Toni Morrison delivered the commencement address to the largest graduating class of Rutgers University in the school's history Sunday morning.
The ceremony was actually only attended by less than half of the eligible graduates--12,890 of them. It was also the first held in the football stadium in Piscataway since the 1960s and was expressly re-tooled to be shorter, less formal and more fun than past commencements.
"We have begun a new tradition at Rutgers--and yet we are here for a very time-honored practice, that of celebrating the achievements of our graduating students," university President Richard McCormick said.
Nobel Prize-winning author Morrison received a standing ovation for her 15-minute address to the graduates. She told the students that they could still make their mark, even in a world that seems to be "breaking apart," physically and emotionally.
"You are your own stories," Morrison told the students. "Bit by bit, step by step, you can change things--the things that need changing," Morrison said.
Morrison was paid $30,000 for the address, the first time Rutgers has paid for a commencement speaker--her fee was paid using a fund provided by PepsiCo as part of the campus vending machine contract, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported.
没有评论:
发表评论