My son, Evan, graduated with a degree in engineering yesterday from RPI. Even though it rained incessantly throughout the ceremony, once spot of sunshine came, not from the weather, but from the speech by Thomas l. Friedman. His address tied together the many facets of The World is Flat in a way that made it relevant to the graduating students.
His speech took a three-faceted approach in how students' lives would be changed from this day forward: the brutal facts, the inspiration and the sentimental. All three were filled with humor, insight and warning. He told the students that the world needs them as graduates, with degrees in science and engineering and mathematics. These fields are what brings innovation to the world. He admonished that their brilliance would require them to create and invent ways to do more with less.
He also stated the importance of the liberal arts, coupled with math and science to the creative process. All great inventors and thinkers and innovators were versant in two or more seemingly disparate fields. He gave as examples: Steve Job (founder of Apple Computer whose idea for the first graphic computer was a result of his study of calligrapher) and the obvious-Leonardo DaVinci.
He also good-naturedly urged the students to look to their own backyards (and dirty closets) before seeking to clean up the rest of the environment. The brutal fact was they were on their own now.
Mr Friedman also talked of the unprecedented changes that the internet and web have brought to the world and that it has been the single most important factor in the flattening of the world. He cautioned the graduates that they should be vigilant and mindful of the footprint that they leave there. Resumes are no longer the way that employers find out about potential employees as they were in Mr. Friedman's day. Now the entire world can see what one's life is about through such social networking sites as MySpace and FaceBook.
Finally, and this appealed to all of the parents in the audience, Mr. Friedman encouraged the students, as they go out into the world to remember the people who helped them to get to the place are now. His exhortation "Call your Mother" brought smiles and tears from the parents in the audience and heartfelt cheers from the students.
Sure, we were soaked as the heavens opened for most of the ceremony, but it seemed no one noticed the rain during Mr. Friedman's speech.
Here is a link to the Albany Times Union report on the speech:
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=590979&category=FRONTPG&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=5/20/2007
