Go Big Grad: A Husker Graduation Celebration | December 2020

University Communication Author

12/12/2020 Added

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Chancellor Ronnie Green hosts a celebration of December 2020 Husker graduates. Investor Warren Buffett, a graduate of the Nebraska class of 1951, provides advice to graduates in a special commencement conversation.

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[00:00:00.621](male choir singing wordlessly)
[00:00:10.700]Good morning, and thanks for joining me
[00:00:12.840]for this special celebration
[00:00:14.340]of our December 2020 Husker graduates.
[00:00:17.580]In normal times, your faculty, family, and friends
[00:00:20.830]would be gathered at Pinnacle Bank Arena
[00:00:22.750]for our formal commencement ceremony.
[00:00:25.160]It's always my favorite time of the year.
[00:00:28.700]In fact, the University of Nebraska
[00:00:30.930]has celebrated commencement with a formal ceremony
[00:00:33.680]nearly every year since 1869, with very few exceptions.
[00:00:38.730]One of those commencement cancellations was,
[00:00:41.070]believe it or not, during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic.
[00:00:45.760]Back then, as now, we didn't let world events
[00:00:48.940]get in the way of figuring out other ways
[00:00:51.290]to recognize the great accomplishments of our graduates.
[00:00:54.920]The pandemic forced us to go virtual
[00:00:56.920]for both our May and August graduation celebrations,
[00:01:00.500]and once again,
[00:01:01.840]here we are online as we wrap up a most unusual year.
[00:01:06.410]Today, we celebrate the accomplishments
[00:01:09.000]of our December 2020 graduates,
[00:01:11.450]with an historic milestone to report.
[00:01:14.500]With about 1400 degrees being conferred today,
[00:01:18.170]the total number of our degrees
[00:01:20.100]that the university has granted now tops 300,000.
[00:01:24.700]Think about that.
[00:01:25.900]151 years, more than 300,000 Husker graduates.
[00:01:31.040]A proud milestone to be sure.
[00:01:33.580]And speaking of pride, this December
[00:01:36.030]I want to give a special recognition
[00:01:37.920]to the roughly 300 graduate and professional graduates
[00:01:41.610]whose grit shines through
[00:01:43.070]in labs and classrooms across campus.
[00:01:46.220]We're required to delay our special graduate ceremony
[00:01:49.220]and doctoral hooding, but it can't be overstated
[00:01:52.260]how important our graduate students are
[00:01:54.440]to the very success of this university.
[00:01:59.990]I can't wait until we are back to some semblance of normal,
[00:02:03.370]so we can again celebrate in person.
[00:02:06.220]So we sincerely invite all graduates
[00:02:08.990]to come back to your alma mater,
[00:02:10.930]and join us at one of our future in-person ceremonies
[00:02:14.320]at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
[00:02:16.150]You'll get to walk across the stage,
[00:02:18.130]and we'll be giving special recognition
[00:02:20.040]to the remarkable and resilient class of 2020.
[00:02:23.800]In the meantime, we invite you to share in the celebration
[00:02:27.330]on social media using the hashtag, #gobiggrad.
[00:02:33.540]No question, it has been a challenging year for all of us,
[00:02:37.490]but I could not be prouder of how this class
[00:02:40.510]rose to the challenge and showed their grit
[00:02:43.500]as everything changed.
[00:02:45.460]We asked a few 2020 graduates
[00:02:47.870]how they made the best of the situation.
[00:02:52.020]I felt like I was just thrown in all of a sudden
[00:02:54.070]to a new environment.
[00:02:55.080]My only recital I have for the degree
[00:02:59.430]was planned to be in April.
[00:03:01.800]Every single professor found a way
[00:03:05.110]to get as much of a personal experience
[00:03:07.750]as when we were together in a classroom, through Zoom.
[00:03:11.750]Through video.
[00:03:12.990]It was such a great experience,
[00:03:14.780]and I think they went well above and beyond
[00:03:17.450]with trying to really make things personal,
[00:03:19.680]really make themselves accessible,
[00:03:22.330]even in such a difficult time.
[00:03:24.420]So I was an RA, a resident assistant,
[00:03:28.338]and then all of a sudden
[00:03:29.233]the dorms needed to close after spring break.
[00:03:32.300]I have 48 girls, which was pretty much a full floor,
[00:03:36.770]and some of them were international.
[00:03:38.120]I had a couple of girls from Rwanda.
[00:03:40.210]I had people from Malaysia.
[00:03:41.610]I had people that were really going through it
[00:03:43.470]'cause they can't go home.
[00:03:45.150]And then they had that worry of being homeless.
[00:03:47.000]I talked to the director of housing
[00:03:48.780]and I asked because I was nervous once we consolidated,
[00:03:51.580]I'm like "I've been telling my international students
[00:03:53.720]that they're always gonna have a place to live,
[00:03:56.200]what's happening?"
[00:03:57.033]And he even told me,
[00:03:58.117]"Christa, there's no way any student will become homeless."
[00:04:01.910]I felt like everything was just kind of catered
[00:04:04.440]towards the student.
[00:04:05.490]My professor, she was really good about
[00:04:07.210]checking in with her students,
[00:04:08.666]being flexible with deadlines,
[00:04:10.120]and having the personal relationships
[00:04:11.890]with each one of her students.
[00:04:14.370]And having that two-way communication
[00:04:16.470]like going back and forth,
[00:04:17.980]to the point where it's like,
[00:04:18.940]you wanted to perform well in the classroom
[00:04:20.940]just because you knew your professor cared.
[00:04:22.790]And once you add that into the equation,
[00:04:25.060]I mean, that's like some of the best learning
[00:04:27.260]I've had so far.
[00:04:28.930]My studio professor kind of went above and beyond
[00:04:32.220]before this whole pandemic started,
[00:04:34.260]made himself available to us at all hours.
[00:04:37.290]And so we kind of thought this might stop,
[00:04:39.080]but instead he kind of set up this
[00:04:40.460]unlimited office-hour situation,
[00:04:42.560]and then you just can pop in and out of a meeting with him,
[00:04:46.050]check in.
[00:04:46.883]And it was always just really, really helpful.
[00:04:50.020]You just...sometimes you don't think that that's...
[00:04:53.070]a professor would go so far to make sure
[00:04:55.060]everything's going right for you
[00:04:56.810]when things may not be going great for them either.
[00:04:59.640]They really looked out for me
[00:05:02.130]and cared about getting to know me
[00:05:06.010]and being able to help me succeed.
[00:05:08.400]I feel like UNL handled it really well.
[00:05:11.835]Everyone knows Harvard,
[00:05:12.820]and I'm not trying to throw them under the bus,
[00:05:15.210]but I am, because they kicked their students out
[00:05:17.160]and they had nowhere to go.
[00:05:18.410]People actually want to get to know you.
[00:05:19.720]People actually care about you.
[00:05:21.040]And that's a reflection of the students.
[00:05:24.207]That's a reflection of the faculty and staff.
[00:05:26.360]That's a reflection of the professors at UNL.
[00:05:29.000]I'm so glad I'm at Nebraska,
[00:05:31.300]because they looked after their students.
[00:05:34.027]And there truly is no place like Nebraska.
[00:05:39.970]Our staff is working hard
[00:05:41.220]to get diplomas delivered by mail
[00:05:43.250]in the next couple of weeks.
[00:05:44.880]But by now, all graduates should have received a small gift
[00:05:48.440]from your university.
[00:05:49.980]Staff has worked behind the scenes
[00:05:51.640]preparing and mailing celebration boxes
[00:05:53.800]to each of our December 2020 honorees.
[00:05:57.135](playful music)
[00:06:00.950]Depending on your degree, you'll find a mortarboard or tam,
[00:06:04.660]a letter from me,
[00:06:05.880]plus some other fun ways to celebrate your accomplishment.
[00:06:09.700]I hope your box adds a little joy
[00:06:11.610]to your family festivities.
[00:06:26.950]As the celebration continues,
[00:06:28.690]let's hear from our state and university leaders.
[00:06:31.830](upbeat music)
[00:06:34.740]Congratulations on your graduation.
[00:06:36.670]I am so sorry that you cannot do the
[00:06:38.930]official graduation ceremony,
[00:06:40.110]but we all understand you're looking through an historic time,
[00:06:43.069]to be able to look back today and say, "Remember when?"
[00:06:45.800]But in the meantime, just remember, Go Big Red!
[00:06:50.930]Congratulations to the graduating class
[00:06:53.160]for December of 2020,
[00:06:55.710]here at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
[00:06:58.310]On behalf of the faculty and staff
[00:06:59.870]and our entire administration,
[00:07:01.140]I want to just say how proud we are
[00:07:02.770]of your incredible accomplishment
[00:07:05.280]in finishing your course of instruction
[00:07:07.280]during this most unusual time in our world history.
[00:07:11.420]We don't know exactly what the future holds,
[00:07:13.130]but whatever it's going to be,
[00:07:14.960]it's gonna be better because of your accomplishment.
[00:07:17.130]We look forward to everything that you can do.
[00:07:20.510]Congrats.
[00:07:21.640]You are now graduates of the University of Nebraska.
[00:07:24.870]Because of it, your life will be full of opportunities
[00:07:28.600]that are beyond your comprehension.
[00:07:31.220]Go Big Red.
[00:07:32.820]Congratulations graduates, you've earned it.
[00:07:35.550]On behalf of the faculty
[00:07:36.990]of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,
[00:07:39.210]I wish you all the best as you take what you've learned
[00:07:42.410]and use it to make a positive impact in the world.
[00:07:45.100]We're all cheering for you. Go Big Red.
[00:07:48.400]Congratulations.
[00:07:49.530]Your achievement today has been built on years of dedication
[00:07:52.280]and hard work.
[00:07:53.460]Good luck as you pursue your future.
[00:07:55.440]We wish all of you success in the years to come.
[00:07:58.630]Congratulations to all graduating today.
[00:08:01.890]This was certainly a year of unprecedented challenges,
[00:08:05.350]but you made it.
[00:08:06.820]On behalf of the Husker community, we are so proud of you.
[00:08:13.425](upbeat music)
[00:08:25.290]Many of today's graduates have been part of classes
[00:08:28.110]and events here in Howard L Hawks Hall.
[00:08:30.950]It opened as the new home of our College of Business
[00:08:33.710]in 2017.
[00:08:35.610]But if you go back about 70 years,
[00:08:38.090]a business student from Omaha was making a big investment
[00:08:41.410]in his future by pursuing his Nebraska degree.
[00:08:45.180]Mr. Warren Buffett graduated as a Husker in 1951,
[00:08:49.950]and went on to become one of the world's
[00:08:51.750]most successful investors.
[00:08:54.040]Today, at age 90, Buffett is chairman
[00:08:57.310]and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway,
[00:09:00.260]a diversified holding company.
[00:09:02.640]He often proclaims his love of this state
[00:09:05.130]and our university.
[00:09:07.130]I had the great pleasure of speaking to Warren by telephone,
[00:09:10.010]from his home in Omaha.
[00:09:11.950]In our conversation,
[00:09:13.230]he has wise advice for our graduates
[00:09:15.940]as he reflects on life and learning.
[00:09:21.730]Hello?
[00:09:22.740]Hello Warren.
[00:09:24.850]How you doing?
[00:09:26.370]Never better!
[00:09:27.203]Well, I appreciate the opportunity to visit a little bit.
[00:09:30.840]You know, we've got another important graduation coming up,
[00:09:34.360]kind of a unusual time
[00:09:36.380]that our students are graduating in,
[00:09:38.640]but they're excited to be finishing their undergraduate
[00:09:42.060]and graduate degrees with your alma mater.
[00:09:45.830]You were here, Warren, in the late 1940s, early 1950s.
[00:09:53.390]And graduated in the class of 1951.
[00:09:57.770]And I know the university has had a big impact
[00:10:01.110]on you and on your life.
[00:10:03.410]So you might just start out by saying,
[00:10:06.240]what are some of your best memories
[00:10:08.710]of your time at the University of Nebraska?
[00:10:12.600]I enjoyed every minute of it at Nebraska.
[00:10:16.450]I don't think they could quite believe it when
[00:10:19.160]after two years at the Wharton School at Pennsylvania,
[00:10:22.660]I said, "You know, I want to transfer to Nebraska."
[00:10:24.950]And I came back and the education I received at Lincoln,
[00:10:30.300]you know, Wharton had this big reputation,
[00:10:32.070]but I had terrific professors there.
[00:10:34.530]They not only imparted knowledge to me,
[00:10:36.260]but just the rapport and feeling I had with them.
[00:10:39.760]And I would say this to this current year's class,
[00:10:43.800]I would love to trade places with any of you.
[00:10:45.930]I mean, you know,
[00:10:48.693]they feel they're going out into an uncertain world,
[00:10:52.110]and all of that, but there's never been a better time.
[00:10:57.166]Yeah.
[00:10:58.800]Warren, is there a particular professor
[00:11:01.480]that you might fondly recall
[00:11:03.190]from that time when you were a student here
[00:11:05.460]in the College of Business?
[00:11:07.010]Well, there were two of them that I really,
[00:11:09.350]not only that I learned a whole lot from,
[00:11:11.440]but I just had a good time with.
[00:11:13.970]And, you know, I've always liked accounting,
[00:11:16.460]and I'd taken a couple of courses probably
[00:11:19.370]at Wharton before I came,
[00:11:20.920]but Ray Dein was the best you'll ever see.
[00:11:25.347]And then accounting is the language of business
[00:11:28.140]and it made me proficient at something that was absolutely
[00:11:32.880]vital for the rest of my life.
[00:11:35.240]And I had the edge on lots of business school grads
[00:11:39.740]around the country, because I had Ray as a teacher.
[00:11:43.430]And of course, Doc Elliott's class
[00:11:45.420]was absolutely fascinating.
[00:11:49.101]He was probably the most entertaining teacher
[00:11:52.930]while at the same time, delivering important ideas too.
[00:11:57.020]And those two particularly stand out in my mind,
[00:11:59.000]but I would say this,
[00:12:00.200]there wasn't a teacher I had there
[00:12:02.130]that I really didn't feel good about.
[00:12:04.580]So Warren is,
[00:12:06.310]I believe it's true that your parents met here
[00:12:09.040]at the University of Nebraska,
[00:12:11.280]and what were their majors,
[00:12:12.940]and how did they come to meet,
[00:12:14.830]if you don't mind telling that story?
[00:12:16.730]Yeah, no, I owe my existence
[00:12:19.260]to the University of Nebraska.
[00:12:21.673]It doesn't get much more fundamental than that.
[00:12:25.330]No, my dad was at The Daily Nebraskan,
[00:12:28.400]and he was editor at one point.
[00:12:30.370]And my mother actually,
[00:12:35.180]her father went to the university as well,
[00:12:37.970]but he had a small paper in West Point
[00:12:41.670]and she came to Lincoln
[00:12:43.470]and she was very interested in math,
[00:12:46.060]but she also went in to get a job as a reporter
[00:12:49.270]at The Daily Nebraska, and met my dad.
[00:12:51.630]And that was a lucky day for me.
[00:12:56.540]A group of students from the university
[00:12:59.580]who came to an investing...a little
[00:13:02.730]get together I have with students,
[00:13:05.073]a few years ago...they brought me
[00:13:08.460]the nicest book in the world they could have given me.
[00:13:10.730]I never would've dreamt of it,
[00:13:12.872]and it had the front pages of The Daily Nebraskan
[00:13:16.100]for that period.
[00:13:18.460]I've gotten a lot of nice gifts in my life,
[00:13:20.130]but I don't think I've ever gotten a nicer one than that.
[00:13:22.580]My dad told me story, after story, after story,
[00:13:27.820]about the university days at Lincoln.
[00:13:29.970]So Warren, you mentioned that you would,
[00:13:34.560]you'd love to trade places with our graduates today.
[00:13:37.690]That even though this is kind of a strange time,
[00:13:41.210]but you know, what advice would you give to our graduates
[00:13:45.270]in general today?
[00:13:46.570]What might you say to them?
[00:13:48.320]Yeah.
[00:13:49.153]And I would give them the same advice at any time,
[00:13:51.193]that you want to look for the job in life
[00:13:56.690]that you would take if you didn't need a job.
[00:13:59.550]I mean, you know, it's somewhere out there,
[00:14:02.360]you'll find the right,
[00:14:03.910]you won't necessarily find it on your first job.
[00:14:05.910]I mean, you gotta make a living too, but,
[00:14:09.590]don't settle for anything eventually
[00:14:13.550]that's less than working for a company you admire
[00:14:17.670]or people you admire and really the job that,
[00:14:20.980]if you didn't, if they had no need for the money,
[00:14:23.150]it's still the job that you jump out of bed for
[00:14:26.540]in the morning.
[00:14:27.373]And I've been lucky enough to have one like that.
[00:14:29.960]And I can tell you that, you know,
[00:14:31.200]there's just nothing like that.
[00:14:32.610]It isn't work anymore.
[00:14:34.138]It's actually something you look forward to every day,
[00:14:37.100]and you won't necessarily find it the day you get out,
[00:14:40.059]but it is out there, and they should look for that,
[00:14:43.960]and they should be prepared for it
[00:14:45.600]so that the person they're looking to hire 'em
[00:14:47.970]wants to hire 'em.
[00:14:48.803]And I would say that what's very important in that
[00:14:52.000]is developing communication skills.
[00:14:54.480]You've got to be able to write well,
[00:14:56.170]and you've got to be able
[00:14:57.780]to talk well and just fill your head.
[00:15:00.530]I mean, it is such a wonderful time in life
[00:15:02.930]to have every day end up knowing a lot of things
[00:15:05.820]that you didn't know the day before.
[00:15:08.190]The students I've seen from Lincoln, I mean,
[00:15:11.710]they're just outstanding.
[00:15:13.330]I mean, it makes me very encouraged about the world.
[00:15:16.370]It makes me very bullish on the world.
[00:15:20.320]They're going to face different circumstances
[00:15:24.400]all through their lives.
[00:15:25.480]I mean, they're gonna get,
[00:15:26.670]just think of the surprises in my life,
[00:15:28.703]whether it was the Great Depression or World War two,
[00:15:31.840]or it just goes up and down.
[00:15:34.250]But at the end, you know, you've got a winning hand.
[00:15:38.800]I was so lucky to be born in the United States,
[00:15:41.470]and I was lucky to be born in Nebraska as well,
[00:15:43.180]lucky to have the parents I had,
[00:15:44.941]and I was lucky to get the education I got.
[00:15:47.030]And you go out with a winning hand.
[00:15:49.580]Now, that doesn't mean that every single day
[00:15:53.550]is perfect, the world isn't that way.
[00:15:55.490]But try to think of another country
[00:15:57.360]where you would rather be.
[00:15:58.510]Try to think of another era
[00:15:59.990]in which you would rather exist.
[00:16:01.220]I don't think you can do it.
[00:16:02.290]I mean the opportunities
[00:16:03.920]that they're going to see in their lifetimes, too,
[00:16:06.040]I mean, this is, it's a marvelous life ahead of them.
[00:16:09.010]You're gonna have the substitutes and you know,
[00:16:13.573]you have health problems in life
[00:16:14.830]or something of that sort,
[00:16:15.890]but there is nobody I would rather be
[00:16:19.630]than a young person graduating
[00:16:21.672]from the University of Nebraska today.
[00:16:23.570]Well, I'm sure they're glad to hear that too, Warren.
[00:16:29.060]Our students have a lot of years ahead of them,
[00:16:31.440]and I heard you say just a minute ago
[00:16:33.090]about, cram as much knowledge as you can in every day,
[00:16:37.660]in your learning.
[00:16:38.493]What's your best advice for our graduates
[00:16:41.870]on how to keep learning throughout their life?
[00:16:45.310]Well, there's nothing that beats reading,
[00:16:47.300]and you want to have an inquisitive mind and,
[00:16:50.960]you know, people say to me,
[00:16:52.630]sometimes if you could only have lunch with one person,
[00:16:55.380]living or dead, you know, who would you pick?
[00:16:57.600]Well, the truth is, by reading
[00:17:00.290]you can have lunch with Ben Franklin, or you know,
[00:17:05.560]every great personality in the history of the world,
[00:17:08.120]you can in fact have a very long lunch with,
[00:17:11.110]and the luxury of having the array of ideas
[00:17:17.440]that you can be exposed to through reading.
[00:17:19.940]So I, one of the family said one time,
[00:17:22.260]I was a book with legs,
[00:17:27.440]and it's fun to learn.
[00:17:31.100]It's fun to learn.
[00:17:32.462]And you know, you're off to this great start.
[00:17:36.020]You've probably made friendships,
[00:17:39.560]during your life there, and at school,
[00:17:42.210]you learn the possibilities of this world
[00:17:46.490]and just keep going.
[00:17:48.180]So, Warren, as you look back over
[00:17:51.020]these many decades of your professional career,
[00:17:55.100]what advice would you give to our graduates today
[00:17:59.030]for measuring success?
[00:18:01.440]Measuring it in business,
[00:18:03.020]measured in professionally, measured in life?
[00:18:06.519]You know, that's the ultimate question.
[00:18:08.252]And I've known, by the age of 90, believe me,
[00:18:13.870]I've known a lot of people who got very rich
[00:18:16.140]and their lives were not successes.
[00:18:17.650]I've known people who, very famous in their activities,
[00:18:21.940]not successes.
[00:18:23.500]I have never known anybody who got to the age of 70 or so
[00:18:29.240]and had all of the people love him or her
[00:18:33.890]that they want to have in that position,
[00:18:36.660]that ever felt like anything but a success.
[00:18:39.462]If your children, if your spouse, if your coworkers,
[00:18:48.550]if those people, at age 65 or 70,
[00:18:53.590]having seen what you do with them over a lifetime,
[00:18:57.572]if you have the love of those people, you are a success.
[00:19:01.200]I've never seen anybody that felt anything,
[00:19:04.280]but a success if they had it.
[00:19:05.660]And I've seen loads of people who had maybe more talent,
[00:19:11.570]more money, more fame, but if they didn't have that,
[00:19:17.052]you know, it was very hollow.
[00:19:19.473]Well said, Warren, well said.
[00:19:22.830]Sage wisdom for our graduates of 2020
[00:19:26.660]from our most famous alum
[00:19:29.150]at the University of Nebraska, Mr. Warren Buffett.
[00:19:32.010]Thank you Warren, for being with us,
[00:19:35.020]appreciate your words of wisdom for our graduates today.
[00:19:42.569](cheerful music)
[00:19:50.550]The NU Coliseum is an iconic campus building.
[00:19:53.920]Today, students have access to its polished hardwood floors
[00:19:57.490]for intramural sports
[00:19:58.730]and other campus recreation activities.
[00:20:01.480]But the coliseum hosted many years
[00:20:03.580]of sold-out volleyball games
[00:20:05.220]until Husker volleyball moved to Devaney Sports Center
[00:20:08.420]in 2013.
[00:20:10.180]We actually celebrated commencement here beginning in 1926.
[00:20:15.020]Over the years,
[00:20:15.880]the ceremony has been held at various other locations,
[00:20:19.210]including outdoors by Memorial Stadium,
[00:20:21.930]the downtown Pershing Auditorium, and Devaney Sports Center.
[00:20:26.330]With record enrollments in recent years,
[00:20:28.760]our graduating class outgrew even Devaney.
[00:20:32.120]So these days, in normal times,
[00:20:34.700]we hold ceremonies in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
[00:20:37.560]It offers more than 15,000 seats for family and friends.
[00:20:44.463](upbeat music)
[00:20:49.455]Hello, everyone.
[00:20:50.288]As a proud alumnus of the University of Nebraska,
[00:20:52.300]I'd like to congratulate all of you on earning
[00:20:54.250]a degree from our wonderful institution.
[00:20:56.800]Good luck to everybody in the future, and Go Big Red.
[00:21:00.354]I want to wish you congratulations
[00:21:01.610]on this amazing accomplishment.
[00:21:03.310]You should be very proud of yourselves right now.
[00:21:05.260]I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
[00:21:07.350]Go Big Red.
[00:21:08.660]Hi everyone. Eric Crouch here.
[00:21:10.210]First of all, congratulations,
[00:21:12.550]a long journey that's well-deserved.
[00:21:15.580]I wish you all the very best in your future endeavors
[00:21:18.530]and Go Big Red.
[00:21:20.330]Hey guys, Jordan Larson here.
[00:21:21.560]I just wanted to say congratulations.
[00:21:24.080]I know this situation isn't the most ideal,
[00:21:26.120]but you guys did it, and wishing you all the best
[00:21:29.490]and success in the years to come.
[00:21:31.960]Class of 2020, congratulations on graduating.
[00:21:35.680]Enjoy these moments, have fun with it,
[00:21:38.050]but prepare for the next endeavors in life.
[00:21:40.530]Go Big Red.
[00:21:41.830]Hello, fellow Huskers.
[00:21:43.260]I would like to send my dearest congratulations to you all
[00:21:45.490]for becoming Husker graduates.
[00:21:47.510]Though we cannot be together
[00:21:48.410]to celebrate your successes in person,
[00:21:50.380]I hope you all can take a moment to appreciate
[00:21:52.020]the monumental accomplishments you all have made,
[00:21:54.660]and how it's prepared you for the next step in your journey.
[00:21:56.620]Be proud, and welcome to the family of Husker alumni.
[00:22:00.080]Well, congratulations to all of you graduating seniors.
[00:22:02.980]I know this is a little bit of
[00:22:04.940]an interrupted process for you,
[00:22:07.510]but this is the end of a very significant journey.
[00:22:10.440]So congratulations on your accomplishment.
[00:22:12.877]It's a big deal,
[00:22:14.740]and we want to make sure that going forward,
[00:22:17.610]you guys have a great experience,
[00:22:19.167]and the rest of your lifetime,
[00:22:21.180]and you're proud of your experience that you had here
[00:22:22.830]at the University of Nebraska.
[00:22:24.440]Congratulations.
[00:22:29.613](cheerful music)
[00:22:37.820]I often reflect on the outright grit
[00:22:39.960]that our founders had to have
[00:22:41.430]to establish this university in 1869.
[00:22:44.960]The first chancellor, Allen Benton,
[00:22:46.810]planned the original four block City Campus,
[00:22:49.730]and purchased this land now known as East Campus.
[00:22:53.430]And during the 151 years since, we've never stopped growing.
[00:22:58.090]On City Campus,
[00:22:59.270]phase one of the College of Engineering's project
[00:23:01.800]is well underway.
[00:23:03.380]And in the footprint of Mabel Lee Hall,
[00:23:05.810]construction continues on a modern replacement building
[00:23:08.870]for the College of Education and Human Sciences.
[00:23:11.990]It is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
[00:23:15.850]Back here on East Campus,
[00:23:17.230]the renovation of the Nebraska East Union is now complete,
[00:23:21.000]with fresh new student spaces and the newly refurbished home
[00:23:24.610]to the national champion Husker bowling team.
[00:23:27.490]And you'll recognize this 54-year-old library
[00:23:30.260]from the outside, but the interior might surprise you.
[00:23:33.700]We're putting the finishing touches on a total renovation
[00:23:36.600]of the building now called
[00:23:37.810]the Dinsdale Family Learning Commons.
[00:23:40.370]C.Y. Thompson Library will occupy the lower level,
[00:23:43.840]and the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program
[00:23:46.760]will also move in next semester.
[00:23:51.630]It seems Nebraskans are always looking toward tomorrow.
[00:23:55.260]How lucky we are that the state's flagship
[00:23:57.910]land-grant university has helped generations
[00:24:00.560]experience the transformative power of higher education.
[00:24:04.350]There are a lot of people here
[00:24:05.970]who continue to build on a bold vision started in 1869.
[00:24:12.238](upbeat music)
[00:24:15.270]Congratulations from the College of Architecture
[00:24:17.780]on achieving this milestone in your life.
[00:24:21.290]There's never been a more important time
[00:24:22.850]to use your education to effect a positive world.
[00:24:25.750]So Go Big Red, Go Big Grad.
[00:24:29.980]I want to congratulate the students graduating today
[00:24:32.530]with a bachelor of science degree
[00:24:34.090]in criminology and criminal justice.
[00:24:36.740]I urge you to take what you have learned
[00:24:39.000]to make our society safe, fair, and just.
[00:24:43.600]Congratulations to you on this wonderful achievement.
[00:24:46.630]This is a special moment,
[00:24:47.930]and we applaud all the hard work
[00:24:49.460]that you've done to get here.
[00:24:51.110]On behalf of everyone
[00:24:52.070]in the College of Arts and Sciences,
[00:24:53.640]we wish you every continued success.
[00:24:55.730]Go Big Grad.
[00:25:00.020]In our grit, our glory. Snow Big Red.
[00:25:07.720]Congratulations to all our graduates.
[00:25:10.570]You worked so hard to get to this point.
[00:25:13.490]You can now look to the future
[00:25:15.480]and lead the future of business.
[00:25:17.630]Go Big Red and Go Big Grad.
[00:25:21.020]Hey, Husker graduates.
[00:25:22.700]The past two semesters have definitely been unusual,
[00:25:25.850]but you've persevered with the grit and resilience
[00:25:28.240]that's the hallmark of a Husker.
[00:25:30.080]Congratulations.
[00:25:31.420]We are proud of your accomplishments
[00:25:33.040]and look forward to seeing all you will do in the future.
[00:25:35.760]Go Big Red.
[00:25:37.892]CASNR graduates, you did it.
[00:25:39.710]Congratulations on reaching this important milestone.
[00:25:43.140]Go Big Red, and welcome to the CASNR alumni.
[00:25:46.760]Congratulations graduates. You're off to great things.
[00:25:50.050]Go Big Grads, and Go Big Red.
[00:25:52.680]Good morning to all our graduates, both our veterans,
[00:25:56.510]as well as our ROTC graduates, and all grads in general.
[00:26:00.090]Congratulations on this momentous occasion.
[00:26:02.520]Go Big Red and Go Big Grad.
[00:26:05.320]Hey Huskers, go be great leaders.
[00:26:07.220]I can't wait to see what you're gonna do.
[00:26:10.080]From all of us in the Hixson-Lied College
[00:26:12.040]of Fine and Performing Arts,
[00:26:13.220]and to all of our graduates of 2020,
[00:26:16.030]Go Big Red and Go Big Grad.
[00:26:18.660]Congratulations.
[00:26:20.770]On behalf of the entire College of Engineering,
[00:26:22.900]congratulations to our December graduates.
[00:26:25.330]Now go do big things.
[00:26:27.700]Congratulations to the College of Journalism
[00:26:30.280]and Mass Communications class of 2020.
[00:26:33.930]You worked hard for this moment, and we are so proud of you.
[00:26:38.350]Congratulations.
[00:26:39.950]We cannot wait to see all you will accomplish. Go Big Red.
[00:26:45.673]I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of you
[00:26:48.060]on your graduation, especially our veterans, cadets,
[00:26:50.830]and midshipmen in the crowd today.
[00:26:53.340]This is a tremendous accomplishment
[00:26:54.850]and we wish all of you the best of luck.
[00:26:57.490]Go Big Red.
[00:27:02.620]At Nebraska,
[00:27:03.730]we're proud to have students from every state,
[00:27:06.220]and more than 100 countries around the world.
[00:27:09.320]Our international students bring to campus
[00:27:11.500]an amazing richness of experiences and culture.
[00:27:15.090]In fact, American students often tell me
[00:27:17.970]how their world has expanded
[00:27:19.640]thanks to friendships with our students from abroad.
[00:27:23.070]Members of our global community
[00:27:25.000]want to extend a special greeting.
[00:27:29.800]To all of our international students,
[00:27:32.120]we're so glad that you chose to make Nebraska
[00:27:34.160]your second home.
[00:27:35.700]Your presence has truly enriched our campus,
[00:27:38.720]and we're so proud that you will forever be a part
[00:27:41.230]of the global Husker community.
[00:27:44.010](speaks in Kinyarwanda)
[00:27:48.070]Hello Huskers, what an amazing four years together.
[00:27:51.900](speaks in Arabic)
[00:27:53.859]Congratulations Husker graduates, Go Big Red.
[00:27:57.577](speaks in Mandarin)
[00:27:59.781](speaks in Malay)
[00:28:01.380]Thank you UNL, I love you.
[00:28:06.992](cheerful music)
[00:28:14.460]These columns originally stood
[00:28:16.520]at Omaha's Burlington Railway Station.
[00:28:19.350]During remodeling,
[00:28:20.620]they were shipped to this very spot on our campus in 1930.
[00:28:25.170]They framed the original campus gates,
[00:28:27.810]which were part of an iron fence that surrounded
[00:28:30.110]the entire City Campus until 1925.
[00:28:33.930]Through these old gates have passed generations
[00:28:36.610]of Husker alumni.
[00:28:38.240]Let's hear from a few now.
[00:28:42.210]Congratulations to the class of 2020.
[00:28:46.120]I wish you a successful and fulfilled life,
[00:28:50.410]in spite of the uncertain times in which we live.
[00:28:54.150]To each of you graduates, savor the moment.
[00:28:57.080]Congratulations.
[00:28:58.940]Your future is bright. Go for it.
[00:29:02.440]Congratulations, graduates. Go Big Red.
[00:29:04.990]And I am challenging you to be a leader, innovator,
[00:29:08.370]and risk-taker to make a positive impact on the world.
[00:29:11.510]Your aspirations will evolve, and that's okay.
[00:29:14.050]You have the education to make a difference.
[00:29:16.790]Congratulations, and welcome to a global community
[00:29:19.000]of Nebraska alumni making a difference in our world.
[00:29:21.770]Just because you won't be walking across a stage
[00:29:23.830]doesn't mean you can't march out and take on the world.
[00:29:27.010]How you handle adversity says so much more about you
[00:29:29.690]than any ceremony or celebration.
[00:29:32.430]And if that isn't enough to put this all into perspective,
[00:29:35.330]just remember that this also means
[00:29:36.790]that you get all of the cake to yourself.
[00:29:40.200]Congratulations on your accomplishment, and Go Big Red.
[00:29:46.630]Nothing pleases me more than watching as our alumni
[00:29:49.820]leverage their education to find success and impact in life.
[00:29:55.230]And now you're joining that proud family.
[00:29:57.950]Here with a special welcome is Shelley Zaborowski,
[00:30:01.040]executive director of the Nebraska Alumni Association.
[00:30:05.600]Congratulations, graduates.
[00:30:07.240]It is my pleasure to welcome you
[00:30:08.980]to the Nebraska alumni family.
[00:30:11.440]Your college days have come to an unexpected end,
[00:30:14.170]but you're joining a supportive community
[00:30:16.110]of nearly 200,000 alumni living all around the world,
[00:30:19.420]who are proud of all you have accomplished.
[00:30:21.760]For the rest of your lives, you are Nebraska alumni,
[00:30:24.460]and I encourage you to stay connected and engaged
[00:30:26.810]with the university as you go forth.
[00:30:29.320]The path for your Nebraska experience
[00:30:31.270]was paved by those who came before you.
[00:30:34.030]It now becomes your privilege
[00:30:35.690]to pay it forward to the next generation of Huskers
[00:30:38.270]through your gifts, not just of treasure,
[00:30:40.700]but of time, talent, and experience.
[00:30:43.980]As a way to say welcome,
[00:30:45.150]I'm proud to offer each member
[00:30:46.770]of the graduating class of 2020
[00:30:49.160]a complimentary one-year membership
[00:30:51.010]in the Nebraska Alumni Association.
[00:30:53.410]You can claim your membership online at this website.
[00:30:56.210]Then, as an Alumni Association member,
[00:30:58.850]you'll see the many ways you can stay connected
[00:31:00.810]to the university and to other Huskers.
[00:31:03.230]You have much to offer our alma mater,
[00:31:05.340]and your continued involvement
[00:31:06.640]is critical to Nebraska's success.
[00:31:09.170]Once again, congratulations.
[00:31:11.260]Welcome to the alumni family.
[00:31:17.570]We've reached the finale of today's virtual celebration.
[00:31:21.310]If you have your cap nearby, now's the time to get it ready.
[00:31:25.610]As I put on my academic regalia,
[00:31:27.920]let me tell you a little bit about it.
[00:31:30.390]Academic costumes date back to the 12th and 13th centuries,
[00:31:34.730]when universities were taking form.
[00:31:36.990]The ordinary dress of both students and teachers
[00:31:39.870]was the dress of a cleric,
[00:31:41.670]long gowns probably for warmth in unheated buildings.
[00:31:48.070]In the modern era, gowns have symbolic meanings
[00:31:51.160]tied to sleeve lengths, stoles, hoods, and colors.
[00:31:55.090]Our ceremonies culminate
[00:31:56.760]with the turning of the tassel on your cap.
[00:31:59.700]The tassel before graduation is on your right,
[00:32:02.990]symbolizing your times as a student here at the university.
[00:32:07.120]When moved to the left, you're identified now
[00:32:10.210]as a University of Nebraska graduate.
[00:32:15.180]It's now my honor to confer your degree.
[00:32:19.310]By authority of the State of Nebraska,
[00:32:21.770]vested in the University of Nebraska's board of regents,
[00:32:25.380]and upon recommendation from the faculty,
[00:32:28.290]I am pleased to confer upon each of you
[00:32:31.490]a degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln,
[00:32:34.650]according to your particular curriculum and course of study,
[00:32:38.160]with all of the associated honors, privileges,
[00:32:41.850]and responsibilities.
[00:32:44.020]Now, to make official your status as Husker graduates,
[00:32:48.760]I've asked an old friend to help us out.
[00:32:52.300]On my direction, I'll ask you to move your tassel
[00:32:55.780]from right to left.
[00:32:58.930]Class of 2020, please turn your tassel.
[00:33:04.224](celebratory music)
[00:33:08.490]And with that, you're a Nebraska graduate.
[00:33:12.290]I can't wait to see you back on our campus
[00:33:14.630]to participate in a future commencement ceremony,
[00:33:17.650]or just to visit your alma mater.
[00:33:20.330]Although everything's disrupted,
[00:33:22.410]we're glad there's one thing they can't cancel,
[00:33:25.750]your bright future and impact on the world.
[00:33:29.350]On behalf of the entire Husker community,
[00:33:32.150]congratulations graduates in the class of 2020.
[00:33:35.930]Stay safe, be strong, and as always, Go Big Red.

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Go Big Grad: A Husker Graduation Celebration | December 2020

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