John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
The Baccalaureate ceremony for Stanford's Class of 2024 took place Saturday at Frost Amphitheater, marking a student-led commemoration organized by the Office for Religious and Spiritual Life. The event featured Varun Soni, dean of religious and spiritual life at the University of Southern California, as the keynote speaker.
Soni began his address by acknowledging the current global crises that make this commencement season unique. “And yet, as fully realized human beings, we all want to turn our pain into hope, we all want to turn our fear into love, and we all want to be part of the solution to the world’s great challenges and not part of the problem,” he said to an audience of nearly 1,000 graduating seniors.
Soni highlighted five pressing crises identified by his friend Deepak Chopra: war, justice, health, sustainability, and joy. He emphasized that without addressing the crisis of joy, it is impossible to solve other issues. “But how do we embrace joy at a time of so much pain?” Soni asked. He suggested focusing on controllable aspects such as beliefs, thoughts, perceptions, values, kindness, gratitude, effort exerted, worry levels, judgment towards others, and expressing love.
An interfaith leader and first Hindu lead chaplain on a U.S. college campus, Soni drew inspiration from Chopra and Buddha’s teachings on joy being a mindset and birthright. He also referenced religious leaders like the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu who found joy amid suffering. “The way to feel joy is to give joy,” he noted.
Following Soni was Hannah Oo from the biology department class of '24. Selected from 41 submissions to deliver the Baccalaureate student reflection speech; she shared her experiences since matriculating in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic when learning was remote.
Oo reminisced about her initial uncertainties regarding campus life but eventually finding "home" in various locations around Stanford. She recounted how Lake Lagunita transformed from a dry field into a lake again as an analogy for achieving success despite doubts.
Reflecting on future uncertainties faced by her classmates with optimism drawn from their experiences over four years at Stanford she concluded: “We have been prepared though to make change and dare...to build community and be kind.”
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