大学毕业典礼名校校长英语演讲稿.docx
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大学毕业典礼名校校长英语演讲稿.docx
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大学毕业典礼名校校长英语演讲稿
大学毕业典礼名校校长英语演讲稿
对于一些名校的校长在毕业典礼上是如何发言演讲的呢?
下面是的大学毕业典礼名校校长英语,欢迎大家阅读,希望对大家有所帮助。
Goodafternoon.MyremarksatthismomentinourCommencementritualsareofficiallytitleda“ReporttotheAlumni.”ThefirsttimeIdeliveredthem,inxx,IwastheonlyobstaclebetweenallofyouandJ.K.Rowling.Ilookedoutonaseaofeagerchildren,costumedDumbledores,andQuidditchbroomswavingimpatientlyintheair.Today,youawaitMarkZuckerberg,whosewizardrytakesadifferentform,onethathaschangedtheworld,andalthoughhedoesn’tseemtohaveinspiredanoutbreakofhoodies,wecertainlydohavesomecostumesinthisaudiencetoday.Iseewearenowhandingoutblankets.
Thisisadayofjoyandcelebration,ofhappyendingsandnewbeginnings,offamiliesandfriends,ofachievementsandhopes.Itisalsoadaywhenweasauniversityperformourmostimportantannualritual,affirmingonceagainthepurposesthatanimateusandthevaluesthatdirectandinspireus.
Iwanttospeaktodayaboutoneofthemostimportant–andinrecentmonths,mostcontested–ofthesevalues.Itisonethathasprovokeddebate,dissent,confrontation,andevenviolenceoncampusesacrossthecountry,andonethathasattractedwidespreadpublicattentionandcriticism.
Iam,ofcourse,talkingaboutissuesoffreespeechonuniversitycampuses.Themeaningandlimitsoffreespeecharequestionsdeeplyembeddedinourlegalsystem,ininterpretationsoftheFirstAmendmentanditsapplications.Iamnoconstitutionallawyer,indeednolawyeratall,andIdonotintendinmybriefremarkstodaytoaddressplexlegaldoctrines.Nor,clearly,canIinafewbriefminutestakeonevenafractionoftheargumentsthathavebeenadvancedonthisissue.Instead,Ispeakasonewhohasbeenauniversitypresidentforadecadeinordertoraisethreequestions:
First:
Whyisfreespeechsoimportanttoandatuniversities?
Second:
Whydoesitseemunderspecialchallengerightnow?
And,third:
Howmightwebetteraddressthesechallengesbymovingbeyondjustdefensivelyprotectingfreespeech–which,ofcourse,wemustdo–toactivelyandaffirmativelyenablingitandnurturingenvironmentsinwhichitcanthrive?
Sofirst:
Whyisfreespeechsoimportanttoandatuniversities?
ThisisaquestionItookupwiththenewlyarrivedfirst-yearstudentsintheCollegewhenIweledthematConvocationlastfall.Forcenturies,Itoldthem,universitieshavebeenenvironmentsinwhichknowledgehasbeendiscovered,collected,studied,debated,expanded,changed,andadvancedthroughthepowerofrationalargumentandexchange.Wepursuetruthunrelentingly,butwemustneverbesoplacentastobelievewehaveunerringlyattainedit.Veritasisinspirationandaspiration.Weassumethereisalwaysmoretoknowanddiscoversoweopenourselvestochallengeandchange.Wemustalwaysbereadytobewrong,sobeingpartofauniversitymunityrequirescourageandhumility.Universitiesmustbeplacesopentothekindofdebatethatcanchangeideasandmittedtostandardsofreasonandevidencethatformthebasesforevaluatingthem.
Silencingideasorbaskinginintellectualorthodoxyindependentoffactsandevidenceimpedesouraesstonewandbetterideas,anditinhibitsafullandconsideredrejectionofbadones.FromatleastthetimeofGalileo,wecanseehowrepressingseeminglyhereticalideashasblindedsocietiesandnationstotheenhancedknowledgeandunderstandingonwhichprogressdepend.Farmorerecently,wecanseehereatHarvardhowourinattentivenesstothepowerandappealofconservativevoicesleftmuchofourmunityastonished–blindsidedbytheouteoflastfall’selection.Wemustworktoensurethatuniversitiesdonotbeebubblesisolatedfromtheconcernsanddiscourseofthesocietythatsurroundsthem.
Universitiesmustmodelamitmenttothenotionthattruthcannotsimplybeclaimed,butmustbeestablished–establishedthroughreasonedargument,assessment,andevensometimesunfortablechallengesthatprovidethefoundationfortruth.Thelegitimacyofuniversities’claimtobesourcesandvalidatorsoffactdependsonourwillingnesstoactivelyandvigorouslydefendthosefacts.Andwemustrememberthatlimitingsomespeechopensthedangerouspossibilitythatthespeechthatisultimatelycensoredmaybeourown.Ifsomewordsaretobetreatedasequivalenttophysicalviolenceandsilencedorevenprosecuted,whoistodecidewhichwords?
Freedomofexpression,asJusticeOliverWendellHolmesfamouslysaidlongago,protectsnotonlyfreethoughtforthosewhoagreewithusbutfreedomforthethoughtwehate.Weneedtohearthosehatefulideassooursocietyisfullyequippedtoopposeanddefeatthem.
Overtheyears,differencesabouttheimplementationoftheUniversity’sfreespeechprincipleshaveoftenprovokedcontroversy.Andwehaven’talwaysgottenitright.Aslongagoas1939,aninvitationfromastudentgrouptotheheadoftheAmericanCommunistPartygeneratedprotestandtheinvitationwasultimatelycanceledbytheCorporation.BertrandRussell’sappointmentasWilliamJamesLecturerjustayearlaterdividedtheCorporation,butPresidentConantbrokethetieandRussellcame.Campusconflictsoverinvitedspeakersarehardlynew.
Yetthevehemencewithwhichtheseissueshavebeendebatedinrecentmonths,notjustoncampusesbutinthebroaderpublicsphere,suggeststhereissomethingdistinctiveaboutthismoment.Certainly,thesecontroversiesreflectahighlypolarizedpoliticalandsocialenvironment–perhapsthemostdivisivesincetheeraoftheCivilWar.Andinthesealreadyfractiouscircumstances,freespeechdebateshaveprovidedafertilesubstrateintowhichangeranddisagreementcouldbeplantedtonourishpartisanoutrageandgeneratemediaclickbait.Butthatisonlyapartialexplanation.
Universitiesthemselveshavechangeddramaticallyinrecentyears,reachingbeyondtheirtraditional,largelyhomogeneouspopulationstobeemorediversethanperhapsanyotherinstitutioninwhichAmericansfindthemselveslivingtogether.Onceoverwhelminglywhite,male,Protestant,andupperclass,HarvardCollegeisnowhalffemale,majorityminority,religiouslypluralistic,withnearly60percentofstudentsabletoattendbecauseoffinancialaid.Fifteenpercentarethefirstintheirfamiliestogotocollege.Manyofourstudentsstruggletofeelfullmembersofthismunity–amunityinwhichpeoplelikethemhavesorecentlyarrived.Theyseekevidenceandassurancethat–toborrowthetitleofapowerfultheatricalpiececreatedbyagroupofourAfrican-Americanstudents–evidenceandassurancethatthey,too,areHarvard.
Thepriceofourmitmenttofreedomofspeechispaiddisproportionatelybythesestudents.Forthem,freespeechhasnotinfrequentlyincludedenduringaquestioningoftheirabilities,theirhumanity,theirmorality–theirverylegitimacyhere.Ourvaluesandourtheoryofeducationrestontheassumptionthatmembersofourmunitywilltaketheriskofspeakingandwillactivelypeteinourwildrumpusofargumentandideas.Itrequiresthemaswelltobefearlessinfaceofargumentorchallengeorevenverbalinsult.Anditexpectsthatfearlessnessevenwhenthechallengeisdirectedtotheveryidentity–race,religion,gender,ethnicity,sexualorientation,nationality–thatmayhavemadethemuncertainabouttheirrighttobehereinthefirstplace.Demonstratingsuchfearlessnessishard;nooneshouldbemockedasasnowflakeforfindingitso.
Hard,butimportantandattainable.Attainable,webelieve,foreverymemberofourmunity.Butthepriceoffreespeechcannotbechargedjusttothosemostlikelytobeeitstarget.Wemustsupportandempowerthevoicesofallthemembersofourmunityandnurturethecourageandhumilitythatourmitmenttounfettereddebatedemandsfromallofus.Andthatcouragemeansnotonlyresilienceinfaceofchallengeorattack,butstrengthtospeakoutagainstinjusticesdirectedatothersaswell.
Freespeechdoesn’tjusthappenandrequireinterventionwhenitisimpeded.Itisnotaboutthefreedomtoout-shoutotherswhileeveryonehastheirfingersintheirears.Forfreespeechtoflourish,wemustbuildanenvironmentwhereeveryonetakesresponsibilityfortherightnotjusttospeak,buttohearandbeheard,whereeveryoneassumestheresponsibilitytotreatotherswithdignityandrespect.Itrequiresnotjustspeakers,but,inthewordsofJamesRyan,deanofourGraduateSchoolofEducation,generouslisteners.Amidstthecurrentsoul-searchingaboutfreespeech,weneedtodevotemoreattentiontoestablishingtheconditionsinwhicheveryone’sspeechisencouragedandtakenseriously.
Ensuringfreedomofspeechisnotjustaboutallowingspeech.Itisaboutactivelycreatingamunitywhereeveryonecancontributeandflourish,amunitywhereargumentisrelished,notfeared.Freedomofspeechisnotjustfreedomfromcensorship;itisfreedomtoactivelyjointhedebateasafullparticipant.Itisaboutcreatingacontextinwhichgenuinedebatecanhappen.
Talkalot,IurgedtheClassof2021lastfall;listenmore.Don’tstandsafelyonthesidelines;taketheriskofbeingwrong.Itisthebestwaytolearnandgrow.Andbuildacultureofgenerouslisteningsothatothersmaybeemboldenedtotakerisks,too.AmunityinasharedsearchforVeritas–thatistheidealforwhichHarvardmuststrive.Weneeditnowmorethanever.
Thankyou.
Thankyou,Liana!
IwanttodeeplythanktheSeniorGiftCommitteeandeveryonewhocontributedtothiswonderfulgift,tosupportstudentactivitiesatMIT.
Ialsowanttorecognizethealumnivolunteersfrom
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