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News Archive
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News Archive
President James A. Liguori, CFC Commencement Address
May 17, 2003
It is my honor, once again, to welcome you to Iona College's annual commencement exercise and to assure you that "this is indeed a day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad." Each May one of the most common "rites of spring" occurs in thousands of venues across this country. It is called THE GRADUATION SPEECH and it is as much a harbinger of the summer as is the appearance of the robin or leaf blowers! It is a moment that is both anticipated and dreaded - anticipated because it marks the end of a journey and a recognition of achievement and dreaded because almost no one wants to listen to it. Into this picture walk people like me who are obliged to offer words of wisdom to a polite but passive audience. Thousands of speakers try to find a topic that will capture the attention and imagination of their audiences and few succeed. I, for example, have been giving graduation addresses for nearly 35 years and have always been aware of the "landmines" present and the slim chances of success. At best, it seems a yearly losing proposition! Oh yes, it is true that the most famous of these graduation speakers are quoted in the newspaper, on TV, in magazines, and on the net. The vast majority of us, however, labor in relative obscurity! In fairness to these thousands of speakers, their (our) motivations are pure. We wish to capture the imaginations of the graduates and inspire them to greatness. Unfortunately, we very rarely succeed. Graduates and their families are "dreaming their own dreams." Faculty, staff, and administrators have heard it all before and are politely in a nonlistening mode. Many folks are daydreaming about what will come after the ceremony or about loved ones or about... In the midst of this, the speaker intrudes. The most that people can hope for is brevity. What an assignment for a speaker! This year I have decided to take you into my confidence and let you know how I determine my topic and my plan of action. Perhaps then you will at least understand the seriousness of purpose of the exercise. In the latter part of the winter, I begin to ruminate about the world in which we live and what I would want to say to our group of graduates as they leave us to continue their life's journey and to pursue their dreams. This is what I saw when I studied the various "landscapes" this winter. On the international scene, I saw war and threats of war, rampant terrorism, disease, famine, and a lack of a unified approach to solving the world's problems. I saw a United Nations body divided by politics and fear. On the national scene, I saw a people who are, at best, very unsettled, weary of war, terrorism, a terrible economy, a fractured church, and a government that is seemingly confused by its future prospects. On the local scene, I saw a city/county/state that are struggling under terrible economic pressures, a higher education community that is reeling from the effects of a bad economy, students who are frightened about job prospects, and a general feeling of "dis-ease" among all. Finally, on a personal level, I survived my 60th birthday this year and I have been granted a six-month sabbatical to recharge my energies and to refocus on my religious life and commitments. Over and over again, I came back to one word to describe my response to all of this. It is the word QUIET. Yes, you heard me correctly, the word QUIET. The one thing that there is least of in this frenzied world that we live in is a time for quiet, rest, reflection, for stillness. We are constantly bombarded by noise and confusion. Our "motors" never have an opportunity to go into the idle mode. As a result, we are forever on the run and almost never take the time to "smell the roses." What a tragedy! For centuries, philosophers and theologians have preached the value of quiet, stillness, meditation, yoga, etc. It is good for the soul and an excellent remedy for stress, sickness, sleeplessness, dis-ease and many forms of pain and depression. With all of this evidence, we still do not form habits of mind that allow us to spend a few minutes a day in quiet, to still ourselves, to refocus, and to reflect. I have, therefore, decided to offer you a priceless gift for your graduation - a SHARED MINUTE OF SILENCE. This may be the only time of quiet that you experience in this frenetic (and happy) week. If you are a prayerful person, you may choose to use this minute to thank God for his goodness to you and your family. If you are not a prayerful person, you may choose to use this minute to go within yourself to reflect upon your place in this world, your goodness, and your need for community. In any case, it will be an opportunity to still yourself. Please join me in observing a moment of silence. If you remember nothing else about my speech or about your graduation, please remember the word QUIET and the need for periods of quiet in everyone's life. Make it a habit of mind to spend a few minutes a day in quiet reflection. You will never regret it! May I take this opportunity on behalf of the entire College community to congratulate you on your achievement, to wish you Godspeed on your life's journey, to ask God's blessings upon your family, our beloved Iona College and finally, upon America. Thank you and good day.
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