Commencement Season
In my 40 years on University campuses, I have participated in many commencement exercises and sat through too many commencement addresses! The best ones are brief, inspiring, and leave you something to think about. On Friday I heard such a speech. I was honored to be part of the exercises at Long Island University. The beautiful C.W. Post campus, former estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, was the setting on a perfect Spring day. President David J. Steinberg congratulated the graduates and their families, urged them to go forth and do good, and posed seven questions for them to contemplate. I hope that they will do so on a regular basis throughout their lives. As I hope that day’s audience does-as I will.
Dr. Steinberg’s questions:
- Can you truly appreciate and engage in our culture and era, even while genuinely respecting peoples from other places or from older times?
- Can you discern the truth when you hear it and know when you are listening to rot?
- Can you find a career path that makes you fulfilled personally and allows you to make a contribution to society?
- Can you appreciate beauty and seek to fill your life with it?
- Can you really know yourself, including your strengths and frailties that others, both friend and foe, probably see?
- Have you found the
