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[AUDIO LOGO] [ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]
[APPLAUSE]
[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]
SPEAKER 1: Now we can sit?
SUZANNE SHU: I think you can sit, yes. Thank you.
SPEAKER 1: Now we can sit.
SUZANNE SHU: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Suzanne Shu. I'm Dean of the Faculty and Research for the SC Johnson Cornell College of Business. And I'm also the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing at the Charles Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. It's been my honor to teach a lot of your students over the last few years. Thank you for being here today.
As part of today's ceremony, before we get started, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge that Cornell University and the space that we're in here today is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogohono, the Cayuga Nation. The Gayogohono are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign nations with both a historic and contemporary presence on this land.
The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York State and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of the Gayogohono dispossession and honor the ongoing connection of the Gayogohono people, past and present, to these lands and waters. All right. Thanks.
[APPLAUSE]
And if you'll please stand now, we are about to bring in the graduates. So please stand.
["POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE" PLAYING]
Here they come. So please congratulate and welcome the Class of 2023.
[APPLAUSE]
SPEAKER 2: Professor Shu.
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 3: Right.
["POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE" PLAYING]
[APPLAUSE]
["POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE" PLAYING]
[WHISTLE]
[APPLAUSE]
["POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE" PLAYING]
SPEAKER 4: JT.
[APPLAUSE]
[CHATTER]
["POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE" PLAYING]
SPEAKER 5: I have a tattoo. I don't remember that.
["POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE" PLAYING]
SPEAKER 6: Ellen!
[APPLAUSE]
SUZANNE SHU: All right. Please be seated. I think we have everyone. Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the Dyson Graduate Recognition Ceremony in honor of the Class of 2023.
[APPLAUSE]
Before we begin the formal part of the program, I'm going to introduce some of the faculty who are up here on the stage and are assisting with today's ceremony. Let's start with Andrew Karolyi, the Charles Field Knight Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business,
[APPLAUSE]
Jinhua Zhao, the David J Nolan Dean of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management,
[APPLAUSE]
Shanjun Li, our Director of Graduate Studies,
[APPLAUSE]
Calum Turvey, our Associate Director of Graduate Studies for the MS program,
[APPLAUSE]
Aija Leiponen, the Senior Director of Programs and Director of the Master of Professional Studies, over on this side,
[APPLAUSE]
David Lennox is our Senior Lecturer of Management Communication and Director of Undergraduate Studies,
[APPLAUSE]
Professor of Practice and Business Analytics, Donna Haeger,
[APPLAUSE]
And Lecturer of Management Communication, James Stapp will also be here.
[APPLAUSE]
And we also-- I want to recognize the many other faculty who've been able to join us here today are up on the stage with us. We're very glad to have them here. So thank you to our faculty for coming out and joining today.
[APPLAUSE]
So it's now my pleasure to introduce our first student speaker and recipient of the Spirit of Dyson Award, given to a graduating senior who's consistently displayed strong intellectual development, thoughtful leadership and service to peers, the school or university, who has a global problem solving perspective and commitment and the highest standards of accountability and integrity. Please join me in welcoming Andrew Darby.
[APPLAUSE]
ANDREW DARBY: This is pretty cool, I have to say. But in all seriousness, as I look out on a group of incredible staff, faculty, administrators, families and an amazing graduating class right here, I truly could not feel more honored to be speaking on behalf of our undergraduate class, the Dyson Class of 2023.
[APPLAUSE]
At Dyson, our business is a better world. You all know this. And you all will likely hear this today more times than you can even keep track, we like to say it a lot around here in the Dyson School.
But today, I want to talk about the times when our business is not a better world, when we can't even figure out our own business, let alone the business of the world. As I'm sure is the case for many of you, my time at Cornell has been filled with these kinds of moments, rejections from business clubs, a week where Professor Perez decides he wants to assign three different case studies.
[LAUGHTER]
A grueling super day, only to get a call that is all too familiar, day after day during the pandemic when we would only leave our rooms to get food or a COVID test, regrets or poor decisions or mistakes. These are moments that no one in their right mind would want to be highlighting in a graduation speech. But I really think there's beauty in them. In these moments, we have learned to get up off the ground, wipe ourselves off and get back to the work of life.
We have learned what it means to be a Dyson student. We have learned that, even when all the chips are down, we can strive towards better. We have also learned that we can't do it alone. So thank you to the incredible support of the friends, family members, faculty, staff, administrators who are really responsible for allowing us to be sitting in these seats here today.
They say Cornell is one of the most intellectual institutions in the world. So naturally, I only felt it was right to seek out real wisdom in preparing for this speech, going to the depths of the stacks of Olin, to go there and search the manuscripts and find some long, sophisticated quote that I probably wouldn't even understand.
And you know what? I did come across some very sophisticated intellectual references and then decided to use none of them. So in keeping in line with our very cool convocation speaker, let's talk about the movie The Hangover.
[LAUGHTER]
I can assure you that Dean Zhao did not suggest I do this. I didn't get his approval ahead of time, which I probably should have done. Please let me graduate, Dean Zhao. Alan, Stu and Phil wake up after a long night in Las Vegas with no recollection of the night before. Doug is missing. Tracy is mad. The Caesars Forum Tower Suite is trashed. Baby Carlos is crying. Mr Chow is after them, and a live tiger is roaring in the bathroom.
No question, their business was not a better world. But it doesn't end there for them, and it shouldn't end here for us. Our four friends prevailed. Doug got married, and in true Hollywood fashion, they did it all over again in Hangovers II and III. We will make mistakes, maybe even two or three times. We will face extreme challenges, and we may even find ourselves up against a live, roaring tiger.
But it is how we respond when life isn't going well that really counts. Our business will not always be a better world. That's a guarantee. But we must not allow the story to end there. A better world is a global concept. It includes big things, poverty relief work, increasing access to food and health care, caring for the sick and elderly. To think that millions around the world went to bed hungry last night or did not receive the food-- or did not receive the health care access they needed to survive compels us to action.
These are problems that we must address, and I'm amazed by the ways that you all are already using business solutions to take on these challenges. A better world is also a local concept. It exists in the little things, the things that you and I can do each and every day. Reach out to someone who seems to be having a bad day. Show grace and compassion to those around us. Become friends with someone we normally wouldn't.
By doing these small things, we aren't just individuals, but we are a group that can truly matter, to ourselves and to those lives that we touch. Whether global or local, whether in the remote villages of sub-Saharan Africa or in the boardroom of Morgan Stanley, a better world is found in the love and service of those around us. It is available to each of us, each and every day.
As we look to the future, we're really at a turning point between what once defined our youth and what will now define our lives. The bad news is that the opportunities and experiences we had here at Cornell are now over for us. We can't turn back the clock. But what we can do is use what this incredible place has taught us and lead with those lessons into the future, realize that will our time here at Dyson is ending, our time in the world is just beginning.
To quote one of our most highly respected and admired alum-- really even worldwide, this person is really looked up to-- Andy Bernard says in the final minutes of the final episode of The Office, "I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them."
We need to reject the idea that we have infinite time to appreciate things, to do things and to become who we want to become. Frankly, what these last four years have taught me is that there just isn't that much time. That's motivating. Our future matters. Our choices matter. Who we become matters. We matter not only to our lives, but also to the lives of the people who surround us, the communities that surround us and the world that is counting on us.
If you've been waiting for a booming voice over a loudspeaker to tell you when is the time to start being the best version of ourselves, now is the time. Now is your time. Now is our time. Now it's our turn to go out as the Dyson Class of 2023 and every day choose to make a difference, choose to matter, choose to make it our business to build a better world. Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
SUZANNE SHU: Thank you, Andrew. I now get to introduce our second student speaker. We Xiao is a Doctor of Philosophy candidate and was selected by the AEM graduate field for her research excellence and detailed work in the field of management and a character that fully embodies perseverance and respect for her peers. Please join me in welcoming We Xiao.
[APPLAUSE]
WE XIAO: Thank you so much. Good afternoon, everyone. Six years ago-- it's my honor to be here today. You can tell I'm super excited now and nervous. Six years ago, I arrived at Dyson as an eager PhD student, filled with excitement and anticipation.
I have long been inspired by researchers who conduct exciting research to address the important challenges of our time. And I wanted to be one of them. However, that initial excitement quickly faded as I encountered various challenges. I struggled in balancing my time between course work and raising my daughter, who is here today. And--
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you so much. And to make things even worse, I failed my q exam on the first attempt. I had hope that the second year would become better. But I was mistaken. My second year paper did not go as planned either. The estimations have signs against my expectation. The instrument did not work, and advanced studies showed significant pre-trends. For those that you are not familiar with those terms, these are bad outcomes.
Despite putting in a lot of time and effort, I struggled to improve, and the stress built up. And I found myself becoming disheartened and doubting myself. However, I was fortunate enough to have a support system that stood by my side. When I failed my Q, my family and friends provided me with a lot of comfort and encouragement, which helped me overcome the challenge on my second attempt. Otherwise, I would not be here, of course.
In my second year student progress review, my advisor Professor Shanjun Li wrote, "your perseverance and tenacity are your greatest assets. The path of research is not linear. It has its ups and downs, but through this process, you will learn invaluable lessons that will benefit you in the years to come." Those words lifted my spirits and gave me the strength to persist.
As I reflect on my journey at Dyson today, my heart is filled with appreciation. I am immensely thankful to my advisor and my committee members for their unwavering support and invaluable guidance throughout this journey. I extend my gratitude to all the exceptional faculty who dedicated their time to preparing and delivering enlightening courses, expanding my horizons and training me to conduct rigorous research.
I'm grateful to the dedicated staff members who supported me during my time at Dyson, always, from helping me regain access to my office when I locked myself out many times, to sending out so many reference letters when I applied for jobs. I'm indebted to my fellow peers and friends with whom I shared unforgettable memories. We studied together, engaged in research discussions, supporting each other, and we have fun along the way.
Above all, I'm especially thankful to my family for their unwavering love and continuous support. Without all of you, completing this degree would not have been possible. Now, I'm graduating and embarking a new career in academia, I ask myself, what have I learned here for this PhD? And what can I use it for?
I have learned from so many wonderful people here at Dyson, not only in doing research, but learning to be supportive and serving other people. They embody the spirit of our university founder Ezra Cornell, who believed in doing the greatest good. As a proud Cornellian, I am inspired to utilize my talents and my passion to make a meaningful impact on people around me and all of society and strive to do the greatest good.
And I sincerely hope that all of you, wherever your paths may lead, will join me in this endeavor. Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all my fellow graduates. We made it. Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
SUZANNE SHU: It's now my pleasure to welcome Dean Jinhua Zhao to deliver the 2023 Dyson commencement address. Dean Jinhua Zhao is the David J Nolan Dean of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Dean Zhao joined the Dyson School in July 2021, after spending eight years as director of Michigan State's environmental science and policy program.
He is an impressive scholar, absolutely impressive, in the area of environmental and resource economics with a special interest and expertise in global climate change, renewable energies, water and technology adoption. We are so lucky to have him. In his time leading the Dyson School, he's shown incredible leadership and commitment to our students, faculty, staff, and the entire Dyson community. So please join me in welcoming Dean Jinhua Zhao.
[APPLAUSE]
JINHUA ZHAO: Thank you. Thank you, Dean Shu. Members of the Class of 2023, families and friends, I'm honored to welcome you to the graduation recognition ceremony of the Charles H Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. I'm so proud to celebrate your accomplish with you, your families, and the broad Dyson community.
Today, we have nine PhD graduates, 40 students receiving the Master of Science degree, 102 students receiving the Master of Professional Studies degree, including 22 who will also receive the Master of International Management degree from the CEMS alliance, and 269 undergraduate students receiving the Bachelor of Science degree.
[APPLAUSE]
Many of you are also earning dual majors, minors and other distinctions this weekend. Congratulations to each and every one of you for reaching this significant milestone. Today is a day for gratitude, gratitude to your parents, family, friends who helped you along the way. Let's show your gratitude with a round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
And gratitude to the faculty, staff, advisors, mentors who guided your education.
[APPLAUSE]
For some, it is a day tinged with a bit of sadness as you say goodbye to your roommates and friends. For some, it is a relief that today you're here at all, that you made it. Whatever you're feeling today, I'm guessing that you might also be feeling a bit of uncertainty, a bit of worry about what lies ahead. You are making a big transition.
So being unsure is normal, even in the best of times. And the fact is we are not living in the best of times. Yes, there is near record low unemployment, and jobs are still plentiful in many parts of the economy. But inflation and the collapse of regional and global banks paint a dire picture about the financial sector and the world economy.
Yes, COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, but we are still reeling from it and trying to figure out what the future workplace will look like. Yes, business leaders are making unprecedented commitments to ambitious ESG goals. But greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and dangerous weather extremes are affecting more and more of our communities.
And then there's AI, artificial intelligence. Will it make our lives easier, make the world more effectively customized to our needs? Or will it cause harm in ways we have not yet imagined? And is ChatGPT so sophisticated that it actually was able to write this speech for me?
[LAUGHTER]
Answer, not yet. But give it a few years. So as you graduate, the future is highly uncertain. As the Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu said over 2,000 years ago, "the times are like flowing water, constantly changing." So it is normal to feel a bit unease and to worry, in a time of remarkable uncertainty, about the future.
But I will not stop here. Because while the macro environment, the big picture, is murky, I'm quite confident that you, the graduating class, will have a bright future. I am optimistic about your success. I want you to acknowledge your doubts, your uncertainties, and then put them aside and focus on the grand possibilities that lie in front of you. Because you are ready for whatever happens next.
How can I say this, given all of the challenges in the world today? I say this because, at the micro level, at a personal level, I'm confident that you have what you need to be successful in a changing world. I'm confident that certain aspects about your history are good predictors of your future.
So I will give you three, among many, of what I call the leading indicators of your bright future. One, you applied for and were accepted into a highly competitive Ivy League school and then completed a rigorous program of studies. Some of you were the first in your families to go to college. Some of you came from distant cultures.
Some of you transferred in part way and then had to adjust midstream. And some of you are the proud third generation of Cornellians. Now, be sure to tell your parents and grandparents, it is much harder to get into Dyson these days than when they started.
[LAUGHTER]
So whatever your pathway, you got here, and now, you are graduating. This is strongly associated with success. We have years of data showing that, Dyson students, they do very, very well after you graduate. It is a leading indicator of success.
Two, you have proven that you have the ability and tenacity to prevail amidst disruptions and hardship. Few of us could predict the level of disruption the COVID-19 pandemic brought to your learning and your lives. But you were resilient and adaptable. You quickly pivoted to Zoom classes, learned online and found new communities and new outlets for your energies.
And then you pivoted back to in-person classes, this time, even without being given any Zoom option. You showed great flexibility and adaptability and emerged with critical new skills. And that is another indicator that, in a fast-changing world, you will be successful.
Three, you are problem solvers. This is a key part of our name, the applied in applied economics. In business education, we empower our students to apply your knowledge to a difficult, messy world.
For instance, think about our undergraduates. You are among the first to graduate from our grad challenges curriculum, which means that you know what it is to tackle an important part of a complicated problem, to work with an external client or a community partner, to engage with a team of peers who, by definition, have different strengths and different work habits than you, and to manage and meet deadlines.
And you know how to reflect on that experience, to learn from it, so you will do even better next time. So the world is full of problems, but you are problem solvers. And that is a leading indicator of success.
So Class of 2023, on this day of commencement, I want to let you know how proud we are of you. I urge you to face that uncertain future with the confidence that I feel in you, that your family and friends feel in you. Continue to do well and do good. You will make the world a better place. Congratulations again to the Class of 2023.
[APPLAUSE]
SUZANNE SHU: Thank you, Dean Zhao. That was wonderful. At this time-- I'm sorry. I would like to also acknowledge some of our graduates, both at the undergraduate and graduate level, who have earned special Dyson awards during the April Awards Event. Now, I'm going to read some names. When you hear the name of someone you love, I'm going to ask you, please hold on to your applause until I make it all the way through this list.
I know it's going to be hard, because you're going to be excited. But hang on to the applause until we get through the full list. So let's start with the undergraduate student awards. For undergraduate course assistants outstanding service, awarded to undergraduate course assistants who have demonstrated exceptional contributions, Aleksandra Chechkina, Akira Gao and Anna Zomback.
Graduating undergraduate senior research in applied economics and management, this is an acknowledgment of outstanding research achievement by a Dyson undergraduate student who has added to our understanding of applied economics and management. The winner of that is Soren Disai.
The following students were recognized as class representatives for commencement and will have the honor of leading the Dyson graduation procession tomorrow morning's ceremony, which you should definitely all come to. It's an amazing event. These are among the top 10% in academic performance in the graduating class, and they're recognized also for their classroom contributions and service to the Dyson School. Our degree marshals tomorrow will be Anushya Alandur, and Trent Edwards.
Our college named banner bearers are going to be Kate Kopp and [? Pranav ?] Vey-- I'm sorry-- [? Vasishta. ?] Our college symbol banner bearer is going to be [? Athene ?] [? Mayat. ?] Our Merrill presidential Scholars Program award winners, who will march at the front, are Anushya Alandur, Camden Wiseman and Sasha Chechkina. I see you, Sasha. And our Spirit of Dyson Award winner is Andrew Darby, who you already heard from today.
On the graduate student award list, we have several graduate student awards. First, I want to recognize some MPS project team awards. There were two MPS project teams, given year long problem solving, project teams that had consistently displayed creativity, positive attitude and persistence in the face of challenges, good communication and cohesive teamwork. It's a list of names, Kate Kearse, [? Wenchang ?] [? Hao, ?] Sarah Harrington, Abdulrahman Albawardi, Chloe [? Lu, ?] Jose [? Gagliardon, ?] Pablo Gonzalez.
Our graduate teaching assistant awards for outstanding service, this recognizes three graduate student TAs who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to the Dyson School. The winners of that are Lauren Frederick, Vrinda Kapoor and Jianqiang Jason Zhao. Our graduate student award for research excellence, which recognizes outstanding research by a Dyson MPS, MS or PhD student, goes to Tong Wu.
Our graduate student award for outstanding engaged research, which recognizes engaged research by a Dyson MPS, MS or PhD who exemplifies excellence in engaged and applied research, is [? Luca ?] [? Regadi. ?] Our Dyson best master's thesis award, which recognizes three students for their outstanding master's thesis, is [? Shaina ?] [? Krosoff, ?] Nicole Mensa and [? Paison ?] [? Chang. ?]
Our Dyson best PhD dissertation award, recognizing a student for an outstanding PhD dissertation goes to [? Deiu ?] [? Rao. ?] And the George F Warren award-- George F Warren was a very famous economist, after whom our main building is named at the Dyson School-- recognizes an outstanding paper written by a Dyson graduate student while in residence.
Third place went to Xiaomeng Chen, second place to Jiafang Mike Huang, and first place to [? Muggsy ?] [? Young. ?] There are also additional award winners listed in your program today, and I encourage you to take a look. So please join me and applauding and congratulating all of our award winners.
[APPLAUSE]
And now, we get to proceed with the individual recognition of graduates. [? Shan? ?] You're up.
SHANJUN LI: My name is Shanjun Li. I'm Kenneth Robinson Professor of Applied Economics and Public Policy. I also serve as the Director of Graduate Studies. Today, we'll take the opportunity to hood each of the student who will be receiving their Doctor of Philosophy. I'll read their names and their dissertation title, and they will be hooded by their faculty advisor.
Here. OK. All right. First up, Xiaomeng Chen. Her research is knowledge production communities, design choices and platform performance, advisor Chris Forman.
[APPLAUSE]
All right. Ana David [? Fortepoli, ?] [INAUDIBLE] in agricultural economics, advisor Prabhu Pingali. All right.
[APPLAUSE]
[? Juang ?] [? Yuan ?] [? Wu, ?] his research is on excess in urban and development economics, advisor Ravi Kanbur, hooded by Aija Leiponen.
[APPLAUSE]
All right. Zhiyun Li, her dissertation is titled, Essays on Climate Change. Advisor, Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, hooded by Aija Leiponen.
[APPLAUSE]
Ye Xian, her dissertation title is Essays in Behavioral Finance, advisor Will [? Cong, ?] hooded by Aija Leiponen.
[APPLAUSE]
Brian Park, his dissertation title is Essays on Household Choices and the Environment, advisor Nancy Chau, hooded by Arnab Basu.
[APPLAUSE]
All right.
[CHATTER]
I can do that.
[? We ?] [? Xiao, ?] her dissertation title is Three Essays on Environmental Policies in the Transportation Sector. It's my honor to hood her. All right.
[APPLAUSE]
CALUM TURVEY: Good afternoon. My name is Calum Turvey. I'm the W.I. Myers Professor of Agricultural Finance. I'm also the Director of Graduate Studies for the Master of Science program. And I'm delighted to be able to read the names of our world class Applied Economics Master's of Science students.
[READING NAMES]
Do I know you you?
[READING NAMES]
Is that it?
[APPLAUSE]
Ladies and gentlemen, the Master of Science Class of 2023.
[APPLAUSE]
AIJA LEIPONEN: I am Aija Leiponen, Senior Director of Programs and Director of the Master of Professional Studies. And I'll be reading the names of Master of Professional Studies candidates.
[READING NAMES]
[APPLAUSE]
Congratulations MPS candidates.
[APPLAUSE]
DAVID LENNOX: My name's David Lennox, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and I'll be joined by Professor Stapp and Professor Haeger to read the candidates names for the degree of Bachelor of Science.
[APPLAUSE]
[READING NAMES]
[LAUGHTER]
SPEAKER 7: What did he say?
DAVID LENNOX: I don't know. Hey, wait.
[LAUGHTER]
Hi. How are you, Sasha?
[READING NAMES]
You got to go over there.
[LAUGHTER]
[READING NAMES]
DONNA HAEGER: [READING NAMES]
JAMES STAPP: [READING NAMES]
[APPLAUSE]
[CHEER]
[APPLAUSE]
SUZANNE SHU: How about that? Huh? Amazing. So a huge congratulations to our graduates. You've achieved a great deal, and you should be very proud. And we are very proud of you. Please visit. Come back. Visit often. Keep in touch as you progress through your careers and lives and all the wonderful things you're going to do.
Now, Dean Zhao said earlier, today is a day of gratitude. And so before we wrap up-- and we're close to the end. We're almost there. So hang on just a second. We have a few more thanks to give. The first bit of thanks, please join me again in thanking the family and friends who've joined us here today. As a parent of college students myself, I know what a momentous and emotional occasion this can be.
And so your parents are here, and they're so excited, and your family and friends and the people who love you. So I know a lot of you have traveled a long way to be here. We appreciate your presence. Graduates, I encourage you to try to look through the crowd, find them if you can, wave and applaud your family and friends who are here today.
[APPLAUSE]
I also want to thank all of our amazing staff volunteers who are working through a holiday weekend to be here and help pull this off so successfully and to make today and tomorrow special for all of our graduates. So thanks to our staff and our volunteers.
[APPLAUSE]
OK, a few more announcements. We're almost there. After the recessional is complete and the faculty and the graduates have left the space, we ask that the families remain for a moment. But then after everybody's out, you're welcome to come back in here, take photos. This space is not being used immediately after this ceremony ends. If you want photos by the Dyson banner, you can do that. So you're welcome back, but please give us a moment to get the graduates and faculty out first.
We are going to sing the "Alma Mater" in a minute. To do that, I'm going to ask one of our amazing staff volunteers, Gail Fink-- here she is. She's going to lead us in the "Alma Mater." She's the CEMS program director and is a Dyson Class of '85 herself. Now, the "Alma Mater," we're going to ask you to stand as you read that. You hopefully have a program. The words are on the back.
I trust that any of my students, I taught you this a few years ago. Please sing along. So we'll start that in just a moment. And please remain standing while the recessional happens as soon as the singing is complete. So again, congratulations to our graduates. And we look forward to watching you as you do amazing things in your life. Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
Yes. Put it on music there.
GAIL FINK: All right. All right.
GROUP: (SINGING) Far above Cayuga's waters, with its waves of blue, stands our noble Alma Mater, glorious to view. Lift the chorus, speed it onward. Loud her praises tell. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
Far above the busy humming of the bustling town, reared against the arch of heaven, looks she proudly down. Lift the chorus, speed it onward. Loud her praises tell. Hail to thee, our Alma Mater. Hail, all hail, Cornell.
[APPLAUSE]
[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]
[CHATTER]
[ORCHESTRAL MUSIC]
