I read the review of President Obama’s commencement speech at Notre Dame in the New York Times. Here is the quotation which sums it up for me:
With mortarboard in hand, Robert Kessler, 22, a graduating senior, wandered among the protesters and shook his head. “Some of these pictures are grotesque, and I don’t want them to be part of my graduation,” Mr. Kessler said. “If these groups wanted to make a difference, they could have better used their money on homes for unwed mothers.”
I agree with Robert Kessler.
I also liked the snippets of the speech I heard that Michelle Obama gave at the University of California at Merced. Her message was giving back.
I attended a high school graduation over the weekend at Pace Academy in Atlanta, Ga., where my nephew graduated with high honors. E. Neville Isdell, former chairman of the board and executive chief officer of the Coca-Cola Company, gave the address to the graduates. He challenged the graduates to do a better job than his (and my) generation had done. I interpreted his message that profit is not the goal. Giving back should be the aim of our lives. Mr. Isdell is a interesting man. He is from South Africa and has a degree in social work. He also received a graduate business degree from Harvard. Not only has he been a corporate head of Coca-Cola, but he currently serves on the board of General Motors, which he mentioned in his address. He’s The Man, but gives back to his community.
My nephew is becoming an expatriate. He will be studying in Scotland, and I learned, will probably live abroad afterwards. He is living my dreams. I’m very proud of him for becoming a scholar and a very open-minded young man. He is also very caring and is liked by a variety of his classmates.
Do I remember my graduation commencement speeches? I remember that Andy Holt, president of the University of Tennessee, gave my high school commencement address and that Everett Derryberry, another academic gave my college address. I have no clue what they talked about in their speeches.
