Clinton Gives NYU Commencement Speech At Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged college graduates on Wednesday to resist the temptation to disengage from world affairs, saying to do so would "cede the field to those whose ideologies are absolutely anathema to people of conscience and faith all over the world."

Delivering New York University's commencement address, Clinton acknowledged the turbulent national and global environment that graduates face, but said their education, energy and facility with new technology would help them navigate and improve the world.

She cited the perils of climate change, disease and global nuclear proliferation and warned the audience to take those challenges seriously.

"At the root of my conviction is a strong sense of reality _ we don't have a choice," Clinton said. "We can sit on the sidelines, we can wring our hands, we can retreat into cynicism, and we know what the result will be."

The NYU ceremonies were held under sunny skies on the infield of the new Yankee Stadium. Clinton, who served eight years as senator from New York before Obama nominated her as secretary of state, was loudly cheered as she marched in procession through the stadium.

"Many of you, I know, used social networking platforms to make Barack Obama the president of the United States," Clinton said to loud cheers. She urged graduates to use those tools to help eradicate poverty and organize against repressive political ideologies around the globe.

"Does it get better than this?" Clinton said. "A graduation ceremony for one of the great universities in the world, in the home of the New York Yankees."

Comments

[partyofone]

08:29 PM on 05/22/2009

Interesting, telling and worthy of note that HIllary and the media chose to feature her commencement address at NYU and let her re-cyled speech at Barnard, a respected by some women's college a week later., go unnoticed. Hiilary the Hpocrite, "icon for women" does it again. Big time in Yankee stadium with the MSM in tow trumps weak sister Barnard any day.

[jcko]

11:06 AM on 06/10/2009

or you can look at in another way: both universities deserve equal/similar speech.

[bilditup1]

03:57 AM on 05/17/2009

I just graduated NYU, and was at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

Hillary's speech was moving, if it began a bit hackneyed. The whole ceremony was wonderful. Sexton, typically, was wearing his Yankee hat. To those who believe NYU was selling itself short as a wannabe Ivy, I say - how many institutions are as big or as broad or represent more than 130 countries? How many have accepted and promoted a "handicapped" student to their elite acting departments? How many can claim to have bought in excess of $1bn in wind power?
Not saying we're a perfect institution. It's just annoying to read criticism without context. Credit should be given where credit is due.

Anyway...if anyone wants to see the speech for themselves, take a look here:

http://www.state.gov/video/?videoid=23051734001

[Know-some-secrets]

10:36 AM on 05/16/2009

HIllary makes a pandering speech for NYU, wears a pink pantsuit, with a belt. International affairs is so complex these days.

[cdsersrsilly]

12:03 PM on 05/16/2009

It IS complex, but don't worry ....

.... she can handle it.

Too bad the delusional CDSers can't handle her being SOS.

[Know-some-secrets]

01:24 PM on 05/16/2009

thanks for your comment

[all4hill]

04:40 PM on 05/14/2009

I think Hillay is an inspiring woman. Some people say she would never have gotten where she is w/o Bill Clinton, but Bill Clinton would never have gotten to where he has been w/o Hillary . She is a great smart woman.

[fayemac]

01:57 AM on 05/15/2009

So true! Great post.

[partyofone]

07:19 AM on 05/15/2009

so the Clintons helped each other dishonestly gain power and wealth to serve their own interests. applause

[cdsersrsilly]

09:19 AM on 05/15/2009

"Dishonestly" gain power?

LOLOLOLOLOLOL .....

[partyofone]

05:38 AM on 05/14/2009

It is very fitting for NYU to honor Hillary Clinton and the "values" her life and "career" represent . Congratulations to them both. Opportunism celebrates Opportunism.

NYU has many strengths, but instead of celebrating its uniqueness, it seems desperate, a self-concious IVY wannabe who looks at gimmiks rather than substance, shortcuts rater than hardwork as the means to establishing itself as wordclass. Sand castles.

Having riden her hubands back to the hights of power and wealth, bolstered by many followers desperate to see a woman, any woman, break the ultimate glass ceiling. Their loyalties might better serve their cause by being patient and nurturing a woman with natural leadership skills, integrity, and a career built on her own efforts and merit.

[Know-some-secrets]

06:09 AM on 05/14/2009

Oops Should read, "Hillary, having riden her husband's back to the heights of power and wealth, bolstered by many followers, desperate to see a woman break the ulitmate glass ceilings, seems a fitting heroine for the self-consciousness of NYU."

[partyofone]

06:18 AM on 05/14/2009

Ah, couldn't have said it better myself. :) I've got to learn to use the "Preview" feature, at least to avoid sentence fragments.

[fayemac]

02:07 AM on 05/15/2009

Cant seem to find a place to fit in socially so you bash someone you know nothing about to make yourself feel big. Puff yourself up all you want but we know the truth about you lonelypartyofonegop, all hot air no substance.

[Know-some-secrets]

07:25 AM on 05/15/2009

put down the mirror, and respond to the post

[partyofone]

08:26 PM on 05/13/2009

Hillary's expression in the picture while she is being hooded for her honorary degree, reminds me of Andrea Merkel's reaction when George Bush tried to massage her shoulders.

[partyofone]

08:10 PM on 05/13/2009

""At the root of my conviction is a strong sense of reality " Was Hillary finally convicted? What about Bill, did they get him too?

[tangelan]

08:37 PM on 05/13/2009

That is such a l@me comment.

[partyofone]

05:39 AM on 05/14/2009

hollow rhetoric produces lame comment., twice even.

[cdsersrsilly]

08:56 PM on 05/13/2009

CDSers trying to do humor.

Like janitors trying to do brain surgery.

[Know-some-secrets]

04:57 PM on 05/15/2009

why did you ever let that janitor operate on you?

[karela]

07:24 PM on 05/13/2009

Hillary is doing a great job! I'm proud of her and grateful to her that she's buried the hatchet and taken up the job at hand. Obama said that they were friends before and they would be friends again when the election was past and he reached out the hand of friendship to help it begin. And Hillary has been great. I'm grateful to both of them for behaving like responsible adult professionals who love their country. Bravo.

[Skorpyos]

06:23 PM on 05/13/2009

Reading Hillary's comments and speeches makes me glad because I know that at least one person know what the world entails and what reality is like, as harsh as it may be. Hillary once again was spot on, and those newly minted graduates will only benefit from the astounding intelligence and common sense that she shared with them. Go Hillary go!!

[johnqsittinzen]

04:43 PM on 05/13/2009

Yankee Stadium? The House That B--tch T--ts built? What happened to commencement in the park? NYU's outta control.

[TheyCalledMeSandN]

05:33 PM on 05/13/2009

um..Washington square park has been under construction for over a year.

[johnqsittinzen]

05:45 PM on 05/13/2009

Ah. Thanks for the update.

[chessy]

09:04 AM on 05/14/2009

Too bad she didn't mention that the new Yankee Stadium came at the expense of a community losing its parkland. New stadium ~ no parks! I know of one school's baseball team that is practicing in its cafeteria and playing its home games on the opponents' fields.

[TJCole]

04:29 PM on 05/13/2009

How does this outlook square with our failure, to be isolated from the cesspool and killing ground of Iraq...!

So glad we didn't "isolate ourselves", from that brilliant strategic maneuver...

[TakingBackTheUSA]

03:22 PM on 05/13/2009

ah, the tr0||s have descended....

[Spencaa]

03:10 PM on 05/13/2009

An excellent argument against isolationism if I've ever heard one

[Know-some-secrets]

06:04 AM on 05/14/2009

As a nation, are we really debating isolationism? I don't sense that at all. The debate is more about how the US should restore its stature and leadership in the world. Mrs. Clinton might have spoken to the issue of torture as a place American values and commitment to international community based on laws have been damaged.

[cdsersrsilly]

07:19 AM on 05/14/2009

Maybe the POTUS doesn't want her talking about torture at the moment. Kind of a touchy subject with him and his base right now ...

[fayemac]

11:40 PM on 05/16/2009

Why would she bring up torture at a graduation? That doesnt make any sense at all. Shes there to talk about thier future not about your creepy ideas about what to talk about.

[davidwayneosedach]

03:06 PM on 05/13/2009

College graduates have faced tough times before. They will get through - stronger for the experience.

[saintstryfe]

08:08 PM on 05/13/2009

Being a graduate myself (getting my Masters on Monday at Radio City Music Hall), I can't say that. We're going to get lower paying jobs, with fewer benefits and less security then our parents, work longer hours and demand more of our selves to our work, for overall less benefit. And for the gratitude, our bosses want tax cuts at our expense.

Sorry if I kind of lack your optimism. I'm pretty sure we're going to be staring down a long dark tunnel for a good bit for people who graduate for the next few years.

Things will improve, eventually, but how long and how much is lost in that time?

[madatnewsmedia]

08:42 PM on 05/13/2009

No one has the answers! I hope for your sake that you will have a job that you enjoy! It will come, but I know it's hard to be enthusiastic with everything that's going on!!

[partyofone]

08:20 PM on 05/13/2009

Many of Hillary's contemporaries faced the Vietnam War Draft when they graduated from high school and college, went to war, returned home to ridicule, stimatized and health challenged for the rest of their lives. She, her Wellesley classmates and all women, her husband, Bush and Cheney, were of course exceptions.

[cdsersrsilly]

09:00 PM on 05/13/2009

You're absolutely right.

I heard she decided to be born a woman just so she could avoid the draft.

[sheilaofmiami]

03:03 PM on 05/13/2009

Tell it like it is Hillary! We need all the voices telling our youth to engage that we can muster up.

Engage kids, be part of the solution!!!!