CSUN 2012 Commencement: Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication

[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
>> Please remain standing while the California state university
Northridge jazz A band under professor Matt Harris plays the
national anthem sung by Bobby Akinoboye and Kaylie Ann
Warfield from the department of music.
[Music]
[Singing of National Anthem]
>> Please be seated.
Good morning.
Thank you, Bobby and Kaylie, for that beautiful performance.
My name is Robert Bucker, Dean of the Mike Curb College of
Arts, Media, and Communication and it is…
[Cheering, Applause]
and it is my distinct pleasure
to welcome you to the 2012 California State University,
Northridge Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication
Commencement Ceremony.
[Cheering, Applause]
May today's ceremony provide
lasting and special memories for our graduating class of 2012.
Commencement is a significant occasion for all of us.
We are indeed honored to have had you as… as students
We are proud that your parents and your friends and your families
are here to join in this celebration today.
It was a privilege to have you as students here
and we thank you for being students here and
studying with us. I am confident you're well
prepared to begin your professional lives or continue
on to graduate education. Celebrating this occasion with
us today are University officials and distinguished
guests. We want to welcome Interim President Hellenbrand,
administrators of our University, and department
chairs that join me on the platform this morning.
I would like to introduce five of the new faculty members who
have just completed their first year teaching with us. These
professors have graciously agreed to be part of a new
tradition in the Mike Curb College beginning this year.
That tradition is reading all the names of all the graduates from
their departments.
These new faculty members are Michelle Rozic from the Art
department...
Joel Krantz from Cinema and Television Arts...
Gina Giotta from the Department of Communication Studies...
[Cheering]
Stephanie Bluestein from Journalism
[Cheering]
and Larry Biederman from Theatre
[Cheering]
I thank all of our colleagues and guests for being with us.
As we being, we remind you the aisles must be kept open and you
are asked to stay until the end of the ceremony this morning.
This is my last chance to have a few parting remarks for these
graduating seniors and so I want to share very briefly six
lessons that I've learned on the way to standing before you this
morning. Lesson No. 1 is very simple,
do what you love. The good jobs that remain are
those that cannot be automated or outsourced.
They are the jobs that demand or encourage some uniquely human
creative flare, passion and your imagination.
In other words, jobs that can only be done by people who love
what they do. The second lesson is being a
good listener. It is one of the great keys to
success in your life. To be successful, you first must
open the ears of others and the best way to open their ears is
to first open your own. Lesson number 3, the most
enduring skill you can bring to the world and to the workplace
is the ability to learn from others.
The best way to learn from others is to love learning.
When I think back of my favorite teachers, I'm not sure I
remember much of what they taught me.
But I certainly remember how much I enjoyed learning it.
Lesson four, don't get carried away with gadgets.
If I had one fervent wish, it would be for every piece of new
technology sold in America to come with a warning label
from the surgeon general and that warning would simply say
judgment not included. Lesson 5, there's a difference
between skepticism and cynicism. Be a skeptic, not a cynic.
We have more than enough of those in our country already.
And so much more creative joy comes from skepticism and
learning than cynicism. Final lesson, call your mother.
I want to quote a story from Pulitzer Prize winning reporter
the "New York Times" Thomas L. Friedman.
His father died when he was 19. He never got to see him do what
he loved to do. He always said I sure wish I
could call him. My mom is 86 years old and lives
in a home for people with dementia she doesn't remember so
well anymore but she still remembers that my column runs
twice a week. She doesn't quite remember the
day, so every day she goes through the "New York Times" and
if she finds my column, she often photocopies it and passes
it out to the other dementia patients in her nursing home, if
you don't think that is important to me, then you don't
know what is important. Your parents love you more than
you will ever know, so if you take one lesson away from this
ceremony, take this one. Call your mother regularly.
You will always be glad you did.
I want to leave you with some
wit and wisdom attributed to Mark Twain.
Always fall in love like you've never been hurt before.
Always dance like nobody is watching.
And always, always live like it's heaven on earth.
Thank you.
[Applause]
At this time I'm pleased to
recognize Dr. Harold Hellenbrand, interim president,
of California State University Northridge.
In his brief time as interim president and 8 year term as Provost,
a position to which he will be returning next month, president
Hellenbrand continues to guide our academic programs with an
unerring passion for excellence, access and fairness.
He is our north star. And in the words of Paul Simon,
another New Yorker, our bridge over increasingly troubled
waters. Welcome to the podium, Harry.
[Applause]
>> Honored graduates, guests and friends, I want you to consider
these odds for a few minutes. In the large cities of America,
for every 10 students who begin high school, 7 graduate.
Those 7 who graduate, 4 will go on to get coursework beyond high
school. For those 4 who do that, 1 will
graduate with a B.A. and of that 1 who graduates with a B.A., .33
will get an advanced degree. So those of you who are getting
your B.A. or an advanced degree today have truly beaten the odds
and have much to be proud of.
[Applause]
In our pride, though, there's also a
reason to be deeply humbled. For all these people who are
here today, for all of us, no one of us would be here today if
some ancestor, some parent, some grandparent did not make the
troubled passage to this new world in this golden state.
Few of us would be here today if a parent, an uncle, a brother, a
sister did not work an extra job, take an extra shift, pick
an extra bushel. Few of us would be here today if
a friend or a stranger did not reach out a hand and help us.
Few of us would be here today if another person did not reach out
a hand and say, do not be like me.
Few would be here today, if a teacher did not say, it's easy.
Do it this way. Few of us would be here today if
a coach did not say, I know you can do it.
Go ahead and try. Up close, each of us can appear
to ourselves to be a continent of solitary isolation but looked
at from above, each one of us is an archipelago of islands of influence
composed of those people who have contributed to our lives.
It's easy to think of us as
individuals but we rely on we the people to succeed.
So today I'm grateful for all of your graduation ceremonies and I
also wish you the best, but I also know that behind each one
of you is an army of friends, family, and others who have made
this day possible and much congratulations to them as well.
God bless you all.
[Applause]
>> Thank you, Harry.
The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication would
like to give special recognition to three outstanding graduates
who were introduced to the university community last night
at the 2012 heritage of excellence honors convocation.
Stacia Short from the department of communication is this year's
Wolfson scholar, the university's highest academic
achievement. The Wolfson scholar award is
presented each year in memory of California State University
Northridge's first vice president, Leo Wolfson.
Not only must the winner have an exceptional academic record, she
must also have made significant contributions to CSUN and to our
community through extracurricular activities.
Stacia, please stand and accept our congratulations.
[Applause]
>> The winner of the outstanding graduating veteran award is
Marco Duarte from the department of cinema and television arts.
Marco, please stand.
[Applause]
>> I'm also very pleased to
announce the winner and the two first runners up of the Ravi K
and Amalia Sawney creative arts ...creative award.
This $10,000 award, given for the first time this year goes to
Beneyam Wold-Yohannes of the department of cinema and
television arts.
[Applause]
>> It recognizes his artistic
achievement and creative promise and will help launch what
promises to be to be a professional film-making career.
I'd also like to acknowledge the outstanding academic and
artistic achievements of Kelsey Porter of the department of theater.
And Thomas Gallegos of the department of music.
>> Kelsey and Thomas, please stand so we can recognize you.
[Applause]
Beneyam, is not with us this morning.
The rough cut of his film project that won him this award also won
him a screening at the Cannes film festival.
[Applause]
>> The Mike Curb college would
also like to give special recognition to those students
who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship while at
the university. These students may be identified
by the honors medallions they are wearing.
Will those students who are graduating with academic honors
please rise and receive our applause.
[Applause]
Thank you. Please be seated.
>> The Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication
owes much of its success to its talented and dedicated faculty.
I now invite our teaching faculty and the faculty Emeriti
who have joined us today to rise and be recognized by your
students, colleagues and friends.
[Applause]
Thank you. Please be seated.
I want you to recognize the important contributions made by
the clerical and technical staff of the college.
We are fortunate to have a highly skilled and dedicated
clerical and technical staff. I ask them to rise and accept
our applause as well.
[Applause]
>> Many of them are back in our
offices keeping the place running as we're standing here
and sitting here this morning.
At this time, I would like to
invite to the podium vice president Cynthia Rawitch, who
will now present the candidates for the master's degree.
>> Will all candidates for the master of arts in all
departments please rise.
President Hellenbrand, I present
the candidates for the master of arts in art, the master of fine
arts in art, the master of arts in mass communication, the
master of music, master of arts in music, master of arts in
communication studies, master of arts in screen writing and
master of arts in theater.
These candidates have completed the requirements for the master's
degree as prescribed by the state of California and the trustees of
the California state university and they have been recommended
by the faculty of Cal State University Northridge.
Please continue standing while interim president Hellenbrand
confers the master's degree upon you.
>>> Upon the recommendation of the fine faculty of this fine college
and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Board of Trustees
I confer upon you the degree of masters of art, master of fine
arts and arts, master of arts in mass communication, master of
music, master of arts and music, master of arts and communication
studies, master of arts in screen writing, and master of
arts in theater with all the rights, honors and especially
the responsibilities pertaining thereto.
Congratulations.
[Applause]
>> The completion… the completion of a degree
program is a significant achievement and we are very
proud of this for you. Please come forward as directed
by the marshals to receive our personal congratulations and
your commemorative certificate. Thank you.
[Graduate names being announced]
>> There are six disciplines represented by the graduates
in the ceremony today.
They are the departments of art, cinema and television arts,
communication studies --
[Cheering]
Journalism.
[Cheering]
>> Music and theater.
[Cheering]
>> Will all the candidates for the Baccalaureate degree now rise.
[Applause]
Interim president Hellenbrand,
I present to you the undergraduate class of 2012
from the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication.
[Applause]
These candidates have completed the requirements for
the Baccalaureate degree as prescribed by the state of
California and the trustees of California state university, and
they have been recommended for their degrees by the faculty of
California State University Northridge.
>> Upon the recommendation of the faculty and by the authority
vested in me by the Board of Trustees, I confer upon you the
degree of bachelor of arts in art, bachelor of arts in cinema
and television.
Bachelor of arts in communication studies. Bachelor of arts in journalism.
Bachelor of arts in music, bachelor of music and bachelor
of arts in theater with all the rights, honors and opportunities
pertaining thereto. Will you please be seated.
>> Members of the platform party and the department chairs will
now offer congratulations to our college's Baccalaureate
graduates. Would the degree candidates
please move to the platform as directed by the marshals?
Please come forward as your name is read.
You will be congratulated by a member of the platform party and
receive your diploma cover and certificate from your department
chair. Afterwards, you will return to
your seats as directed by the commencement ushers.
I ask the guests to please help by keeping the aisles clear so
that we may proceed through this process in an orderly manner.
Thank you.
[Graduate names being announced]
[Applause]
Will the recipients of the Baccalaureate degree please rise.
An academic tradition the student who has not yet earned a
degree wears the tassel on the right of the mortar board.
When the degree is conferred, the scholar moves the tassel to
the left and joins a select company of highly educated
men and women.
[Cheering]
I welcome you into the alumni family of the Mike Curb College
of Arts, Media and Communication.
[Cheering, Applause]
Thank you. Please be seated.
Another California state university Northridge tradition
is to acknowledge the critical role of our alumni
in the success of our graduates.
Ravi Sawhney and his wife Amalia are such alumni by starting this
wonderful award to an outstanding graduating senior.
Ravi and Amalia are here this morning.
I would like them to stand and receive our applause.
[Applause]
In addition, we are honored to welcome to the podium husband
and wife alums, David Knoller, class of 1986, and Wendy Knoller
of class of 1987. These remarkable alums produced
seminal television series. Among their accomplishments,
Wendy was the producer of the iconic series "Friends."
[Cheering]
And David produced and directed HBO's series "Big Love."
[Cheering]
They will now officially welcome you into the California state
university Northridge alumni association.
[Applause]
>> On behalf of over 200,000 alumni and under the authority
of the board of directors of the Cal State Northridge alumni
association, it's my pleasure to formally
welcome you as alumni of our great university.
[Cheering]
>> This is your day. You have worked long and hard to
reach this moment We are honored to join
with you, your family and friends to celebrate the joy
of your achievement.
>> The word commencement is defined as the time of a beginning.
In that context this ceremony marks the beginning of a new
and enduring relationship between you and Cal State Northridge.
>> And now it's my pleasure to inform you that you may add
the title of alumnus or alumna to your name as you are now
eligible for membership in the Cal State Northridge alumni
association. Congratulations. >>Congratuations.
[Applause]
>> All of us here owe a debt, to the parents,
spouses, children and other significant individuals who have
encouraged and in many cases sacrificed to make it possible
for these graduates to come to the Mike Curb College of Arts,
Media and Communication at Cal State University Northridge.
We salute them and ask them to stand for a well deserved round
of applause.
[Applause]
Please be seated.
At this time I would like to recognize those who have helped
make this commencement ceremony a meaningful and enjoyable one.
An event of this magnitude requires months of planning and
hard work, on behalf of the platform party I thank the
members of the campus community who contributed to this
morning's ceremony. Would you please join me in
expressing our appreciation to these wonderful folks.
[Applause]
Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for being with us today.
Once again, congratulations to the class of 2012.
[Applause]
Before we officially close this ceremony, I ask that
all the students rise for our university Alma mater,
hail to the matadors, under the musical direction of
Matt Harris and the jazz A band. After the Alma mater has
concluded, please remain by your seats until the platform party
and faculty have recessed. We ask that all parents and
guests please remain seated until the end of the recessional,
the music you will hear during the recessional is
a sample of the programming that was presented this year in the
valley performing arts center. Immediately following the
recessional, please join us at the reception area in the plaza
located in the valley of performing arts center to
our south. I've been instructed to point
you in that direction. It's that way.
For some refreshments and a chance to introduce your family
and friends to your faculty members.
At the conclusion of the faculty recessional this morning,
the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media and Communication commencement
for the year 2012 is formally concluded.
[Singing of "Hail to the Matadors"]
[Recessional Music]