Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen the President of New York University Andrew Hamilton. Andrew Hamilton: Good
morning. Good morning ladies and gentlemen as
president of NYU I am delighted to welcome you all and to congratulate the
Class of 2018 on this very special day but first of all I need your indulgence
for a few moments I have a presidential tweet to send out. There you've got it.
Ladies and gentlemen the largest crowd ever despite the rain at an NYU
graduation and everyone, everyone in this stadium knows well that a little bit of
rain will not dampen violet pride at NYU.
Today as I stand on second base at Yankee Stadium I look out on a brilliant
sea of violet and a few ponchos and umbrellas as well and I catch that scent
of hot dog and popcorn and what comes to my mind as it does so often at this
remarkable university is only at NYU. So ladies and gentlemen let me throw out
the first pitch friends, families, colleagues would you please all join me
in congratulating our graduates for their wonderful achievements while
they've been at NYU. (cheering and clapping)
And now Class of 2018 you've not made it to this point on your own you've had the
love and the support of many. I'm now going to ask you to look around to try
to connect to make eye contact with your loved ones. If you can't do that make eye
contact with somebody else's loved ones and show your thanks to those who've
helped you to you at this place. (cheering and clapping)
And even as we justly and proudly celebrate your achievements today
graduates, we also find ourselves at a pivotal moment for higher education. A
college education in the U.S. long a national aspiration internationally seen
as a gold standard and nowadays a near necessity for a prosperous life this
has come to be doubted in a way I don't believe any of us could have predicted.
The polls tell us that increasing numbers of Americans view higher
education with skepticism or even contempt. Some of the fault for this lies
within universities ourselves the price of a degree has escalated sharply a
trend we are working hard to address at NYU and there is understandable
anxiety about how competitive the admissions process at top universities
like NYU has become and some of the fault is due to growing anti-
intellectualism indeed anti-factualism in our public discourse still others
view college campuses as outposts of elites or bastions of ideology in
thinking about these disturbing trends I was reminded of a story about the great
Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Each night
growing up in 19th century Scotland he used to watch the Lamplighter make his
way down the street with a ladder and a torch lighting the streetlights for the
night. One evening the story goes Robert was asked what he was looking at
and he exclaimed, "Look at that man he is punching holes in the darkness." Well
that's what universities do. They punch holes in the darkness.
Universities shed light on the truth by an unearthing facts and conducting
evidence-based research. They illuminate the human experience through art and
literature.They offer insight into the present by examining the past. They light
the way towards the future by nurturing deep and nuanced thinkers, well-rounded
leaders, and skilled principled professionals. They spread the light of
understanding by opening up to new perspectives and new cultures. Every day
universities punch holes through the darkness of ignorance, small mindedness,
and injustice. It is well established that a college education leads to
significantly higher earnings but I would argue that the true value of
universities extends far beyond financial gain. They are essential to
creating informed citizens who sustain healthy democracies. They foster
compassion and peace. They help keep the world on a path no matter how winding
and rocky towards progress but don't take my word for it every day it is NYU
students themselves who demonstrate the transformative power of a college
education and in particular an NYU education. Consider just a few examples
from today's graduating class of 2018. One student who will receive his MFA in
film today was mentored by NYU professor Spike Lee. This student wrote and
directed a short film about the lynching of Emmitt
Till in 1955. It not only played in theaters across the country it was also
nominated for a 2018 Academy Award. (cheering and clapping)
Another student came to NYU after serving nearly three decades as a nurse
in the U.S. Navy. She is reserving she is receiving a
double master's in public administration and public health today and she hopes to
apply her expertise to make an impact on the health of the military veteran
community. A mechanical engineering major graduating today has been leading a team
of students who have developed a prototype to transport goods at high speed
through Hyperloop technology. They were one of a few select teams chosen to move
on to the second phase of a competition sponsored by SpaceX this summer and
today with us ladies and gentlemen there is a very special group of graduates.
Four out of the five inuagural graduates of NYU's prison education program (cheering and clapping).
These four students earned associate degrees while incarcerated at Wallkill
Correctional Facility and as one of those graduates put it after 28 years on
this earth I finally know the point of education and I'm addicted to it. All of
the students that I've described today come from different backgrounds and have
different interests but they share one thing in common a college education and
they are changing the world. My words will be lost after today but you members
of the Class of 2018 you are the proof of the value of higher education as you
go on to your next endeavors you are the best ambassadors for higher learning
each and every one of you is punching your own hole in the darkness. To the
parents and loved ones here today thank you for trusting us with your sons and
daughters education. They are stars. They have shined for us as they have for you
and we are now all basking in their glow. To everyone in the Class of 2018 know
that we are immensely proud of your talent, of your achievements, and we are
proud of your spirit. Come back and see us often and from everyone at NYU we
send you our heartiest congratulations well done class of 2018! (cheering and clapping)