 "Photo: Joel Zink | Daily Trojan")
Award-winning broadcast journalist Ted Koppel ushered more than 8,000 graduates into the "real world" with one message in mind at USC's May 11 commencement ceremony: empathy.
In his address to the graduating class, which included a record 300 recipients of doctoral degrees, Koppel stressed the importance of showing compassion for others.
"We live, after all, in the age of instant communication and twinkling patience," he said. "Perhaps because we learn everything so quickly, it's only the rarest of tragedies that engages our attention over any length of time."
Koppel referenced the lack of understanding for those in plight and the emotional distances separating people, "especially those with whom we have the least in common." He said this was evident in looking at the "facile-patriotism" that appeared in the wake of the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina -actions he said replaced actual efforts to support victims with vapid symbolic gestures.
"It takes so little to make life unbearable: a pebble in the shoe, a cockroach in the spaghetti, a woman's laugh," he said. "What obligation do we have to acknowledge and absorb even the tiniest fraction of another person's pain? Most people, it turns out, have an almost infinite capacity to tolerate other people's suffering as long as it's not permitted to intrude too directly on their own lives."
Koppel cited the war in Iraq as evidence of humanity's destitution.
"The reality of America today is the administration that proclaims independence and agreement with the Constitution even as it wiggles its way of both in the name of security," he said.
In closing, Koppel advised graduates not to go along with the crowd through life's endeavors.
"It is not an easy task, most of you will not choose it, but it's there, it's open to you and it's available," he said. "In that sense, America has been blessed. That then is your challenge and your opportunity. May you find joy when you least expect it and courage when you need it most."
Many graduates said Koppel's speech touched their hearts.
"I thought it was really inspiring, it made me really want to not limit myself and really pursue my dream," said Amy Lee, who received a bachelor's degree in music.
"The speech was very politically oriented, and I think it spoke to the liberal California demographic," said graduate Mikhail Mazor, who received a bachelor's degree in cinema-television critical studies. "It is very time and place specific and it resonated well with the majority of students."
Graduate Amber Cervantes, who received a bachelor's in cinema-television critical studies, said she was surprised by Koppel's candid humor.
"It was pretty political, but I pretty much agreed with things that he said. So I didn't find anything offensive," she said. "What he said about the president and the administration was pretty right on, so I will take this experience with me in the future."
In addition, Cervantes said the invocation by Rabbi Susan Laemmle, dean of Religious Life, was "very touching" and made her felt "very grateful for today."
As USC's commencement coincided with that at Virginia Tech University, Laemmle encouraged the crowd to "share your gift with others, be generous, conscientious and, above all, whenever possible, be kind."
Following the main ceremony, graduates joined satellite ceremonies of their respective academic fields.
