A couple of people have asked for the remarks I made when receiving the “Lamp of Knowledge” award last Friday evening. There were some extemporaneous comments tying in to Tony Sirignano’s recognition, but here’s the original text, which is mostly what I said. I tried to talk on the subject of the SJS mission, given that the award was for my “inspiring students” to live up to it….
To a significant extent, the values I absorbed at St. John’s as a student reinforced the values I learned at home. Such synergy is perhaps one reason I am able to do a reasonably good job encouraging students to live up to those values. Work hard, don’t be comfortable with less than your best. Don’t take things at face value: always question, look for the meaning behind the surface. Don’t accept the conventional wisdom just because it’s easier. THINK. Look for the connectedness in things. Everyone makes mistakes, including you–forgive others and forgive yourself. But don’t lower your standards just because you don’t always live up to them. Be honest, and be kind. It doesn’t so much matter where you are or what you’re doing–you should try to make your part of the world a better place for your having been there.
I want to close by sharing three comments from students; the first one shows up in one form or another from many alums and even some seniors who, this time of year, are looking back over their lives here. “You have made me look at life differently than I used to.” Sometimes this even gets phrased, “you’ve helped make me who I am today.” 2) “He’s the teacher who most goes out of his way to help students: sometimes that help is not what you want, but it’s what you need.” 3) “You set high expectations of us, and then you make us follow through.”
Oh yes. You should laugh a lot, and particularly at yourself. Life will be better.