This year the HNC was proud to host three alumni from the graduating class of 1995: Qi Kezhan, Josh Perlman, and Helen Yang. Graduates, professors, staff and assembled friends and family clearly enjoyed the sincere and meaningful stories that the speakers shared of their life at the HNC and how connections made at the HNC transformed their lives and careers.
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| Chinese Co-Director He Chengzhou |
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| Josh Perlman delivering commencement address |
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| Qi Kezhan delivering commencement address |
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| Yang Zhong delivering congratulatory remarks |
Lyu Xiaoyu, a Chinese MAIS student, and Joaquin Matek, an American MAIS student, delivered remarks in their target language to their peers. These speeches were well received and enjoyed by students, as they highlighted some of the most memorable moments from this past year at the HNC.
Below is a transcript of Lyu Xiaoyu’s speech:
“Fellow classmates, professors, distinguished guests, good afternoon! I’m Xiaoyu, a graduating master’s student. I feel deeply honored to deliver this speech on behalf of the graduating class of 2017. I also feel honored yet bemused about the fact that I am speaking in front of my family in a language they don’t even understand. Does that mean I can say whatever I want?
In the past year, many of us have developed deep friendships. However, today is the day for us to bid farewell to people who will always have a place in our hearts. I always find it fascinating to recall the first time I met someone when the time comes to say goodbye. Do you still remember what your friends were like when you first met them in September 2016? What brought you together? Maybe it was a group presentation or that first assignment in your target language; maybe you were roommates getting used to each other’s quirks. Perhaps you connected at the Halloween party when every one was at their spookiest, or the New Year’s Eve Celebration at Zifeng tower where the guys were dressed like Wall Street elites and the ladies like Oscar nominees. I know I won’t forget the BBQ. Eli, Jake, and Carlos were super hot that day grilling food for us under the sun. I will definitely endorse you guys on LinkedIn as grill masters. In addition, we had some great teams representing the HNC: a basketball team that had the ladies screaming, a dragon boat team that would make Admiral Zheng He proud, and of course our laladui, aka cheer squad champs. You guys did an awesome job creating connections between every HNCer.
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| Lyu Xiaoyu giving her speech |
of two semesters, we have experienced an upheaval in global affairs: a dramatic transition in the White House, a failed gambit by the Italian prime minister, an impeachment in South Korea straight out of a Korean drama, and a dark horse victory in France. Every time we rack our brains to write a paper on these issues, we are not simply finishing a task for a grade. Instead, during the writing process, we think deeply about these problems, gradually sharpening our perception of the world. Such a mindset is of great significance, because as Francis Bacon once said: “Studies pass into and influence manners.” What we have learned and experienced at the HNC will be internalized into our value systems and personalities.
Today is the day to say goodbye. No more of Margie’s singing or Taylor’s dancing, no more boxing classes with Corey or Korean lessons with Tim. No more of Professor PAT’s contagious laugh, or Professor Joe’s endless weekly posts. Each of us is both driver and passenger on the bus of life. For the past year, we pulled over at a stop called the HNC and invited other passengers to get on our bus. Now is the time for those passengers to get off and continue driving their own buses. However, this isn’t the only bus stop in the journey of life. We will definitely keep in touch, and maybe even catch a ride on each other’s buses again. That is why this ceremony is called a “commencement”, since it is not just an ending, but also the beginning of something new. Thank you!”
This was followed by Joaquin Matek’s speech:
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| Joaquin Matek giving his speech |
大家好！我叫江泰宏，是今年硕士班的毕业生。
我觉得在中美中心念书是一种缘分。起初，我来中心的目的就是接受教育，但是当我回顾自己在中心的经历，我发现最珍贵的记忆不是我上过的课，读过的书或是学到的知识，而是，我在这里所遇到的人。
中心有很多我认为可以称之为君子的人。何谓君子？君子德才兼备，不分男女，不分种族，不分上下，也不分国籍。作为君子不在于你父母做了什么，而在于你做了什么，你要做什么。
中心的师生来自世界各地，因此，中心汇聚了不同的人生观，世界观，和价值观。价值观的不同未必会导致冲突，反而是促进我们真诚交流并且加深了解的绝佳机会。君子和而不同，我们不需要也不可能认同对方所有的意见，但我们应当下功夫去理解对方的立场。
在有些事情上，我们比较容易达成共识。比如说，我们都认为最好不要把崭新的白衬衫放进第一台洗衣机。然而，在其他一些事情上，我们未必会同意对方的看法。比如说，人生的意义究竟是什么，哪个政党值得支持，Bob Dylan的哪首歌最好听？每个人的想法都不一样，
不过，社会的精髓就在于多元化。如果人人思维一致，我们就会缺乏创造力，更谈不上和谐。
我不知道“放之四海而皆准”的价值观是否存在，但我个人认为，即使孔子所提倡的“忠恕”不是普适价值，那么至少它非常接近。不管我们认为做人的标准是什么，我们都该尽心为人；无论我们之间存在多大的差异，我们都该推己及人。我很感激有机会认识你们，向你们学习如何做人、做事。
同学们，我们即将各奔前程，开始人生的新一阶段。离别虽然有些感伤，但我们终将后会有期。毕竟我们的世界越来越小，我不知道我们会在哪里碰见，但我相信一定会的。
有一件事你们应该已经知道了，但我不妨再次提醒一下，那就是，你们都是美女帅哥！不仅如此，你们真的都有“两把刷子”，只要刻苦努力，一定能大有作为。千万别辜负了自己的潜力，要把它充分发挥出来，让这个世界更好一点。勿以善小而不为，要相信滴水成河、百川归海。你们都有自己的梦想，我祝愿你们坚持做君子，自强不息地为梦想而奋斗。 谢谢大家!”
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| Co-Director Davies delivering closing remarks |
Finally, American Co-Director David Davies delivered closing remarks about the uniqueness of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center and the important educational work that we do here every year. The Co-Directors and the commencement speakers then walked up on stage and began to give out the certificates and diplomas.
