Speeches, Traditions, and Facts
Did you know that Commencement has never been cancelled due to rain? Did you know that each students cap and gown is made from 23 recycled drinking water bottles?
窪做惇蹋厙 faculty members, the Board of Trustees, and other functionaries of the College wear academic hoods of different colors to indicate their areas of study. Read more about these hoods and the history of the graduation gown.
Today I tell you that whether you fear it or not, disappointment will come. The beauty is that through disappointment you can gain clarity, and with clarity comes conviction and true originality.
So Im giving you permission to root for yourself. And while youre at it, root for those around you, too. It took me a long time to realize that success isnt a zero-sum game.
Our world hangs like a magnificent jewel in the vastness of space. Every one of us is a part of that jewel. A facet of that jewel. And in the perspective of infinity, our differences are infinitesimal.
Dreams are lovely... But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. Its hard work that makes things happen. Its hard work that creates change.
Dont join the book burners... Dont be afraid to go in your library and read every book, as long as any document does not offend our own ideas of decency. That should be the only censorship.
... if you want it to happen, friendships formed here can last for the rest of your lives.
It takes measuring tape, ladders, hammers, stakes, forklifts, trucks, people power and lots of chairs to set up for Commencement on the Green.
