ten years from now two people could be talking about you and
one might say: "He/she discovered the gene that was responsible
for resistance to the bird flu and as a result he/she has become
incredibly wealthy and is a national icon."
Or, ten years from now two people could be talking about you
and one might say: "He/she discovered the gene that was
responsible for resistance to the bird flu but otherwise he/she
isn't very noticeable because their humility doesn't allow them
to think beyond their contributions to humanity."
In terms of reality shows this latter description represents
the real "American Idol" - a selfless servant who always checks
his or her ego at the door, who separates the frivolous from the
serious, and who answers the call "Why not
you, why not now."
If at any time we as a university failed in our mission which
was to offer you the opportunity to see the "connection" between
your academic training and the real world, then I apologize on
behalf of my colleagues. However, knowing the commitment of our
faculty it is apparent that you have been given multiple
opportunities to see that intersection and to question your own
life, your values and your political views.
Many of you have read the book "The DaVinci Code," that
pop-cultural juggernaut that has sold over 60 million copies and
that was released as a movie last Friday. At the most
fundamental level both the book and the movie represent
competing accounts of Christianity. The reader and the viewer
are urged to weigh religious, social, and political
considerations in a reflective way. Yes, you do have the right
to ignore both the book and the movie but don't do so just
because of what others say - couch your support or criticisms
within well-reasoned arguments that are based upon an
exploration of information.
Graduates, you have been asked, no, challenged by UAlbany
faculty, to make intellectual leaps across disciplines as if you
were bounding from one large trampoline to another connecting
them with a miraculous glowing lasso like that used by the comic
book she/ro - Wonder Woman.
It is your ability to find meaning across the liberal arts,
social and behavioral sciences, the basic and applied sciences,
and the fine arts that give real value to your degree. Your
years at UAlbany have prepared you to find solutions to complex
problems and to recognize that the problems of humanity have no
simple solutions. You may not be able to change the entire world
but you can change a corner of it - select that corner that
arouses your passions. Why not you, why not
now.
I would like to make a special request of the parents,
guardians, and loved ones who represent the graduates that we
honor today. You have given so much to create this developing
work of art and your work is far from done. They still need and
can benefit from your continued support, your constructive
feedback, your spiritual strength, and every now and then, a
small financial loan. But now, I would like you to let them go
in a different way than you did several years ago.
This time send them into the world to make a difference, to
give a voice to the voiceless, to be an appendage for the
spiritually amputated, to be the lighthouse on the shore for the
youth who have lost their way, to take courageous stands in the
face of adversity, to never allow another end-run at ENRON. Send
them into the world to be peacemakers, to use their fortune and
privilege to represent the needs of those who suffer injustices.
Escort them to the door, give them a hug and then a nudge and
say "Why not you, why not now."
Periodically, we all need a similar nudge or a wake-up call
to reinforce our commitment - to remind us of the difference we
can truly make. Although I am weary from a long and trying
school year my transfusion came on Thursday when I met one of
your fellow graduates.
Kelly Delos is graduating today with honors and is the first
person in her family to graduate with any type of degree. She
majored in Accounting and minored in Business. This semester she
interned with the New York State Senate in the Office of Senator
Stavisky.
Kelly dropped out of school at 16 and got married. She lived
in the projects in Amsterdam, NY. At 17 she had her first child,
by age 21 she had 3 children. After earning an AAS degree from
Fulton Montgomery Community College she worked and had 3 more
children. She continued to follow her dream and earned a
two-year degree to become a paralegal.
Despite the demands of raising 6 children and the personal,
emotional, and physical roadblocks that have confronted her, she
has persevered to ascend another rung on the ladder of
excellence.
Kelly, I salute you and I thank you for the lesson in dignity
and strength and for saying to me - "Why not you, Why not now."
Thank you.
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