Change the world, grads told
Graduates were given a tall order last week during The University of Western Ontario’s 295th Convocation to make a significant difference in Canadian culture and society, support First Nations and to live a life of meaning.
Convocation week (June 14-18) delivered a whirlwind of emotions for graduates and the 10 honorary degree recipients.
Close to 6,400 graduates were expected to cross the stage in Alumni Hall to be hooded and join the ranks of about 250,000 alumni. Excited family and friends watched in anticipation as their son, daughter or friend symbolically transitioned from student to graduate.
Western conferred honorary degrees to playwright Paul Thompson, nursing ethicist Janet Storch, gerontologist Gloria Gutman, aboriginal leader Phil Fontaine, humanitarian Samantha Nutt, chemical engineer Alice Gast, former London mayor Jane Bigelow, Dr. Jim Silcox, former prime minister Paul Martin and entrepreneur Arkadi Kuhlmann.
A Medical doctor and founder/Executive Director of War Child Canada, Nutt encouraged graduates to make different choices than previous generations in response to crises of the environment, poverty, armed conflict and economic uncertainties.
“The period of unregulated, unadulterated self-interest is over by necessity. That is not something to be feared or a loss to be mourned,” she says. “On the contrary, it offers hope and opportunity for those of you on the cusp of this new stage in your lives, to channel your energies and your education into a life and a career rooted in meaning.”
Similarly, Fontaine, who was conferred an honorary Doctor of Literature, honoris causa (D.Litt.) in recognition of his contributions to Aboriginal Canadians as National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, asked graduates to fight injustices in Canada.
“Don’t let people talk you into doing what is easy or comfortable,” he says. “Listen to what is inside of you and decide what it is you care about so much that you’re willing to risk it all. There are some betting against you. Prove them wrong.”
The convocation addresses have been posted to Western’s iTunes U page.
Visit www.uwo.ca, click on the Western 2.0 button, and click on Western’s official iTunes U page link. To load the application, iTunes must be installed on your computer.
Eighteen years ago Ricardo O’Donell donned the cap his father, Carlos, wore for his graduation from the Faculty of Engineering in this photo that appeared in Western News in 1992. Fast forward to this past week when O’Donell wore his own mortarboard, following in his father’s footsteps with an Engineering degree.