President Hrabowski, Provost Johnson, colleagues, friends, parents, and (most importantly) students:

I am very grateful and honored to be here, but I must confess that I am a little nervous. There are two reasons for my anxiety: first, the size and quality of this audience; and second, the fact that I am serving as the opening act for Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, which is somewhat akin to a French horn player fronting for Tina Turner. Undaunted, I will continue.

Let me start with a question: How many of you are members of the first generation in your family to attend a university? Me too! My father was born in Pultusk, Poland in 1920. As a result of the Nazi invasion of Poland and the subsequent Holocaust, my father was deprived of even a high school education. My mother, who at the age of 14, fled with her parents from Austria, was a splendid student despite the fact that she did not know a word of English before arriving in America. All set to enroll in college, her plans were permanently de-railed by the death of her father shortly after her high school graduation, and by the need for her to find a job to support her mother. Denied the chance to attend college themselves, my parents did everything in their power to ensure that my brothers and I would have the educational opportunities of which they could only dream.

My parents taught me that the chance to go to college was an extraordinary privilege, a gift beyond measure. It still is. Dear students, make the most of this wonderful opportunity accorded you. The playwright George Bernard Shaw once noted that youth is wasted on the young. Every day, you should do all in your power to demonstrate that Shaw was dead wrong.

I was born and raised in New York City, and once a year, my father would take me down to Delancey Street on the lower east side of Manhattan to buy a suit. We always would go to a particular clothier (a friend of my father named Kaufman) who would invariably say to me, “So what do you want? You want fancy – we got fancy. You want not-so fancy -- we got not-so fancy. You want for a wedding – we got it. A funeral – we got that too.” When I think of the opportunities available at UMBC, I am reminded of that clothier. To paraphrase Mr. Kaufman:

You want an extraordinary array of courses in the arts, humanities, sciences, and engineering? We got it.

You want faculty who are learned, passionate, and deeply committed to the growth of their students? We got it.

You want the chance to learn a new language, a musical instrument, photography, dance, and film? We got it.

You want the opportunity to work side-by-side with scholars doing state-of-the-art research in immunology, addictions, aging, domestic violence, atmospheric physics, decision theory, and digital imaging (just to name a few areas)? We got that, too.

Clearly, the opportunities for growth and mastery are limitless at UMBC. The critical question is, Are you going to take advantage of them? The Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel once remarked that the opposite of good is not evil. It is indifference. Dear students, do not be indifferent to your courses. Choose them wisely, attend them regularly, study diligently, and go beyond what is required. Do not be afraid to take a demanding class in which a high grade is not assured. Pursue both depth and breadth of knowledge. Take courses in fields about which you may know nothing -- you’ll be amazed how a class in, for example, art history or cultural anthropology or political philosophy will broaden, challenge, and enlighten you.

Do not be indifferent to your teachers. Ask questions when you are lost or unsure. Never feel comfortable with ignorance. Respectfully challenge your teachers when you disagree with them. Visit them during their office hours and engage them in discussion. Don’t wait until the end of the semester to offer criticism or praise, and then do so only anonymously. If a teacher has given a splendid lecture or fostered an enlightening discussion or cleared up a long-held misconception, let them know of your appreciation at the conclusion of the class. Praise that is timely and deserved is valued by faculty just as much as it is by students.

Lastly, do not be indifferent to your fellow students or to the UMBC community. If you know of a classmate who is struggling with academic or personal problems, offer some assistance – a kind word, a tutoring session, a ride to the nearest Dunkin Donuts. Get involved in student organizations and governance. Support your fellow students by attending their theatre, dance, and music performances. Volunteer your time and energies to the many community service projects that bring UMBC’s resources to needy individuals and families.

One of my former professors once complained about some of his students going through graduate school “double-parked.” He was referring to those students who only set foot on campus to take courses, and then rushed back to their cars once their classes were done. Do not attend UMBC double-parked. Take full advantage of its extraordinarily rich academic, research, cultural, athletic, and public service opportunities. We are deeply committed to your personal and professional growth, and, in turn, we are confident that you will help UMBC grow wiser and stronger. We are honored and delighted to have you join our community, and we wish you all the very best!

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