Congratulations to the Class of 2005!
By Robert A. Scott, President, Adelphi University
Introduction
This is a day of celebration and reflection, a听day of memory and hopefulness. It is a day听to ask big questions: Who am I? Who will听I become?
I faced those questions, and still do. All听those around us, including your parents听and teachers, face them as well. We are听never truly, fully 鈥済rown up,鈥� but constantly听growing鈥攊n knowledge, skill, and, we听hope, empathy.听Today, I will reflect briefly on these ideas听and what they might mean to you. I will
do so by talking about three words that听begin with 鈥淧鈥�: Privilege, Passion, and听Potential鈥斺�淧-cubed,鈥� if you will.
Privilege
Gathered with the mayor and others at听the reviewing stand on Memorial Day, I听was impressed by the number of bands,听the quantity of instruments, the variety听of uniforms, and the skill of the students.
My mind wandered to scenes at the fields听of St. Paul鈥檚 and the Community Pool. I听was reminded again and again of what a听special place Garden City is, and wondered听how many of us reflect on what a privilege听it is to live in such a community, and听the responsibilities that accompany such听privilege.
I was also reminded of John D. Rockefeller,听Jr., who once said,
I believe that every right implies a听responsibility; every opportunity,听an obligation; every possession (or听privilege), a duty. 1
In our Village, a former president of听Adelphi, reflecting on education as an听advantage, a privilege, said,
There will be鈥擨 trust鈥攁n鈥攅ver听deepening realization among us all听that the fundamental purpose of an听education is to enable one more听intelligently and more potently to听help鈥攏ot to hinder, to build鈥攏ot听to destroy, to serve鈥攏ot to demand听service.2
Yes, we are privileged to live in Garden听City and attend these schools, but this听privilege yields many different returns听based on our talents, our interests, and our听motivations. For some it is academics鈥�
literature, science, or history; for others it听is the arts鈥攄rama, painting, verse; for still听others it might be sports鈥攐n teams or听solo; for yet others it may be in service to听those in need.
Privilege then is a starting point; it is a听way of talking about advantages and how听talents are nurtured, interests are aroused,听motivation is stoked. The test is whether听we use education to distinguish between听fact, fiction, and faith, and how we use our听advantages and talents for the benefit of听society as a whole.
Passion
Which leads seamlessly to the second听element in our formula: 鈥淧assion.鈥� By听passion, I mean eagerness, 鈥渇ire in the听belly,鈥� a desire to learn and a zest to achieve听a goal, a willingness to dream.
Bon Jovi, the rock star, once said in听reflecting on his success,
It鈥檚 passion, not pedigree, that can and听will win in the end. Free yourself from听comparison. Just because someone has听fancy sneakers doesn’t mean they can听run faster.3
Indeed, fancy sneakers are not sufficient听to win a race. Privilege may get us to听the starting block, but passion and talent听are required to reach the goal. Passion听is about commitment, caring about the
results鈥攂ut not just any results. Who we听are can be defined by the results to which听we aspire and the passions we exhibit. Most听of us experience two forms of activity听in our lives, some transactional and some听transformational, each of which produces听results.
During your high school years, you might听have worked at a cash register for extra听money鈥攃learly transactional鈥攁nd then听gone home to turn sound into music听through practice. Or you might have
progressed from diagramming sentence听structures to creating prose. Or perhaps听you started out selling ice cream and then听began making new flavors.
Transformation鈥攚hether of sound,听flavors, or lives, i.e. adding value, not just听tallying results鈥攔equires passion as well听as respect for others and their role. In my听experience, those with passion, a love for听what they do, have a special talent鈥攖hey听listen. They listen to an inner voice as well听as to others鈥攏eighbors, co-workers, fellow听students鈥揳nd hear and see what others do听not. They understand the world on their听own terms, not just on the basis of what听they hear or read.
I recall a quote that captures this special听talent to suspend thought and let the senses听lead to new insights:
All there is to thinking is seeing听something you weren’t noticing听which makes you see鈥攐r听hear鈥攕omething that isn’t听even visible鈥攐r audible.4
By listening in this way, we use all听of our senses, we hear and value听others鈥� stories, we notice context and听color, we add to our ability to pursue听dreams with passion, we call upon听head, heart, and hand, with soul. For听those with passion, no one will be听able to say that you are 鈥渙ut of touch,听out of tune, out of temper.鈥�5
Potential
Instead, others will see you听as having potential, our third听element. But potential for what?听As the acclaimed professor of听bioethics Carl Elliott asked, 鈥渢o听what extent is the shape of a life听given to us, and to what extent听do we create it?鈥�6
Each of us has potential: the potential听鈥渢o think, to dream, to learn, to try,听to do.鈥�7 This doesn’t mean that we听each have the same potential, or听that we each can achieve the same听result鈥攅xcept that we each can听aspire to be the best that we can be;听we each can aspire for excellence in听all that we do; we each can use our听potential to achieve lasting influence听for good.
To talk about potential is to talk听about the future, described in this听way by Victor Hugo:
The Future has many names:
For the weak it is unattainable,
For the fearful it is unknown,
For the bold it is opportunity.8
Many in this audience have already听shown that they are bold, and have听seized opportunities to learn, to听try, to do鈥攊n the lab, on the field,听and in service to others. Among听this latter group, I include Adelphi
Prize for Leadership winners听Isabella Bergagnini, Jean Cui,听Clare McKenna, Kaitlin McQuade,听Christine O鈥機onor, James Regalbuto,听and Juliana Thorstenn. They have听used their time and talents for service听to others in truly exemplary ways,听and are ready to seize opportunity in听the future. They know that education听is as much about character and听citizenship as it is about careers and听commerce, and demonstrate this听understanding in extraordinary ways.
Conclusion
Privilege, passion, potential: a听formula for life for individuals,听organizations, nations. If a vibrant听moral imagination, a sound sense听of history, and a global vision are听essential ingredients for success,听for anticipating and preparing for听change, then 鈥淧-cubed鈥� represents听the essential framework for our lives听as citizens and professionals who not听only know what to do and how to听do it, but also when or whether to听do it.
It has been said that 鈥淓ducation听is not simply about academic听achievement,鈥� but, as formulated听in 1947 a few miles away at听Lake Success, in the Universal听Declaration of Human Rights, 鈥渋t听is about understanding, tolerance,听and friendship, which are the basis听of peace in our world.鈥�9 And your听education will be even deeper when听privilege is recognized and passion听motivates potential.
Go, then, knowing that you have听the capacity to change everyone you听meet and everything you touch, that听every encounter can be a turning听point, that you can continue to grow听in knowledge, skill, and empathy, and听that in learning about yourself, you听will know the secret of 鈥淧-cubed.鈥�
Congratulations, class of 2005!
Invited Commencement Address, Garden City High School, June 25, 2005
1.听Rockefeller, John D. Jr. 鈥淭en Principles Speech.鈥� United Services Organization, NYC July 8, 1941.
2. Blodgett, Frank D. Commencement Address, Adelphi College, June 11, 1930. Adelphi University.
3. Bon Jovi, Jon. American Rock Musician. Commencement Address, Monmouth University (N.J.), 2001.听Quoted in Reinholdt, Heidi and John Ross, Editors, The Quotable Graduate. Connecticut: The Lyons Press, 2003.
4. Maclean, Norman. A River Runs Through It. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1976, p.8.
5. Rothstein, Edward. 鈥淐hurchill, Heroic Relic or Relevant Now?鈥� The New York Times, Saturday, March 29, 2003, D7.
6. Elliott, Carl. 鈥淎 Life of One鈥檚 Own,鈥� a review of The Ethics of Identity by Kwame Anthony Appiah. The American Prospect, June 2005, p.77.
7. Conklin, Beverly. The Language of Teaching. Boulder, Colorado: Blue Mountain Press, 1999, unpaginated.
8. Attributed to Victor Hugo.
9. Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary, National League for Democracy, Burma. Quoted in Reinholdt and Ross, Op.Cit.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director听
p 鈥� 516.237.8634
e 鈥� twilson@adelphi.edu