On the cusp of going forth into the adult world of jobs and mortgages, the graduating seniors of the College of Arts and Sciences gathered at Franklin Field on Sunday to hear a children's story.
Michael Feinberg, the event's keynote speaker and a 1991 College graduate, began his remarks by reading Dr. Seuss' On Beyond Zebra, a short book featuring a character who, having internalized the 26 existing letters of the alphabet, creates a new one at the end.
Feinberg is a co-founder of the Knowledge is Power Program Foundation, an organization for underfunded public schools that teaches a rigorous curriculum and places extra demands on its students.
Using the story as a jumping-off point, Feinberg encouraged graduates not to believe in limits and to strive actively for the public benefit. "Great ideas that sit on the shelf don't do much good," he said.
Justin Pines, a communication major bound for Harvard Law School, was the student speaker chosen by his classmates. He reflected on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which occurred only a few days after the members of the Class of 2005 took their first classes as freshmen. Pines closed by encouraging his classmates to "keep coming at
life with everything you have and loving every minute of it."
In her remarks, School of Arts and Sciences Dean Rebecca Bushnell hearkened back to Voltaire's Candide, which the class had read four years earlier for the Freshman Reading Project.
Taking from the book the message that action is more valuable than rationalization in the face of adversity, Bushnell told the graduates that their education "should be used to make a difference in the lives of others."
College Dean Dennis DeTurck presented several awards to faculty. Among the recipients was Tom Callaghy, a political science professor selected by the seniors to be honored for his teaching.
Parents and graduates concurred that the ceremony was long ? it lasted more than three hours, and more than half the time was occupied by the reading of the graduates' names. However, Megan Howson, the sister of a graduate, added that "the main speaker was quite inspiring."
