May Commencement Archive

I was going to echo Dave. Wow, wow, wow. You all look amazing. And this is a really big room. Thank you, President Cornish, for that incredible introduction. I’m not quite sure who that was you were describing, but I do hope I get to meet him while I’m here.

I’m so proud to be joining Loki, Francesca, and Linda here on the stage. I wish you could have heard Loki and Linda last night. I'm so grateful I don't have to follow them today. Congratulations to all three of you on your richly deserved honors.

To the deans, faculty, Board of Trustees, parents, family members, and especially to the class of 2023, good morning! I want to thank the Senior Class Officers for choosing me as their commencement speaker. But let’s be honest, after Jon Stewart, Oprah, and Bob Iger all passed...I was the next obvious choice! Seriously though, this was never something I even dared to have on my bucket list, and I’m so grateful to you for this lovely and unexpected honor.

I want to give a quick shout out to my family who are here with me today. First of all, my incredible wife Melissa. We celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary this summer, and she’s the main reason I’m standing up here today. Our wonderful sons Josh and Ben are here, as is their big sister Jessie and her partner. Jessie is a proud member of Ithaca Class of 2016. She also graduated with a BFA in Theatre, just like her Dad. Yes, indeed. Having her attend school here was such a special bonus in my life and gave me the joy of four additional years of excuses to come up to visit and relive my wonderful times here.

Speaking of wonderful times here, I also want to acknowledge my dear old friend, and college roommate, Ric Stoneback, who’s here with me today. It means the world to me that he’s here, but more importantly this means he’s an eyewitness for all our classmates who would never, EVER, have guessed I would be standing here today.

I have to confess I was totally speechless when I was asked to do this and that doesn’t happen very often. I said to President Cornish, “You know I’ve been extremely lucky and successful many times in my life, but I’m definitely not well known for my writing prowess.”

To which she responded, “Excuse me, Larry. Are you trying to tell me that you graduated from one of the finest student-centered comprehensive colleges in America and you don’t know how to write a speech?”

It's true. Now, I don’t know her all that well, but I do know when I’ve been outsmarted! So here I am!

I realize I’m supposed to stand up here today and spout brilliant jewels of wisdom to inspire all of you in navigating the next chapter of your lives. But I have to say, the fact that all of you survived college—and thrived—during the last four years is nothing short of miraculous. During a pandemic, and with the crazy and alarming things that have been going on in the world, I don’t think there’s anything I could possibly say, or teach you, that you haven’t already figured out for yourselves. And for that I think you all deserve another huge round of applause.

"But I have to say, the fact that all of you survived college—and thrived—during the last four years is nothing short of miraculous. During a pandemic, and with the crazy and alarming things that have been going on in the world, I don’t think there’s anything I could possibly say, or teach you, that you haven’t already figured out for yourselves."

When I started to tell friends I had been asked to do this, I of course got tons of advice. What to say, and how to say it. Many folks sent me their favorite commencement speeches to watch. I watched a few of them, and then came to the sad realization that I’m never going to be Shonda Rhimes, Steve Jobs, or Jim Carrey, so the best approach would be, quite simply, to just be myself. Yes, “to thine own self be true.” And when I began wrestling with what I could possibly speak to you about, I remembered the first rule of writing: “Write what you know.”

And the thing I know the most about in this world is theatre, because I have been involved with it in some capacity for my entire life. I’ve always loved it and the impact it can have on people, as well as its power to hold a mirror up to our society.

It’s funny, quite often a friend, or a fellow parent, will ask me to try to talk their child out of becoming a theatre major. I always respond, “Absolutely not! I will not do that.”

Getting an education in theatre, or any of the arts for that matter, creates some of the finest, sensitive, and kind human beings on the planet. Actually, the same can be said for any student who is lucky enough to go to Ithaca College in any capacity. They help to create human beings who understand how to take risks; how to solve problems. Human beings who can imagine solutions to problems we are not even able to predict. Speaking of which…where are all my theatre majors at out there? We used to come in with balloons so they could see you clearly. I see you red carpet lovers, and I’m so thrilled to be up here representing all of you! Along with Franchesca.

So…what does a theatre degree actually teach? Well you may not be aware of it, but there are many aspects of a theatre education that all of us use in everyday life without even realizing it.

To start off, theatre teaches you how to be a good collaborator. As the famous saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” It teaches you how to work with others and forces you to work together as one. The legendary Broadway director Hal Prince, who directed Evita and Sweeney Todd to name just a few, used to always say during rehearsals, “The best idea wins.” And it didn’t matter if that idea was coming from an actor, a follow spot operator, or an usher. Whichever idea could make the show the very best it could possibly be was the one he’d go with. And I think that’s a very wise way to approach most things in life. Check your egos at the door and allow yourself to be open to all of the possibilities and suggestions. Even ones from unexpected sources. If you have really great collaborators, they will lift you up and make you look even better than you would have on your own. I always tell my kids, if you surround yourself with people who are at the top of their games, they will make you look like you are as well.

Another important skill theatre teaches us is how to listen. Often the very best actors are the ones that can convince you that they’re really listening even if they’ve heard the same line eight times a week for two years straight! In my opinion, one of the biggest challenges facing our world today is that people don’t really listen to each other any more. Don’t just pretend to be listening while you’re spending the entire time thinking about how you can respond, or how what’s being said applies to yourself.

Really listen and respond accordingly. Ask more questions. You’ll get your turn soon enough. You’ll also learn that sometimes the things that are the hardest to listen to—ideas that you might at first not want to hear—hold the greatest potential for your own growth.

Similarly, another skill necessary in the theatre is to “be in the moment.” Really enjoy and experience your surroundings and take the time to absorb them. So yes, stop and smell the roses. But really smell them. Enjoy the aroma but know that sometimes getting pricked by a thorn is a part of the experience. And whenever you’re on an adventure or trying out something new, remind yourselves to enjoy the ride and take note of how it makes you feel.

Taking risks is another huge part of how we create theatre, but also how we all get ahead in life. Dare to try something new, force yourselves to think in a different way than you normally do. Walk home in a new direction whenever you can. Say yes to new, scary experiences. Honestly, the reason I’m standing up here today is because back in 1997 I decided to take a huge risk. An underused theatre space in Upper Manhattan was presented to me by chance. As I toured the facilities a wave of fear, and excitement, washed over me. Because I knew, at that moment, that my life was going to change if I was willing to take a leap of faith. I was an actor at the time and didn’t know the first thing about producing theatre. But I dove in, headfirst, and started an off-Broadway theatre company which set me off on my path as a theatre producer, and I’ve never looked back. I learned by the seat of my pants, and yes, I made many mistakes. But that’s how I learned what not to do. No risk, no reward, right?

And just know that there’s a chance that you may fail along the way, but the final outcome can still be successful.

Mark Twain said it beautifully. He wrote, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, and catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

In other words, take the trip, buy the shoes, and eat the cake. And sure, you might get lost, get blisters, or put on a few pounds, but you will have lived with fewer regrets.

"In other words, take the trip, buy the shoes, and eat the cake. And sure, you might get lost, get blisters, or put on a few pounds, but you will have lived with fewer regrets."

Something else which is essential in both theatre and everyday life is being fast on your toes and being able to pivot artfully. Flexibility. This is why improvisation is an integral part of any theatre education. The first thing they teach you in improv class is to say “Yes…and?” Improv forces you to listen. Again, to really listen, and to use your brain. To make something less about you and more about making your partner look good. If you think about it, we all improvise all day long. Nobody’s following a script in real life. Nobody tells you what to say on a phone call. There’s nothing rehearsed during a conversation at dinner. One of my favorite quotes on the subject comes from the actor Alan Arkin. He said, “…all of life is an improvisation, whether you like it or not. Some of the greatest scientific discoveries of the 20th century came just from people dropping things.”

Which is hilarious and so true! Again, it’s all about listening, being in the moment, and embracing the possibility of failing successfully.

So, as you can see, theatre really does teach all of us quite a bit about thriving in our everyday lives. But I think the most crucial thing it requires of us is…to be kind. The arts teach us to be kinder because they help us enter other people’s stories. And this, then, creates empathy. To me, kindness is the most important trait in all of life not just a life in the theatre. Being a jerk, or self-centered, or argumentative during rehearsals or any kind of meetings or gatherings, gets you nowhere. It’s the team players who always help elevate the quality of the project. Kindness is infectious, and it’s up to you to help spread it around. As my mother used to like to say, “a little bit of sugar goes a very long way.”

Kindness, flexibility, improvisation, collaboration, listening, observing, absorbing, and risk taking. Regardless of what your degree is in, these are all tools that could be useful to all of you. All things which, I hope, can help steer your paths as you approach the new, every day, stages in your lives.

As President Cornish mentioned earlier, I’m lucky enough to be on the producing team of the Broadway hit, Hadestown. We won eight Tony Awards, and it’s currently running at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway, as well as being on a national tour. We’ll also be opening on London’s West End in Spring 2024. The show iswritten by the brilliant Anaiis Mitchell, and there’s a wonderful toast given during one of the songs, which I’d like to leave you all with now.

So…everyone please raise your imaginary glasses. Except for those of you that have flasks on you. Which my roommate Ric and I may or may not have had at our graduation. And the toast simply goes like this, “Here’s to the world we dream about, and the one we live in now.”

And I truly can’t wait to see that world we all dream about…which I know will become a dazzling reality in the capable, and brilliant, hands of the Ithaca College Class of 2023. Just remember… to take those risks, spread kindness, and always enjoy the ride. Congratulations and thank you all so very much for this special honor.

La Jerne Terry Cornish, president of Ithaca College, welcomed graduates to the Commencement ceremony

The day we’ve been waiting for is here. Welcome, Class of 2023 and our distinguished guests to the 128th Commencement at Ithaca College! Give them another round of applause.

It is truly a privilege to congratulate our soon-to-be alumni on this outstanding accomplishment. It takes focused dedication, exceptional balance, and rigorous study to achieve excellence in an academic field, and I commend you for the commitment you’ve demonstrated. In all, almost 1,200 students comprise Ithaca College’s Class of 2023. I’d like to add another group of individuals in our community who have reached important milestones during the past year. I wish to honor the 23 faculty who have earned tenure or promotion during the past year.

Can we give them a round of applause?

I also wish to thank the families and supporters who have provided critical support on their student’s journey to graduation and played an active role in the life of the college.

Graduates, the gowns, caps and tassels that all of you wear unite you and reflect not just pageantry but pride and purpose. Through additional cords, stoles, and pins, many of you are representing who you are or who you’ve become. They signify your impressive achievements in athletics, work experiences, organizations, and honor societies. Although they differentiate you in some ways, they also celebrate the only things every graduate shares: the uniqueness of your story and your commitment to build upon it. You come from many states and from around the world. It is the weaving together of your respective perspectives that gives the Class of 2023 its inspiring strength and enduring character. There can never be another class exactly like yours, and we already miss you.

"It is the weaving together of your respective perspectives that gives the Class of 2023 its inspiring strength and enduring character. There can never be another class exactly like yours, and we already miss you."

Our world has changed dramatically since 2019, and the challenges you have overcome were unimaginable to the alumni who came before you. But to all of you, the very fact that you are sitting here today is proof of your resilience. You have served as models for our community by demonstrating compassion, grace, and persistence. You have endured much, and you have excelled greatly. You have places to get to, and we cannot wait to see where you go next. You are not leaving South Hill, you are launching from it.

Following a tradition begun in 1992, the college’s centennial year, each graduate has received a medallion inscribed with a quotation chosen by the college’s president. The quotation I have chosen comes from civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, "The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” 

To me, this quote reminds us of our shared responsibility, as citizens of the world, to demonstrate compassion, to demonstrate grace, to show love, even when we don’t feel like it, and more importantly, to view the world through multiple perspectives.

It also reminds us to remember that it takes many people to create a community and how those people act, individually or collectively, is key to the community’s survival or demise. Imagine for one moment that we are indeed our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers and that their ability to survive and dare I say thrive is directly tied to our ability to act with a heart of grace and a soul generated by love.

Luke 12:48 says: "To those whom much is given, much will be required".

You have been given a first-class education by some of the best teachers, scholars, and practitioners in the world. You leave here knowing how to think critically, creatively, and analytically. You possess the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to hit the ground running in your chosen field or profession. You are the personification of theory, practice, and performance. The hallmarks of an Ithaca College education.

As each of you prepares to begin your next chapter, it is my sincere hope that you practice compassion and offer grace when it is warranted, remaining optimistic about humanity’s potential for progress and change. But during the times in your life when the valleys come, when hope runs dry, I hope you will find a way to dig the well a little deeper, to tap into some reservoir that can sustain your compassion and replenish your hope. Whether it is from the pull of a better tomorrow for your community or from the push of a past that your community can never return to, you must find a productive way forward, no matter what because your community will be counting on you and because you have been equipped so to do!

Regardless of where you go or where you end up, we hope you will keep in touch, and please note that there will always be someone who could benefit profoundly from your story, your insights, and your mentorship here on campus. We will leave a light on for you.

Hi everyone, congratulations! You probably know me as the girl who sends you an email every week telling you to purchase your senior savings card or to order your regalia. I had so much fun being the head of communications for our class, and it feels right to have our final senior communication here at commencement.

I want everyone to look around and see who you're sitting next to. We are officially Ithaca College Alumni…you know what that means, right?

We now get 10% off at the campus store!

No, but seriously, congratulations. We just graduated college. No matter what you studied, or where you end up using that degree, this is your built-in network and support system that doesn’t just end when we cross this stage and shake those hands. Ithaca truly is forever.

But today is not just about graduating and getting the heck out of here, I want all of us to reminisce about Ithaca, before all of it—our peers, our professors, our community—is no longer at our fingertips.

I owe a lot to Ithaca College. If it was not for this school, I would not have been able to discover who I am. Just like many of you, I was able to find my best friends here, my passions here, and most importantly—I found my future here.

"If it was not for this school, I would not have been able to discover who I am. Just like many of you, I was able to find my best friends here, my passions here, and most importantly—I found my future here."

I have met some of the most interesting and talented people here at IC. I mean how couldn’t you—we have one of the top music, theatre, and dance schools, we have one of the top communications schools, we have a top business school, top PT & OT programs, and obviously humanities and sciences. Imean the list just goes on and on.

How could you not meet great people when there are just so many great things happening around you? Ithaca is probably the only place where you can see a Broadway level production on campus one day, and then watch the football team take home the Liberty League the next.

When I came to Ithaca, I was absolutely terrified.

I visited once, and I visited in February, so naturally a snow storm was happening, you could barely drive so we had to walk up South Aurora just to tour the school, and I still came here.

I didn’t know my roommate, Jade Rynar, at all. Who has now been my roommate for four years. We met up once, and the only time we ever texted prior to move-in was to figure out who was bringing the mini fridge and who was bringing the microwave.

I did a JumpStart program. I know a bunch of you did that too, and then we had one full week of orientation. What other school gives students a full week of orientation? We all got to spend the week finding new friends, not having to worry about our first college level courses that would be starting on Monday.And now as we stand here, basking in this final moment of college, I want nothing more than to go back and do it all again.

How was Midnight Madness four years ago?

What I would give to wait in that long line next to the campus store to pick up my packages again. What would I give to hear the words “Want to see some magic?” one more time.

• I want to be waking up at 7:30 a.m. registering for next semester’s classes, CRN’s at the ready.
• It feels like just yesterday I was evacuating West Tower because somebody burned their mac ‘n cheese in the microwave.
• I’m going to miss the backbar at Moonies, house shows, drag nights at the Range, and parties at the Putti.
• We will never be able to just get a group together to go sledding, and we sure won’t be able to go to the gorges whenever we please.
• I’m going to miss getting every single meal at Campus Center. Like what now? I’m gonna have to cook for myself?

Despite COVID, throughout our time here at Ithaca we have had endless opportunities and endless exposure to cool stuff. This year alone:

• My roommate came home with an arm cast she made in class.
• We got to watch our Football team play at Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium! What other school does that?
• I’ve been to like five Hillel events and I’m not even Jewish.
• I went to my first and last Kendall Day.
• I got to see many of you present research at the Whalen Symposium.
• The women’s soccer team also took home the Liberty League for the first time ever.
• And, thanks to our endless on-campus resources like PPECs, I got to see the making of an incredible senior thesis film.

Yeah, we missed out on some time here on South Hill, but I like to think that is what made the time we did have here, much more valuable.

Try not to forget this place. Remember the sunsets from Circle’s apartments, remember the new friends you made studying abroad, remember the old friends you lost touch with. All the ups and downs that happened here have shaped us into who we are now—college grads.

Be proud of yourselves for getting here today. Four years of hard work, and let’s be honest—a bit of laziness and some fun—went into this one day. Enjoy it to its fullest, there won’t be another one for many of us!

I can’t wait to see where your degree takes you. I look forward to reuniting with many of you at the Cortaca’s to come, or just getting updates on your life through LinkedIn.

But, as one door closes, another one opens.

Here’s to our future. Here is to the Ithaca College Class of 2023. Ithaca Forever!