Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles as was said earlier it's a beautiful day to celebrate but even more importantly what a beautiful audience and from me today I'm blushing right now for pink that thank you I'm honored and I'm humbled to have the opportunity of representing such a unique and talented collective students today I've learned that in a moment that humility it can be helpful to drop on the words are sewn was much wiser than yourself I would like to begin today I really an excerpt from someone who inspired me to think big from a great thinker in a great doctor who many of us have spent countless hours studying doctor seuss I will begin today by reading an excerpt from all the places you'll go if you know the words your free sing-alongs congratulations today's your day your of great places your of and away your brains in your head yes feet in your shoes you can steer yourself any direction you choose you're on your own and you know what you know you all the one who'll decide where to go all the places you'll go for many of us this is not the first time we have heard these wise words from doctors whether that be seeded politely on the gymnasium floor next to other widely four-year-olds or pack together in an auditorium beloved other key high school seniors at so many points the transition in my life I have found comfort in the journey of are nameless hero trying so hard to figure out where they belong in finally finding it for many of us doctor seuss story is simply that a story however if College has taught as anything let it be this that we should never be afraid to ask a good question that there should be no topic see from critical analysis and that even includes you doctor since when read it as a dog his work stands out me in ways that did not reveal itself fifteen years ago let us examine the title all the places you'll go notice the fact that's used is not say all the spaces you go to me there's something very significant and how we should understand the differences between a space and a place you see a space is physical space is objective space is finite let's try to understand space within the context overall surrounding at this very moment here we are at a space we call Maine law 40,000 square feet of grass a few overarching trees and a couple thousand shares extend this further here we are at a space recall Hamlin University sixty acres suburban lawn stretching between many haha imperious but there are a few dozen breaking concrete buildings several larger white boy several thousand deaths what about this space we call our 71 percent if it covered by oceans and water the other 29 percent it'd composed almost entirely of mountains and desert I know right not the most optimistic wave understanding the world that surrounds now let's understand this concept of place together place is like so many other concepts I've had the chance to learn about these past four years see plays place is a social construct this does not mean place does not matter rather it means that place like our race like a gender like so many of the other identities we identify with matter because of how we ascribe meaning to it as individuals and as a society now let's try do you understand very place that surrounds us at this very moment let's think about this place we call our how improbable for us humans to sprout life from a world that is nearly completely uninhabitable up the mountains we have moved on broken backbones up the rivers redirected by calloused hands up the ingenuity that the people displaced earth are capable of how about this place we call Hamline University the first time sitting down your by some wondering if this is where you really belonged the first night figure out the location all the buildings on campus I playing a mean I came a capture the flag the first time you kissed someone in the blue garden first time he sat in your dorm room in college her mother worried and anxious about the future forgetting that she's almost always the first to call you in here we are today at this place we call Old Main lawn remembering that it is not the grass underneath our feet that makes this moment special it is not the bleachers that we sit up on it is not even the robes we wear the tassels that he came from a capsule even the diplomas we work so hard to receive place matters to put it simply because we matter the most important thing I've learned in my four years at Hamline University has not been calculating dead weight loss or trying to figure out what the allegory of the cave actually meant the most important thing i've learned my four years at Hamline University has been how to negotiate space in place how to make both the people and the environments in my life matter here we are at Old Main lawn celebrating. It is important to remember we did not simply appear in this place today no, movement is an essential action when understanding place as good as the physics department here at Hamline University we have yet to discover the technology of teleportation our presence here is the culmination a journey many decades in the making like the name this hero in Suess' story Oh the places yo will go, oh the places we have been for many of us coming to Hamline was a journey of only a few miles for many others of us St. Paul was a destination literally half a world away and of the mental journey for some we are at the grandchildren of a long line of doctors and lawyers and maybe even pipers for others graduation is a beautiful one hard-fought first with the fam I think by my own mother and father a story far too common throughout this world they fled the country that did not allow them to them to belong spent years in refugee camps along the Thai border came to the United States of America wide-eyed and unsure how this new place would greet them learned firsthand how cruel it can be to be a person with nowhere to call home learned firsthand how important it is to create place for others whether that be your mother and father or parents who had to be both with that be your friend who helped you before you jump what would that be teacher who believed that you could be something greater whether that be yourself when there was no one else there we're all here today because of someone how beautiful is that all of us from all different walks of life sharing this place here today my time here at Hamline has shown me how beautiful this act of sharing can be. Of interacting with communities in world views that I may have never even knew existed finding belonging why these expected even in moments where I've felt most lost my time here has taught me how important it is to create a place for others but with the active creation comes the gigantic responsibility it is not enough to simply create a place where others can feel safe no it is the responsibility all of us to create places where we can feel brave to voice disagreement to empower one another and to belong in order to share placements not simply understand where we are similar or where we agree we must begin understanding how to share our differences because you all alone may be wise you alone strong you artistic you technical you passionate you romantic you reflective put together we all of us together sharing this place we are powerful beyond measure on this day of celebration do not simply see today as the culmination of four years of hard work no not simply see today as the destination finally reached or finish line finally cross see today as a golden opportunity to set forth to share and create place for ourselves and others someone once told me that a moment great discovery it can be helpful to speak the words of someone who has travelled a path much farther than yours on and on you will hike and I know you will hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are you get mixed up of course as you already know you'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go so be sure when you step you step with care and great tact and remember that life is a great balancing act just never forget to be dextrous and deft never mix up your right foot with your left and will you succeed yes you will indeed 98 and three fourths percent guarantee kid you'll move mountains be your name Buxbaum or bixby or Brady or more highly Van Allen Oshie your of great places today's your day your mountain is waiting so get on your way.