Nationally noted political and cultural commentator, 纽约时报 columnist, and best-selling author 大卫·布鲁克斯 addresses the graduates. (摄影:Lee Pellegrini)
Speaking at a jubilant Boston 毕业典礼 on May 24, nationally noted 纽约时报 columnist and best-selling author 大卫·布鲁克斯 extolled the Class of 2021 for its resilience and determination during one of the most difficult periods in recent American history.
“This is a college graduation like no other in our lifetimes,布鲁克斯说, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at the ceremony. “All graduations are transitions, but this is the mother of all transitions."
[READ THE FULL TEXT OF DAVID BROOKS' ADDRESS HERE.]
The 毕业典礼 Exercises—the 144th in University history—were a welcome return to BC tradition after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s festivities. Family members and friends once again dotted the seats at 校友 Stadium, 还有一些4,321 太阳城网赌平台 students received undergraduate and graduate degrees at separate ceremonies held around campus after the main 毕业典礼 event or on May 23 following the Baccalaureate Mass.
太阳城网赌平台 颁授荣誉学位予 five distinguished individuals. L-R standing: BC Board of Trustees chairman John Fish, Leo V. Sullivan, Sean Guthrie, Christine Montenegro McGrath, Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean O'Malley, O.F.M. 帽.; seated: Lyndia Downie, BC总裁William P. 莱希,年代.J.大卫·布鲁克斯
大学也 颁授荣誉学位予: Lyndia Downie, president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn; former BC football player Sean Guthrie ’01, M.Ed.’14, head of middle school at The Fessenden School in West Newton, Mass.; Christine Montenegro McGrath ’87, 副总裁兼全球影响力主管, 可持续性, and well-being for Mondelēz International; and former University Vice President for Human 资源 and Senior Advisor to the President Leo V. 沙利文,M.Ed. 80年，89年和90年.
布鲁克斯, who referred to this year’s crop of graduates as “the Winston Churchill of college classes,情绪激动的说。, 精神上的, and physical toll of COVID-19 has been considerable for all ages, 包括年轻人. “But here’s the good thing about enduring a hard thing when you are young. 永远在, you’ll now know you have the capacity to survive hard things and you don’t need to be terrified of them.”
“You entered BC during one historical era which had one set of values. You graduate from BC at the start of a different historical era, 用一组新的值, which you will write with the book of your lives.”
BC总裁William P. 莱希,年代.J., presents Hariharan Shanmugam of the Carroll School of Management with this year's Edward H. 芬尼根的.J., Award, the highest undergraduate 毕业典礼 honor, as Board of Trustees chair John Fish looks on.
The prospect of a post-pandemic world is an exciting one, but should be guided by wisdom and courage that will enable us to improve lives, 布鲁克斯说, who asked the graduates to consider what role they can play in the reawakening. He called upon them to carefully discern what things they truly love and value, not for the moment but over time: “if you can’t rank your loves you’ll scatter your talents and your life won’t accumulate into anything.”
布鲁克斯 listed several areas of focus that could aid this process, such as forming a giving circle with BC friends to help others; building “identity capital” through a personal-growth experience—salmon fishing in Alaska or teaching kindergarten in Mongolia—that people “will ask you about for the rest of your life”; finding a point of agreement when you argue with someone; and discovering your purpose—not what you want from life, 但是“生活对我有什么要求??”
He urged the graduates to prepare for “The Great Unmasking,” not just of physical masks but of psychological or emotional ones that inhibit the potential value of our relationships, 以及我们成长和改变的能力.
“You have more to fear from your inhibitions than you do from your vulnerabilities. More lives are wrecked by the slow and frigid death of emotional closedness than by the short and glowing risk of emotional openness. As we unmask, I hope openness will be the order of the day."
Gallery photos by Caitlin Cunningham and Lee Pellegrini
"You entered BC during one historical era which had one set of values,布鲁克斯对2021届毕业生说. "You graduate from BC at the start of a different historical era, 用一组新的值, which you will write with the book of your lives."
A year ago, 布鲁克斯 said, “I thought you were the unluckiest generation. But now I look at you and I look at what’s about to happen in all our lives, 我认为你们是最幸运的一代. 我们将迎来轰轰烈烈的20年代. And the quality of this decade, and the decades to come, will depend on how well you roar.
“我向你们致敬，老鹰们. 玩得尽兴. 上帝保佑你.”
Sean Smith | University Communications | May 2021