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The brisk wind didn't extinguish the high spirits of the Class of 2008 during the 132nd Commencement Exercises. Family, friends, faculty, and administrators filled Alumni Stadium early Monday morning to celebrate the achievements of the graduating students.
The University conferred baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees to over 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students. These newly-proclaimed alumni hail from 59 countries, adding to the diversity of the 150,000 living graduates.
The Rev. James Erps, S.J., director of Campus Ministry, began the exercises by giving the invocation, reminding students that although commencement is a time to celebrate the promise of the future, events such as the recent natural disaster in China must also be remembered. Students must attempt to reconcile the good in life with the bad using the opportunities they have been given. "Much is expected of them because they have much to give," Erps said of the students.
University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., also addressed students regarding the gifts they have been given. After welcoming students and guests, Leahy thanked the students for all their contributions to the BC community and described the hopes he had for the Class of 2008. In addition to recognizing the graduates as individuals who have curiosity and who are agents of social change, Leahy asked students to pass on to others the gifts they have received from their families, faculty, the administration, the community, and their education at BC.
"We live in a complex and dangerous world that desperately needs individuals who will choose to share their gifts and live lives marked by faith, hope, and love," Leahy said. "As you graduates receive your diplomas today, you leave the relative tranquility of the Heights. We send you forth with our prayers, best wishes, and confidence in your abilities. We trust in your generosity, talents, and willingness to be men and women for others."
In addition to conferring degrees to undergraduate and graduate students, the University presented five other individuals with honorary degrees. Brother Celestino Arias, BC '90, received the degree of Doctor of Social Science for his humanitarian efforts globally and his social work in Boston. Jennie Chin Hansen Abrams, BC '70, was awarded the degree of Doctor of Nursing Science for her work in health care for elderly citizens and as president of the AARP. Ann Jones, BC '58, received the degree of Doctor of Law for her commitment to service and for her leadership in gender equality through her government positions. The Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred to University Vice President Rev. William Neenan, S.J., for his service to BC and role in its development.
Award-winning author and historian David McCullough was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. The keynote speaker of the exercise, he has also won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize twice, and in 2006 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.
McCullough, who specializes in bringing historical fact to life for present audiences through biographies such as Pulitzer Prize-winning Truman and John Adams, stressed the importance of learning, not just gathering facts and figures, and of placing love of learning at the center of the students' lives, for all their lives.
"You have had the great privilege of attending one of the finest colleges in the nation, where dedication to classical learning and to the arts and sciences has long been manifest. If what you have learned here makes you want to learn more, well that's the point," McCullough said.
It is this continuous process of learning that McCullough said will help students determine the path they take, what they love, and what moves them. In an interview with The Heights, he dismissed the idea that learning is limited only to time spent while at school, or that it is somehow removed from the rest of the individual's life.
"They'll say to you, 'welcome to the real world.' Well, you've been in the real world for the past four years. Scholarship is the real world as well," McCullough said.
Still, the journey beyond the familiar confines of the BC campus may be intimidating for some, particularly for those students who are uncertain about what the next step will be. McCullough assured them that many don't know exactly what they want to do at the time of their graduation, including himself.
"Don't worry about not knowing what you're going to do next. It takes awhile. There is no rush," McCullough told The Heights. "Life is long, and sometimes you might reach your mid-twenties or mid-forties and completely change the course you are on. I think that is one of the great privileges of life in America, that we can change courses."
McCullough said that when he graduated, he couldn't decide whether he wanted to be a writer, artist, architect, or actor. All he knew was that he wanted to be in a big city, a move which he recommends to any graduate who is searching for direction. After moving to New York City, he began to work at the newly created Sports Illustrated before leaving the job to serve the country at the United States Information Agency. He eventually began to write historical novels, for which he received critical-acclaim.
Drawing from his various experiences, McCullough advised the new graduates in his commencement address to continue learning, reading, participating, and traveling, to be honest, and search for and be open to what they love.
"Go out and get the best jobs you can and go to work with spirit. Don't get discouraged and don't just work for money. Choose work you believe in, work you enjoy. The money will follow. Believe me, there's nothing like turning every day to do work you love."
As the students became alumni, McCullough congratulated them and encouraged them in the next step in their lives.
"Get in and swim," McCullough said. "The water is fine."
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