[ Pause ] >> [Applause] President Hanlon, members
of the Board of Trustees, honored guests, and fellow members of the class of 2014. The last time I was on a stage giving a speech to a large audience was for
the play my junior fall. I was speaking with a Yiddish accent,
playing the part of an elderly rabbi, and was outfitted in a little
boy's suit with a full beard. Not only did the majority of my friends not
recognize me but I was informed afterwards that apparently my annunciation was so poor
that no one actually understood the words coming out of my mouth; so hopefully things
will be better this time around. I've always found the concept of a
student speaker to be interesting. As your task with representing the voices of
1100 peers and offering profound words of wisdom when you've been alive for just a couple decades and can only reflect on your
own singular experience. Considering that I still have not
figured out how to make plain pasta and only recently discovered that the word
derelict is not pronounced derelict despite what the movie Zoolander led me to believe,
I'm in no position to give sage advice. So instead I'm going to use my few minutes to
discuss what I have come to appreciate most about Dartmouth and the main lessons
that I have learned along the way. My time at Dartmouth has been the most
enjoyable and memorable years in my life. I know that we all have our own relationships
with the school, but I think we can agree that Dartmouth is an incredibly unique place. I tried to make a list of what
I've come to appreciate most here and I'd like to share a few of them with you. One, the benefit of details, two, the power of
passion and, three, the value of authenticity. First and foremost is the
importance of details at Dartmouth. Often when we think back on an
experience or try to explain a concept to someone else we consider the
larger points or overarching picture. We've all been told in various classes
not to get hung up on the details since the main points are what truly matter. If we even think about simple daily
interactions people frequently focus on just the key points too. When we ask someone in passing how his acapella
show was or how her lacrosse game went we tend to expect just a quick summary and reply. What sets Dartmouth students,
professors, and staff apart in my eyes is that the Dartmouth community
is very detail oriented. Whether it was the slew of follow up questions
in a casual conversation about my thesis, an entire class session spent
discussing a seemingly minute sentence within a 300 page novel, the apple cider donuts
my dorm's custodian made for math row residents at the end of each term, the students who
walk through the library with pizza boxes full of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies or
the annual poem e-mailed from Theodor Geisel with an invitation to participate in a
snowball fight at midnight on the green, I've become very aware of the
difference that little details can make. When we reflect on our Dartmouth experience
it is not a general image or memory that we will have instead
we remember the specifics. Details are what distinguishes Dartmouth, makes
us different, and creates a lasting impact. The second element on my list is that
Dartmouth enables and encourages us to be as random or linear as we see fit. In my own case I have pursued
the random path to an extreme. At Dartmouth I am a neuroscience
major, theater minor, and am interested in the
criminal justice system. Now I could say that all of these
interests are interconnected since they require complementary skills sets, I
could also talk about how they will prepare me to be the perfect casting choice for a
future TV drama that just happens to be about a neuroscientist in the courtroom,
but that would be a stretch at best. Although, Shanda, if you ever decide to write
a show along those lines you know who to call. In reality though I am a neuroscience
major because I am fascinated by the brain and its impact on behavior. I am a theater minor because acting
challenges me to temporarily see the world through someone else's eyes, and I'm interested
in the criminal justice system because I care about the equity of rules, but more
importantly I pursue these interests because I find them thought
provoking and enjoyable. And I've learned through college years that providing further justifications is not
necessary, as long as you are enthusiastic about something people will listen. Think back to the first lunch you had
with a friend after he or she returned from an off term, remember now excited that
person was to tell you about an experience, internship, or new found career
choice, and how contagious his or her energy was upon describing each detail. Dartmouth allows us to follow whatever
paths we wish and I'm constantly inspired by the fervor people have
for the things they do. I've learned that it is the passion that people
find most compelling not the cohesiveness of your life story. The passion that I just described
directly relates to my third point namely that people at Dartmouth are the real deal. Last year psychologist Amy Cuddy gave a Ted
talk about quote, faking it until you become it. She said that by making little changes in
your body language you can cause others to perceive you in different ways. So there's apparently the wonder woman
pose where by standing up straight and putting your hands on your hips will make
you appear bigger, and that's more assertive, similarly placing your hands in a V shape
above your head before an interview is supposed to not only make you feel more powerful but
make others believe you are more powerful. When I first heard this I
thought it was just a neat concept and even e-mailed one of my professors about it. The idea that success could be
influenced by subtle alterations in the way you make others perceive you seems like a stunningly simple yet
revolutionary phenomenon. However the more I thought about my
peers and the people around me I realized that there is only so much benefit to be
gained by faking it until you make it. The people I have met at Dartmouth
are incredibly zealous, genuine, and comfortable in their own
skin, students here often say that the people are what often make Dartmouth
distinctive and special and I completely agree. For me this stems from the ground in
nature that Dartmouth students exude on a daily basis something that can only exist
through authentic passions and interests. While I said at the beginning of
this speech that I would not attempt to bestow any wisdom I have realized that the three main reasons I appreciate my
Dartmouth experience are inherently pieces of advice in themselves. I encourage all of you to take what makes
Dartmouth special beyond the confines of this college on the hill. Remember the power of details, and strive to
bring that energy and attention to the lives of others, to your future studies,
your job, and your personal life. Continue to pursue your own interests
whether those follow a linear pattern or not. Be passionate about what you
do without being concerned about how your choices will dictate your future. Stay genuine and if you ever
find yourself faking it, stop. To my fellow classmates, thank you
for everything you have taught me. I cannot wait to see what inspiring things
you will do in the future, congratulations. [ Pause ]
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