Sun Shines on New Grads

Engineering Dean Nick Jones and
honorary degree recipient William R. Brody |
Academic year comes to a close with conferring of more than
6,700 degrees
By Greg Rienzi, The Gazette
Photos by Will Kirk and Jay VanRrensselaer /
HIPS
With a future so bright, the Class of 2009 had to wear
shades.
On a cloudless day, sunglasses were the accessory of
choice on Homewood Field for both the
universitywide
commencement and undergraduate diploma ceremonies.
Under a Johns Hopkins-blue sky, newly minted President
Ronald Daniels conferred more than
6,700 degrees on the graduates at the 133rd universitywide
commencement ceremony, held on May 21.
Daniels, who assumed his post on March 2, appeared to
revel in the proceedings, taking nearly
every opportunity to flash a smile, shake hands and share a
quick chat with graduates and their
friends and families. On several occasions, Daniels
sprinted out of the processional line to greet
well-wishers.
As is customary for the president, Daniels delivered
the morning's address, in which he said
that while the graduates might enter a world at a time of
profound uncertainty and anxiety, they also
stood on the cusp of a new era that beckoned great
opportunity for those ready to seize it.
"You, and we, have the opportunity to examine the kind
of society we have become, to reassert
what and who we want to be, and to devise anew the
institutions and expectations that will shape our
lives and our futures," he said. "This is a time of choice
and decision. We have arrived at a crossroads,
not just economically and politically but a social and
ethical crossroads as well. Believe it or not, this is
an exciting time."

Timely AND practical: 2009
sunglasses |
He shared an example from the university's own
history, the year 1888, when the still fledgling
Johns Hopkins teetered on the brink of financial ruin due
to the collapse of B&O Railroad stock in
which the university's endowment was heavily invested.
While the university could have gone in 101
different directions — including becoming a mechanics
school — founding President Daniel Coit Gilman
and the trustees recommitted themselves to the idea of a
world-class research university and
appealed to the city's leading citizens to help keep the
university operating.
One such philanthropist was Mary Elizabeth Garrett,
who, along with a group of other young
feminists, offered the university a gift of $100,000 to
found the School of Medicine. The gift
famously came with two chief conditions: that the school
must be organized along the latest scientific
theories, and that it must admit women freely and equally
along with men. That long-ago time of
uncertainty, Daniels said, birthed a revolution in medical
education and the transformation of medical
practice.
"For Johns Hopkins, the crisis of that year was an
opportunity to rethink, reimagine and
recommit to our fundamental mission," he said. "Crisis
provides the opportunity to think anew and the
obligation to act anew."
During the ceremony, honorary degrees were conferred
upon William Goodwin Jr., president and
chairman of CCA Industries and founder of the Commonwealth
Foundation for Cancer Research;
Richard J. Johns, a pioneer of biomedical engineering who
launched the renowned department in the
field at Johns Hopkins; and posthumously on Rep. Tom
Lantos, a longtime Democratic congressman
from California and the only Holocaust survivor to serve in
the U.S. House of Representatives.
Annette Lantos accepted the degree on her late husband's
behalf.
For the afternoon's undergraduate diploma ceremony,
many sought shelter from the sun under
umbrellas or unfolded graduation programs.
During the event, the 1,000-plus graduating seniors
and the thousands of guests listened to an
address by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives and famous daughter of
Baltimore.
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University chaplain Albert Mosley
and honorary degree recipient Richard J. Johns |
Pelosi, the first woman to lead a major party in the
U.S. Congress, received an honorary degree
at the ceremony, as did former university President William
R. Brody. A sustained applause followed
Brody's presentation, a tribute to his 12-year tenure,
during which time the university grew immensely.
Pelosi began her remarks by saying what a great
pleasure it was to be honored alongside Dr.
Brody and at an institution she dubbed "the crown jewel of
a great city." She spoke of her younger
days in Baltimore, when as a teen she would come to
Homewood Field to see both high school and JHU
lacrosse games.
In her speech, Pelosi spoke of her call to public
service and how, when growing up, she and her
brothers were taught to have a responsibility to the
community and the courage to fight for their
beliefs.
She echoed Daniels by saying that the Class of 2009
departs at a time of enormous challenges
and consequential choices. Pelosi used the Greek word
Ananke, which means both destiny and scarcity,
to sum up what lies ahead for the graduates.
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Arts and Sciences Dean Adam Falk,
honorary degree recipient Nancy Pelosi and President Ronald
J. Daniels |
"The Greeks were suggesting that times of scarcity
drive us to choose a destiny — and that
these are moments when history can be shaped through
deliberate choice," she said. "Throughout our
history, America has confronted and surmounted each moment
of Ananke. We did so because each
generation, at each critical moment, understood the
challenge, made a bold choice and shaped a
destiny of its own."
Pelosi said she believes that the greatest challenge
of today is the global climate crisis, which
she has made the flagship issue of her speakership. She
argued how global climate change is a national
security, economic, environmental health and moral issue
that needs to be confronted.
"All four of these missions require a heavy investment
in these four words: science, science,
science and science," Pelosi said to an instant round of
applause. "The enormity of the global climate
crisis also requires the intellectual resources of the
entire Class of 2009. Each of you brings
something unique — your dreams, your passion and your
expertise."
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End of a journey |
Coincidentally, Pelosi earlier that morning had
discussed climate change with another Johns
Hopkins graduation speaker, U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, who spoke at SAIS's afternoon
diploma ceremony.
Pelosi boiled her message to the graduates down to a
few words: "Know your power, and follow
your passion."
"Realize the promise that you have shown here at Johns
Hopkins, and honor your responsibility
to the future," she said.
Daniels gave his own remarks at the undergraduate
ceremony. He played up the newness of his
presidency and joked how the "new guy" gets to pass off
blame and take all the credit. He then
proceeded to do just that. "You've just ended four years of
challenging hard work, and we all managed
to get through it together," he said with a smile.
He then proceeded to credit the Class of 2009 for its
efforts with countless hours of
community service, the university's greening initiative and
the best water balloon fight in the school's
history. "And now you've given us a clear blue sky for
graduation. Nice touch," he said.
After the Thursday ceremonies, families, friends and
graduates reunited in a sea of smiles,
hugs, tears and bouquets. Many simply sought shade, and
hundreds headed to Nichols House, the
president's on-campus residence, for a garden reception.
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SAIS Dean Jessica Einhorn; Annette
Lantos; Lantos' grandson Tomicah Tillemann-Dick, a new SAIS
PhD; and President Daniels |
The Gazette is not sure what was more popular at the
reception — the iced tea and cold water
bottles, or photo ops with President Daniels and his wife,
Joanne Rosen.
For more photos of the day, go to:
www.jhu.edu/commencement/photos.html and to
web.jhu.edu/hips
where images can be purchased. In addition, a commencement
video is online at
www.jhu.edu/commencement/video.html.
GO TO COMMENCEMENT
PHOTO GALLERY.
GO TO COMMENCEMENT
VIDEO.
GO TO MAY 26, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
GO TO THE GAZETTE
FRONT PAGE.
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