French diplomat Simone Veil speaks at Baccalaureate service in Irvine

Solemnity and reflection replaced excitement and celebration as graduates and their guests entered Irvine Auditorium for the traditional Baccalaureate service on Sunday afternoon. The event began with a Baccalaureate concert by the University Brass and Organ Ensemble as guests arrived for the interfaith service of thanksgiving. The program included prayers, readings and hymns representing various religions. The Glee Club moved the audience with renditions of spirituals -- including "Amazing Grace" and "Let us break bread together" -- as well as such contemporary pieces as Carly Simon's "Let the River Run." French diplomat Simone Vail -- who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at Commencement on Monday -- gave the Baccalaureate address. Provost Stanley Chodorow introduced the former French Minster of Health and State, who was elected the first president of the European Parliament in 1979. He credited Veil with awakening France to the problems of drug addiction and AIDS and praised her for her commitment to protecting human rights. A Holocaust survivor, she shared her vision of a unified Europe in which all people could live together in peace. She said the purpose of education is to "share knowledge with all men, regardless of race, class or gender." Veil also discussed the responsibility that accompanies an education. "Don't forget that you are the privileged ones," she said. "You are in the limelight and everyone keeps their eyes on you, but you have the power to make our dreams a reality." University President Judith Rodin addressed the graduates and their families and friends who gathered in Irvine for the service. "We need not look for individuals whose lives give us inspiration and cause," she said. "People whose blend sense with sensitivity." Rodin emphasized the importance of "hope, faith and love," and told the graduates, "you have a responsibility to use your intellect to help you work from the heart." She said she hoped they would "understand what is important in life and make it a priority."

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