Former presidential adviser David Gergen was met with thunderous applause--and ultimately, thunder--during his commencement address Sunday morning.
Gergen narrowly missed the torrential downpour which baptized the new graduates as a part of their passage into the "real world." President Nan Keohane spent much of his speech looking skyward as the clouds turned from foggy white to ominously black.
In his speech, Gergen warned the 3,131 graduating students against allowing small disasters, like the impending rain, to cause serious setbacks. Because so many students have achieved so much, many have an "inordinate fear that if you ever fail, if you take a single misstep in life, the price will be catastrophic," he said.
This attitude is "nonsense," he said, adding that people like Franklin Roosevelt, Reynolds Price and Coach Mike Krzyzewski are proof that adversity can build character.
Gergen had fatherly words of encouragement for the graduating class: "Don't be afraid of taking a risk and falling down or stumbling. Don't be afraid of not finding the right job right away," he said.
He also said it was important to take time to savor the passing scenery. "I sense that many of you are in a great hurry to go straight to the top--to earn lots of money, run your own company, write your own screenplay, diagnose your first patient, give your maiden speech in Congress," he said.
But if students rush too fast, they may miss out on the "magic and mystery of life," he said. Many students have lacked time to cultivate intellectual curiosity and enjoy life during the past four years, he said. "You should borrow some back in the next few years--for the expansion of your mind, for the exploration of the world, for service to others."
Gergen compared the graduates to mountain-climbers throughout his speech. Part of their climb from the foothills is remembering that students themselves can also move mountains, he said. "The world you are inheriting is not the world that has to be. Nor should it be. If you can only imagine something better, you will be astonished where your efforts can lead."
As graduates of a prestigious university, students have privileges but also extensive responsibilities to make these kinds of efforts. "You are in select company, but that is also why you should be prepared for leadership," he said.
While some of these leadership positions may involve prominent public offices, the most important leadership roles involve family and community, he said.
As graduates with privilege and opportunities, students must assume leadership that "insists that every citizen in this society have an opportunity to rise from the valley," he said.
Before the downpour began, the University also awarded five honorary degrees: librarian of congress James Billington; AIDS researcher and director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci; human rights activist Coretta Scott King, who was met with sustained applause and a standing ovation from several audience members; U.N. undersecretary general Nafis Sadik, the highest-ranking woman in the United Nations; and renowned allergist and pediatrician John McGovern.
Despite the rain, students and parents alike expressed relief and happiness after the ceremony. "It feels fantastic--just a little wet," said graduating graduate student Michelle Rosen.
Harris Hwang contributed to this report.
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