Tom Brokaw, addressed Fordham's Class of 2009, at the University's 164th Commencement at Rose Hill on Saturday, May 16. Brokaw, who has covered his share of turmoil in 47 years of journalism, told the new graduates that "it will not be easy, but I promise you it will be rewarding in ways that a Wall Street bonus or a shot on American Idol cannot compete."More than 16,000 graduates, family, friends and faculty and staff packed Edwards Parade under cloudy skies, and gave Brokaw rousing cheers at every full stop. Fordham conferred a doctorate of humane letters, honoris causa, upon Brokaw, and likewise conferred honorary degrees upon Hon. Michael Bloomberg, mayor of the City of New York; Justin Lin, chief economist of the World Bank; Frank J. Macchiarola, former chairman of the New York City Charter Revision Commission; and Kathryn Wylde, chief executive officer of the Partnership for New York City.
Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, told the happy crowd, "Members of the Class of 2009, this is above all your day. This is the day on which we celebrate you. We celebrate hopes that have been realized, dreams that have come true, loves that have blossomed and lives that have been changed—changed utterly."
Link (here)
Watch short video of Tom Brokaw's commencement speech (here)
Photo is of Tom Brokow being interviewed at Fordham in 2004 (here)
Viator at Aufer A Nobis add his thoughts on pro-abortion Mayor Bloomberg to the conversation (here)
The text of Brokaw's address (here)
2 comments:
Here's a link from the NY Post on Fordham's graduation:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05182009/news/regionalnews/bloomy_gets_a_pass_from_dolan_169807.htm
I attended graduation ceremonies on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I'm going to sound like an old right-wing curmudgeon by pointing out that there were a number of invocations to God, only one to Jesus (from a non-Jesuit priest). And as usual President Father Joseph McShane exhorted the congregation to say the doxology with him at the end of the Eucahristic prayer (at the Baccalaureate Mass). At this mass, the choir sang "Hymn to a New Age" where, once again, the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit weren't mentioned. Gee, I do sound like an old right-wing curmudgeon!
It cost 32 K to attend Fordham University and all I got was lousy rubrics!
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