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Barnard Commencement 2004
Address by President Shapiro
Congratulations, Barnard Class of 2004. You did it - and you did it in grand style! We are immensely proud of you, and I know you are enormously proud of yourselves.
I would like to take this moment to recognize another exceptional group of people - your parents, families and friends - who have supported, guided, and encouraged you all along the way. May I ask all of your parents, grandparents, and other family members to rise so that we can thank them for their contributions to this special day.
As we well know, the excellence of a Barnard education reflects the teaching effectiveness, scholarship and dedication of our fine faculty. Will the members of the faculty please rise so that your students can thank you as enthusiastically as they wish?
And, the overall quality of the Barnard experience is a reflection of all of the work of a first-rate staff. From the Dean of Studies Office to Career Development, Res Life, College Activities, Health and Counseling Services, the facilities and grounds crew who prepare the campus each year for this very day, and everyone else - all play a central role in making this the College that it is. Let us join with the Class of 2004 in thanking them all.
It's been a wonderful celebratory day and I don't want to keep you for much longer. But, as presidents so often do, I have a few thoughts I'd like to share. Since many of my favorite thoughts have been expressed so very well by our fine commencement speaker, I can be brief.
When you receive your diploma, chances are you'll have it framed, or you'll put it in a scrapbook or a drawer. To be frank, you may lose track of it entirely. I don't think I could locate my own college diploma if my life depended on it. What you must never ignore, however, is all that the diploma represents.
Your diploma is a ticket - a piece of paper that, as such, has no intrinsic value. It's only good if you use it. Remember the last time you stood in line for hours, scrimped and saved, to buy a ticket to see Outkast? or Madonna? Can you imagine if you had framed it, hung it on your bedroom wall without using it? The value of the ticket is in showing up... being present at the Meadowlands or Madison Square Garden to take part in the experience.
During your four years at Barnard, you have studied a wide range of fields. The education you experienced went beyond its purely intellectual dimensions; it was intended to have a wider moral, ethical and civic impact as well.
There are certain virtues inherent to the practice of the liberal arts. The pursuit of liberal learning involves a search for truths, a respect for facts, a healthy skepticism, an openness to criticism, a willingness to test ideas and theories. If you have reason to consider your views well-founded, you stand by them, even in the face of opposition, and you seek to persuade others of their merits. And conversely, if you hear a better argument, you are able to let go of your own, changing your mind and your approach.
Our curriculum presented you with certain ways of knowing. These were not simply suggestions; they were requirements. We insisted upon your encountering them and exploring their meaning.
Reason and value, social analysis, historical studies. They have become part of how you view the world... cultures in comparison, laboratory science, quantitative and deductive reasoning. They are a foundation for what comes next. Language, literature, the visual and performing arts.
We've given you these tools and now it is your responsibility to use them. You know how to be involved and to find answers. You know how to look beyond the obvious to discern the truth. You are Barnard women, after all, and you simply don't have it in you to sit back and let others lead the way.
You are graduating from college in no ordinary year. It's 2004 and there's a war going on. It's 2004 and the level of unrest in the world far exceeds the level of the calm. It's 2004 and there's a presidential election in six months. It's 2004 and you are in charge of your lives in ways you've never been before.
As involved citizens with much at stake, you must aspire to be good leaders and you must choose leaders whom you can respect and be inspired by. The liberal education that that piece of paper - that diploma - represents is an excellent start. And here are some examples of how the combined ways of knowing are your ticket to responsible and meaningful participation in a democratic society.
Laboratory science requires data-gathering and hypothesis testing. You can't just take a wild guess; you have to look at the evidence. You need to be willing to perceive the difference between real science and pseudo-science and you may have to start the experiment over again if the something goes wrong. Perseverance and accuracy are required. Expect this from yourself and from your leaders.
And what about cultures in comparison? You must be prepared to observe differences and to avoid generalizations. When you cross cultural boundaries, you should do so with comprehension - you don't necessarily have to admire or approve, but you ought to be able to view broadly and openly what you don't find familiar. Expect this from yourself and from your leaders.
And then there is reason and value. "Following the path of reason" is Barnard's motto. To do so you must be willing to engage in rational reflection and critical discussion, to explore ideas of virtue and obligation, to grapple with issues of human rights and global diversity. You can't ignore ethical dilemmas in favor of easy answers. Expect this from yourselves and from your leaders.
There is an organization that I want to encourage you to check out. It's called "Vote. Run. Lead." It's a non-partisan national initiative to mobilize young women to participate politically... to vote, of course, but also to run for political office and to become leaders at all levels. Next time you log on, go to www.voterunlead.org and find out more. According to their website: over 15 million 18-34 year old women did not vote in the last presidential election. Don't let that be you.
It takes practice to have a rich and meaningful life. Start today with this "ticket" we have granted you - the one you've waited and worked for for so long. Don't leave home without it. Take it with you into the voting booth this November.
Vote. Run. Lead.
Pay Attention. Ask questions. Question the answers.
Listen closely. Speak openly. Have patience.
And whatever you do, do it fully and with pride.
On behalf of the trustees, faculty, and administration of Barnard College, I congratulate you, the extraordinary Class of 2004.
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