Remarks of Governor Christine Todd Whitman
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Hamilton College Commencement
Sunday, May 26, 2002
President Tobin, Chairman Kennedy, honored guests, members of the faculty and staff, students, parents, families, and friends:
Thank you for the honor of this degree, and thank you for the privilege of sharing this moment in your lives. I'm truly humbled by the company I'm keeping, not only the people with whom I'm sharing the stage but the Class of 2002. To the Class of 2002, congratulations - you've made it!
Your time on the Hill, this extraordinary education, is drawing to a close. Here at Hamilton you've seen farther not just because you went to college on a hilltop but also because, to paraphrase Isaac Newton, you have stood on the shoulders of giants. You have learned from some of the best teachers in the country - let them know you appreciate it.
You also have people behind you who gave you a boost onto those shoulders. So please join me in applauding your families for all they've done to make this day possible.
As commencement speaker, I toyed with delivering a speech about wearing sunscreen. I considered borrowing from Doctor Seuss about the places you can go or thought about challenging you to set personal goals, inspired by your fellow students who, with patience and dedication, recently achieved their goal in what they called the "Race for 10,000 Stones." That's an inside joke for the Class of 2002 perhaps.
In truth, it's hard to be so light-hearted this year. Most commencements, perhaps. But this year is different.
It's been different ever since the morning of September 11. That day shaped your final year at Hamilton - and it will continue to impact us for the rest of our lives. No one will ever forget where they were that morning, or the day-long wait for word on your fellow students in Manhattan. And later, the tragic news that three alumni of this college were among the victims.
I am not here to dwell on September 11. Instead, I want you to think about September 12. That was a sunny, warm day here on the East Coast, with blue skies. Here at Hamilton, the day ended with a moving candlelight vigil.
September 12 was when our healing began. September 12 was when the response of ordinary citizens moved into high gear. People began finding ways they could help beyond the wonderful act of giving blood. We saw leaders emerge on campuses like Hamilton and in communities across the land. Everybody wanted to help, and everybody found a way.
But what made September 12 stand out for me went beyond these noble acts of assistance, as vitally important as they were.
What happened that day, and in the days that followed, was something more: a fundamental change in the way people treated each other.
Neighbors who usually kept to themselves started waving hello - or stopping to chat. People would drop in at their local fire house to say thanks, knowing their own would have responded just as the brave members of the FDNY had done. And it seemed for a while even road rage took a vacation.
The spirit of September 12 is something powerful: it's a recognition that our obligations extend beyond ourselves and our immediate family and friends. Americans are embracing their duty to community, to country, to humanity. What began with blood banks and relief funds has grown to something much more - commitments this campus knows so very well.
The spirit of September 12 is compassion. The compassion of students providing hospice care to terminally ill guests of Abraham House, or volunteering at a home for abused women.
The spirit of that day is action. The action of Hamilton students reading to third-graders or tutoring middle-school students with developmental disabilities.
The Spirit of September 12 is generosity. The generosity of those at Hamilton who join the AIDS Walk for Life, or those who help the less fortunate during an Alternative Spring Break.
These acts of kindness don't usually make the daily papers or the 11 o'clock news. But that's OK. In the words of President Bush, "Sometimes we are called to do great things. But…every day we are called on to do small things with great love. And that's what makes these acts so important."
He went on to say, "The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone." Let me repeat: the most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone. Think about those words as you make your way in the world.
Consider using part of your time to serve others. America needs you because your neighbor needs you. Despite great prosperity, I think all of you recognize our nation has many needs. What better time to help meet those needs than today and every day from here on out.
The President has asked all Americans to turn the spirit of September 12 into a lifelong commitment. He has called on us to devote at lest two years of our lives - the equivalent of 4, 000 hours - to serving our communities, the nation, or the world.
That's a mighty challenge, and I hope each of you will look for ways to take it on. For some, that might mean dedicating yourself to this work all at once-through the Americorps program, for example, or perhaps through the Peace Corps.
Of course, taking up the challenge in that way will be the exception, not the rule. For those of you getting ready to start a job or pursue a higher degree, you can still make time to enjoy the experience of serving others - to know what President Bush has called "the joys of a giving existence."
No matter where you settle, here in the Adirondacks, across the country, or even around the world, you will find needs and opportunities to fill them. A soup kitchen, a Habitat project, a Humane Society, a stream to help clean, a neighborhood project to lead, a needy family to clothe, a child to tutor, a teen to mentor, an elderly person for whom to run errands. There are many ways to give.
You've learned so much, you've developed your talents so well, and yet the most valuable and precious thing you have to contribute is your own time. There is no greater gift than sharing some of that.
Many of you are doing this already. Nearly half of all graduating college seniors already volunteer nearly 18 hours a month. If you are one of them, thanks and keep it up. If you are not, consider it a chance to join them.
Your community will be better off, America will be stronger, and they can be some of the most fulfilling hours you will ever spend, especially if you take your family along and make it part of their lives too.
Today each of you will walk away with a Hamilton degree and your senior cane. You will also leave with a treasure trove of memories: classroom debates, jitney rides, lunch with a professor, "snoccer" games, maybe a visit or two to the Rok.
Your yesterdays are part of a great Hamilton tradition. Your today - the green apple many of you will present to President Tobin - continues another Hamilton tradition. My hope is that your future will be part of a national tradition - a tradition of service.
As I finish, I ask you to adopt your own personal tradition. On September 11 always remember and each and every September 12, take some time that day to take stock of where you are and what you're doing. Ask yourself, what am I doing to help my neighbor, my community, my nation? Am I doing something to make a difference? Each year, recommit yourself to the spirit of September 12. And remember that it started while you were here at Hamilton. To borrow a phrase from Bono and U2, "It was a beautiful day, don't let it get away."
Thank you, and congratulations, Class of 2002.
