[00:00:00] 
[An audience sits in a banquet hall facing a long narrow stage with a single row of chairs on it. The stage has two ramps and a white and blue curtain background with several flags. A small lectern sits at the left side of the stage and reads “Trent University.”
The bag pipes can be clearly heard. 
The view shifts to show two pipers leading in the Graduand Procession from the back of the room. The audience stands. The view shifts several times to show the audience and Graduand Procession. One piper wears green and blue kilt with green jacket and hat. The other wears a green and blue kilt with blue jacket and hat. The banner on screen reads “Reverend Jaime York. Piper.”
The Graduand Procession is lead to seating on the right side of the audience.
Graduates receiving their Bachelor of Business Administration degrees wear dark green gowns with waist-length sleeves and copper and dark green hoods. Graduates receiving their Bachelor of Arts degrees wear dark green gowns with waist-length sleeves and white and dark green hoods. 
[00:00:35]
[The banner on screen reads “Colin Campbell. Piper.”
The view shifts several times to show the audience and Graduand Procession.]
[00:02:39]
[The pipers finish playing. The view returns to the back of the room. Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov’s Procession of Nobles begins to play over the sound system. It is a grand, full-orchestral melody without words. The Academic Procession enters the room. They are in academic and traditional regalia of many forms. A woman at the front of the procession in Indigenous regalia carries Trent’s Condolence Cane, the cane that is a symbolic representation of the governance power of the Haudenosaunee peoples and represents the academic governing power of the University.]
[00:03:33]
[The first eight members of the Academic Procession take seats on stage. The others sit to the left side of the audience.]
 [00:4:19] 
[A man from the Academic Procession approaches the lectern. He is in a dark green gown with elaborate gold and dark green embroidery and a round green velvet beefeater-style hat with gold tassel. The banner on the screen reads “Don Tapscott. Chancellor.”] 
Don Tapscott:
Good morning everyone. Please be seated.
I’m Don Tapscott and I’m the Chancellor of Trent University and I’m also a proud graduate of this great institution. The band that played the opening ceremony is back in the room out there, but they had a rough night last night so they’re just kind of getting warmed up.
Anyway, this is a special day for everyone here and I’m just delighted to share it all with you. Graduates, heartfelt congratulations on reaching this important milestone. I now declare convocation open.
[Applause and cheers in the audience. Don Tapscott sits.]
[00:05:12] 
[A man stands at the lectern. He is in a dark green gown with elaborate silver and dark green embroidery and a round green velvet beefeater-style hat with silver tassel. The banner on the screen reads “Leo Groarke. President & Vice-Chancellor.”]
Leo Groarke:
Good morning. My name is Leo Groarke. I have the privilege of being the eighth President and Vice-Chancellor of Trent University. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the ceremony today. 
In keeping with Trent tradition, I want to begin by respectfully acknowledging that we are on the treaty and traditional territory of the Scugog Island Mississauga. We offer our gratitude to our First Peoples for their care for and wisdom about our earth and our relations. May we always honour those teachings.
I’m very pleased to welcome graduates, their parents and families, spouses, partners, and friends, faculty to today’s ceremony. I did want to extend an especially warm welcome to some special guests. From the Beth Israel Synagogue Executive Committee: Karen Fisher, Alvin Gallay, Larry Gillman. From the Trent Durham Community Advisory Committee that advises our Durham campus on things going on in Durham: Primilla Ramdahani, the CEO of the Community Innovation Lab; Thomas Qu, the Chairman of the Durham Chinese Canadian Cultural Centre – and while I’m at it, I want to thank Thomas for being a wonderful host on a trip we did to China to establish relations between Trent University and Chinese institutions; Darryl Sherman, the President of Wilson Furniture; Doug Kirk of Durham Radio Inc.; Alex and Janet Georgieff, Alex being the former Commissioner of the Planning and Economic Development for the region of Durham; and last but certainly not least – I’m going to put it this way – our own Garry Cubbitt, the CAO of Durham, and he’s our own not only because he’s a graduate of Trent but he’s a member of our Board of Governors. How about a round of applause for our special guests.
I’d like to preface the awarding of degrees by saying something about the convocation ceremony. And I like to think that our convocations at Trent are like Trent itself and just to give you a flavour of that. I want to quote from a recent review of Trent University which described us in a very accurate way. It described us as “a prestigious and elite” – I like that part, as the president – “a prestigious and elite small university, but one that is approachable and friendly.”
And I think that really captures the spirit of Trent and because Trent is a very serious institution, in terms of research and in terms of study, but at the same time we pride ourselves on being a very friendly, open, gregarious university. And like Trent itself, we want this ceremony both to have a serious side and a kind of formal side, but also to have a friendly and very approachable side.
On one hand, this is a very serious moment, when our students officially complete all their studies for their degrees and move on to other things, but at the same time I do want to remind you that a convocation is a celebration. It’s a party. It’s a party that we are hosting to celebrate the successes of our students.
So, with that in mind, I want to invite you especially when the students are awarded their degrees to enjoy a party atmosphere, okay? Shout if you want to shout, be loud, dance, come to the front, take photographs of the students who are coming by. If you want, you can celebrate it as a party to celebrate the fact that your son or daughter finally got their degree. And if you want, you can say things that embarrass your spouse or others who are going across the stage. That’s perfectly okay.
To our visitors, I did want to say that I hope you will enjoy our deep sense of community. That’s so much a part not just of Trent but maybe especially of the Durham campus, because it’s a smaller campus. I’m pleased to tell you that community will be growing even closer as a community in coming years thanks to a board-approved plan to build a new residence and academic space in the Durham campus. I think this will be a huge step forward for the campus and I’m going to ask for a round of applause for the board deciding to take this in step.
[Applause]
Thank you, Stephen.
The more applause, the better. We’re just warming you up here.
I invite all our graduates in particular to come back in a year or two and visit our new digs. 
Let me end my remarks by saying to our graduands that you are joining a prestigious Trent family. It includes famous authors, Nobel Prize winners, Rhodes scholars, and Governor General and Academy Award winners. This family includes scientists, artists, religious and political leaders, and perhaps even more importantly, a cadre of teachers, researchers, medical practitioners, mothers, fathers, and good citizens. I believe that Trent has prepared you well for the exciting and challenging adventures that lie ahead. This is your moment, this is your day, enjoy it as an important time to imagine your future and create a life of consequence and a purpose that is uniquely your own.
Ladies and gentlemen, a round of applause for our graduates, please.
[Applause in the audience and on stage.] 
[00:11:58]
Mister Chancellor, I now call upon Professor Carolyn Kay to introduce a remarkable individual whose will be recognized today with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
[Leo Groarke leaves the lectern. 
A woman in blue and black academic robes stands at the lectern. She wears a dark green sash on her shoulder with white trim. The is the Symons Teaching Award laripipe. A man in a navy and silver academic gown stands at the centre of the stage with the Chancellor and the university Registrar. The Registrar wears a green and white academic robe with a round green velvet beefeater-style hat.]
Carolyn Kay:
Mister Chancellor, Mister President, faculty and staff, graduating students, friends and families. 
In 1944, at the tender age of 16, just a few years younger than many of you students graduating here today, Max Eisen was forced by the Nazis to leave his native homeland of Slovakia and to enter the human gate of hell called Auschwitz. He witnessed and suffered under the terrifying Nazi barbarity that included the killing of children, and yet he survived, helped by a Polish doctor at the camp.
But his mother, his brothers, his baby sister, his father, and uncle, and more than fifty relatives were gassed and murdered in the Holocaust. He lost almost everything except his will to survive, and to keep his family’s story alive. His father’s last words to him were ‘if you survive, tell the world what happened here’ and he has that.
On May 6th, 1945, Max was liberated by the 76th Tank Battalion of George Patton’s Third Army. He would come to Canada as an orphan and later become a successful manufacturer. In Toronto, Max met and married Ivy Cosman who is here, and he had two children with Ivy – Ed and Larry who are also here. And they have grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In 1991, he began speaking to schoolchildren about his personal experiences in the Holocaust and since that time, he has taken his story to schools, associations, professional groups all across Canada, speaking to tens of thousands of young people and adults. At Trent University, he has given public talks many times, including to students here at Trent University Durham.
Max also takes part in the yearly March of the Living trips to Auschwitz where students travel with him to Poland and learn first-hand about this deadly camp. He is a regular speaker for the Toronto Holocaust Centre and the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, and he is now one of the few remaining survivors of the Holocaust living in Canada.
In 2017 at the age of 87, he completed a memoir of his remarkable life entitled By Chance Alone, published by HarperCollins to a critical acclaim and shortlisted for the prestigious Taylor Prize. As well, in 2015 and 2016, he was a key witness in two closely watched German trials of former Auschwitz guards who were convicted and sentenced. His participation of these trials is captured in the 2018 documentary film The Accountant of Auschwitz and was extensively covered by the Canadian media, including the CBC, the Globe and Mail, and the National Post.
Today, our divided and threatened world calls out for heroes, not powerful political leaders who serve themselves but ordinary and compassionate people who fight hard for a better society. You students can be these heroes. Max is definitely one.
Max Eisen represents teaching at its finest, carried out with the desire to encourage historical knowledge and the importance of human rights for all Canadians. The Holocaust is a crucial subject in the history of civilization and it must never be left behind or neglected, and we are so fortunate to have survivors like Max who have offered their personal stories and have worked tirelessly to see that this history remains alive. When all the survivors have passed away, we will lose this vital connection to our collective history. Let us never forget.
For his courage and being a witness to genocide, his impact on Canadian students, and his selfless work of public education, I have the honor of presenting to you for the Degree of Laws Honoris Causa Max Tibor Eisen.
[The Registrar lifts a navy and silver hood over Max Eisen and lays it on his shoulders, pinning it in place. The Chancellor and Doctor Max Eisen shake hands and post for a photo at centre stage. The room stand in ovation for Max Eisen. Many people cry. The banner on screen reads “Max Eisen. Honorary Degree.”
Carolyn Kay leaves the lectern.
Leo Groarke stands at the lectern.]
Leo Groarke:
Congratulations Doctor Eisen. It’s my great honour to invite you to address convocation.
[Leo Groarke sits.]
[00:17:23]
[Max Eisen stands at the lectern.]
Max Eisen:
Thank you for those beautiful words.
Mister Chancellor, Mister President, members of the graduating class, distinguished faculty, family and friends, 
I have made a number of visits to speak to the Trent University and Peterborough communities over the years, thanks to the kind invitation of Doctor Carolyn Kay.  In fact, I still have a Trent University mug that was given to me after one of those visits.  I have used this mug so many times that I am almost ready for a new one. 
[Laughter in the audience.]
This occasion, however, is very special for me. It is indeed a privilege to receive the Honorary Degree that you are bestowing on me today. This kind recognition of my life’s passion and purpose will be a highlight that I will always cherish. 
Fellow students, today is a significant day.  Today marks the conclusion of your undergraduate studies – hours of class time, tutorials, labs, essay writing, analyzing statistics, reading, preparing for tests. All of your hard work is about to pay off as you march across this stage to receive your degree.  It’s a time for smiles and applause.  It’s a time for photos and celebration.  It’s also a time for reflection.   
I am a Holocaust survivor. In 1944, at age 15, I was arrested along with my grandparents, my uncle and aunt, mother, father, two brothers and baby sister, and deported to Auschwitz death camp in Birkenau.    
My grandparents, aunt, mother, brothers and sister were murdered immediately upon our arrival, while my uncle, my father and I were selected for slave labour. My father and uncle died several months later after Nazi doctors carried out medical experiments on them.  I was marched out of Auschwitz in January 1945 on a death march and I was eventually liberated in Ebensee, Austria in May 1945.   
As I was preparing to write this speech, I couldn’t help but think about my past and all of those who never had the opportunity to pursue their dreams.  I began thinking about the one and a half million Jewish children who never had the chance to spread their wings and whose talents have been lost to the world.  
I thought of children like Anne Frank, a child who went into hiding with her family in an attic in Amsterdam.  She kept a diary where she shared her innermost thoughts about life, love, her hopes and dreams.  Sadly Anne, along with the others that were in hiding with her, were reported on by a Nazi collaborator.  They were found, arrested, and they were deported.  Anne died only a few weeks before liberation.  Anne was born in 1929, if alive today she would be 89 years old – the same age as I am.  How many books could she have written?  
I thought of a boy named Petr Ginz who was born in Prague.  At 10 years old he witnessed the invasion of Prague by the Nazis and kept a daily diary of his life and the swift changes that took place.  From his forced-wearing of the Star of David that marked him as a Jew, to his deportation to Terezín Concentration Camp two years later, Petr documented it all.  Immediately upon his internment in Terezín, Petr started a newspaper called Vedem – meaning We Lead.  He wrote stories, shared facts that he had learned in school and he drew charcoal sketches.  One drawing in particular he named “Moonscape,” a copy of which was taken on the spacecraft Columbia by Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.  Sadly, Petr’s drawing did not make it back from space and Petr himself, never lived to learn of the Columbia tragedy.  He was deported at the age of 16 to Auschwitz-Birkenau in late 1944, where the Nazis murdered him.  
I also couldn’t help but think about my own brothers, Eugene and Alfred.  Alfred was a darling.  I adored him.  Eugene, the older of the two, was brilliant.  His path was clearly leading to university, where he would leave his mark on this world through either academia, religion, or both.  However, like Anne Frank and Petr Ginz, Eugene and Alfred never had the chance to pursue their dreams.   
For me, all of these children are a reminder of the great privilege of education and the collective responsibility that we have to educate not only minds, but hearts.  You are concluding one journey but embarking on something new and exciting.  You will have the great privilege and responsibility to shape the minds of future generations.  I encourage you to take this responsibility with the caution and respect that it deserves. 
After a successful career in manufacturing, I chose to become a public speaker and I have been speaking for 29 years.  I could never have imagined, more than 70 years ago as a prisoner in Auschwitz, that I would be an educator in the field of Holocaust education, and the motivation for me today is stronger than ever. I see the importance in this choice as I am witnessing a resurgence of hate that is eerily similar to the hate that I remember from my childhood. From my lived experience, I know that something like the Holocaust doesn’t just happen – it all started with words.  And those words kept rolling along and took on a life of their own.  Those words – those lies – became the truth.  It all starts with words and it ends in terrible places.   
As I reflect on my life and think about the exciting future that lies in front of you, I am reminded of the words of former US Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan: “Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved.”
So how do we make this world a better place?   
As Bryan suggests, you have the choice to be a part of the solution. Continue to educate yourself. Ask questions. Encourage others to ask questions. Don’t be swayed by lies. Check facts and be careful with the information you encounter. Think critically about world events and don’t accept an ‘easy’ answer. Invite guest speakers who have experienced the consequences of hatred and intolerance.  
For me, speaking to law enforcement & military professionals, educators, business leaders and many many students has been the most rewarding part of my life.  It has truly been an amazing experience to see young people hear my story and show their thoughtful consideration through questions and letters sent to me.  It is a privilege to be asked to speak and it has given me a whole new life.  In fact, it’s what led me to write my memoir – along with a promise I made to my father that I would tell the world what happened to me and my family.   
You will leave here today with a piece of paper that now enables you to pursue your dreams.  You will be leaders – whether it be in industry, finance, the non-profit sector, government, arts and humanities, or sciences.   
You have the skills and tools necessary to build a professional career. Use those skills to build a good life, a good career for yourself.  But most importantly, use those skills to build a better world for future generations.   
Find your passion and work hard on it. Continue to learn. Support your colleagues. Celebrate your successes. Learn from your mistakes. Be generous with your praise. Be mindful of your criticism. Be honest. Don’t shy away from difficult conversation. Be humble.  Act with courage and integrity. Listen. Truly listen. Be grateful. Be kind. 
You truly can achieve whatever you set your mind to.  But don’t be afraid to adjust your goals along the way.   
I accept this honour today in the names of my siblings Eugene, Alfred and Judit.  I thank my family – my wife Ivy, my sons, my grandchildren, and great-grandchildren – for their support and for giving me a life here in Canada.   
And I will leave you with the last words of four courageous young women who spoke to a forced assembly of the camp’s prisoners just before they were hanged in Auschwitz I on January 6th, 1945 because of their act of resistance - destroying one of the gas chambers and crematoriums – thereby saving many lives.  I can still see them standing tall and proud on the gallows. Their parting message to us were two Hebrew words: [Hebrew]. “Be strong and of good courage.” These words continue to inspire me to this day and I want to share them with you as you embark on the next stage of your journey.
I congratulate each of you on your tremendous accomplishment.  My best wishes to you in your journey. 
Thank you.
[Applause and cheering. The crowd stands in ovation.
Max Eisen leaves the lectern.]
[00:32:11]
[Leo Groarke stands at the lectern.]
Leo Groarke:
Thank you for those profound and inspiring words Doctor Eisen. 
[00:32:21]
We will now proceed to the awarding of degrees. Joe Muldoon, Head of Trent University Durham campus, will now present candidates for all degrees.  
Graduands, as Mister Muldoon reads the students’ names, you will cross the stage, be congratulated by the Chancellor, then myself and then by the university Registrar. 
[The Chancellor, President, and Max Eisen move to centre stage. A man in a black academic gown with red and white hood stands at the lectern. The banner on screen reads “Joe Muldoon. Head – Durham-GTA.”]
[00:32:13]
Joe Muldoon:
Mister Chancellor, I am pleased to present for the degree of Bachelor of Business Administration, candidates whose names will be read, whom the Senate has duly declared worthy of the honour, that they may receive the degree at your hands.
[As names are read, the named graduate walks across the stage from right to left, first shaking hands with Chancellor Don Tapscott at the centre of the stage, then Doctor Max Eisen, then the President & Vice-Chancellor Leo Groarke at the centre-left of the stage, then Registrar Tracy Al-Idrissi at the far left of the stage.]
[00:33:39]
[Applause can be heard after each name is read.]
Dillon Antony
Max Ferguson Billing
Patrick Boulanger
Cameron Dailey
Stavroula Diakovasiliou
Kaitylyn Erickson
Raymond Gordon
Jasmine Hickey
Anum Javed
Cyril Kepomey
Sherry Motayne
Madiha Fatima Naqvi
Vipin Chandra Narra
Benjamin Nicholas
Alexondra Racicot
Anjan Roy
Jenalynn To
Paul Charles White
Sandra White
Please join me in congratulating the recipients of Bachelor of Business Administration degrees.
[Cheering and applause in audience and on stage. Chancellor turns towards graduates and removes his hat to bow toward them.]
[00:37:09]
Mister Chancellor, I am pleased to present for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Honours Program candidates whose names will be read, whom the Senate has duly declared worthy of the honour, that they may receive the degree at your hands
[Applause can be heard after each name is read.]
Karen Albrecht
Sean Michael Badgley
Meaghan Neim Bailey
Sherise Bailey
Joseph Cassidy
Victoria Fern Cote
Aarifah Desai
Taylor George Dobbs
Megan Carrie Duffett
Nancy Lee Gazo
Natasha Lynn Geiecker
Jaslin Nicole Grove
Rachel Jansen
Darah Kearney
Nicholas Krizanic
Rodrica Mahenthiran
Angel Mochulla
Rachel Morrison
Amanda Leigh Muschett
Jessica Lynn Prentice Nash
Anna Gabrielle Norton
Vivian Ellen Louise Parkes
Samuel Richardson
Magdelena Lauren Samulski
Sarah Marie Tax
Nicole Sarah Taylor
Thomas White**
Please join me in congratulating the recipients of Bachelor of Arts degrees in the Honours Program.
[Cheering and applause in audience and on stage. Chancellor turns towards graduates and removes his hat to bow toward them.]
[00:43:05]
Mister Chancellor, I am pleased to present for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the General Program, the candidate whose name will be read, whom the Senate has duly declared worthy of the honour, that they may receive the degree at your hands.
[00:43:23]
[Applause can be heard after each name is read.]
David Annan
Eric Baird
Rebecca Grimley
Michael Lasella**
Carissa Dini
Kashthuriy Kannathas
Brandon Oake
Amber Thompson
Courtney Wilkinson
Please join me in congratulating the recipients of Bachelor of Arts degrees in the General Program.
[Cheering and applause in audience and on stage. Chancellor turns towards graduates and removes his hat to bow toward them.]

[00:45:20]
Mister Chancellor, I am pleased to present for the certificates in Human Resource Management and Marketing & Entrepreneurship, the candidates whose names will be read, whom the Senate has duly declared worthy of the honour, that they may receive the certificate at your hands.
[00:45:36]
[Applause can be heard after each name is read.]
Chelsea Gill
Alexandra Holland
Please join me in congratulating the recipients of the certificates in Human Resource Management and Marketing & Entrepreneurship.
[Cheering and applause in audience and on stage. Chancellor turns towards graduates and removes his hat to bow toward them.]
[00:45:23]
Mister Chancellor, I ask you to confer degrees in absentia on candidates whose names are before you and who are unable to be with us today.
[Chancellor holds the brim of his hat and nods.]
[00:46:39]
Professor Dawn Lavell-Harvard will now introduce the honour song.
[Joe Muldoon sits.]
[00:46:51]
[A woman in traditional Ojibwe leather regalia carrying a rainbow shawl approaches the podium. The banner on the screen reads “Dawn Lavell-Harvard. Indigenous Studies.”]
Dawn Lavell-Harvard:
Before all words can be spoken, we bring greetings to all of Creation and we give thanks for another day of life.
Mister Chancellor, Mister President, honoured guests, graduates. In the custom of the first peoples of this land, we offer the sound of the drum and our voices to honor our mother, the Earth. We send our profound and deepest thanks to all of Creation. We greet the world with humility and embrace the richness, diversity, and wonder that is life.
In the Anishinaabe teachings, the sound of the drum represents the original sound of our Creation. That heartbeat of Creation reverberates still and infuses our beings with life. We sound the drum to connect us with all Creation, to honour and celebrate life, and to live with humility among all living things.
Today we offer words of praise to those who are graduating. We offer words of thanksgiving to those who have made these accomplishments possible. We offer words of respect to those who have come before us and who brought dignity to our lives.
We offer these words to remind of the Seven Grandfather Teachings: that we must live with respect, kindness, honesty, sharing, courage, and strength. 
And today we offer these words to honour Max Tibor Eisen, because you’ve reminded us of the power of words. The power of words to change the world we live in. You embody courage, and for that we honour you.
Today we offer this song to accompany you on your travels. May you travel well and may your lives be filled with grace and dignity.
Mister Chancellor, Mister President, honoured guests, graduates, I have the pleasure of presenting Unity.
Today they will be singing the Bear Song. The Bear who embodies strength, courage, and her quiet wisdom, in honour of our graduates. Ladies and gentlemen, may I ask you to stand if you are able for the Honour Song.
[Three women move to the front-centre of the stage. They carry traditional Anishinaabe hand-drums decorated with ribbons and played with single-head mallets. They face the audience.
The audience, graduates, and Academic Procession stand. Many remove their hats. The banner on the screen reads “Unity. Honour Song.” 
The Honour Song is Anishinaabe vocals with harmonic melodies over rhythmic drumming. The women sway in time with the music. The song ends with whoops and applause.]
Dawn Lavell-Harvard:
Chii-Miigwetch. Thank you, Unity. You may be seated.
[00:52:50]
Mister President, I would like to invite Jess Grover, President of the Trent University Alumni Association to welcome the graduating class.
[Dawn Lavell-Harvard sits.]
[01:04:55]
[A woman in Trent’s dark green gown with a white and dark green hood approaches the large podium. The banner on the screen reads “Jess Grover. President – Alumni Association.”]
Jess Grover:
Mister Chancellor, Mister President, Doctor Eisen, graduates, honoured guests. Good morning! First, I must say to you, our newest alumni, congratulations! And welcome to our family.
I’m so honoured to be here at Trent Durham’s convocation. I love Trent Durham’s spirit. My heart bursts with joy (and a few tears) to see you here amongst family and friends, a strong and proud community within the larger institution of Trent. This is truly the celebration of a personal, purposeful, and transformative little campus. 
Over the course of your studies at Trent, I know you’ve seen your campus grow. You are the trailblazers of this campus, and your dedication, energy, and accomplishments are a big part of what has made Trent Durham so successful. You are integral to the flourishing of your campus, and I want you to know how grateful we are for all you’ve done to leave your mark on our university.
I know how hard you’ve worked. I can see the joy and accomplishment you feel today – treasure that and keep it with you always. You have taken all the challenges and hard moments along the way and turned them into opportunities for learning and success. You’ve done this, and I hope that any moment you find yourself uncertain of your abilities that you remember today and remind yourself that you know how to achieve your goals.
I’m sure that each of you have had at least had one conversation where you’ve had to say “I go to Trent….no, not that Trent, Trent in Oshawa!” I want all of you to know that the Alumni Association recognizes, respects, and celebrates the alum who come from Trent Durham. We recognize that your experiences are unique within the alumni family, and to celebrate that, the Trent University Alumni Association will be bringing it’s annual meeting and volunteer reception to your campus for the first time this fall. Please join us to that Trent Durham alum spirit!
Take some time today to update your contact info – you should be getting an email from me right now – so we can stay in touch. We need to as a part of our family, to keep that Trent Durham spirit thriving in the association and we want you to take part in our awards, events, and benefits. Trent is not only a part of your past but is a part of your future. Stay involved in Trent and get involved with Alumni – we’re made better by your presence. 
Today, not only everyone here celebrates you, the entire alumni family celebrates you. On behalf of the Trent University Alumni Association, it is my honour and privilege to say welcome, and congratulations!
[Applause in the audience.
Jess Grover sits.]
[00:56:40]
[Leo Groarke stands at the lectern.]
Leo Groarke:
Thank you so much, Jess. 
As we come to the end of the ceremony, I want to ask you to help me say some thank yous. And I think I want to begin – and I’m going to ask them – Sarah Gallen and Rochelle Hall to come out. They are up in the balcony. Please come forward. Pretend you’re the Queen and wave.
[Applause in the audience.]
Now what I want to say is that it takes a community to raise a child, but it takes a lot of people to organize a convocation. And those of us on the stage get to be in the limelight but it only happens because the work of a tremendous number of volunteers. Think of them as the unsung heroes of convocation and Rochelle is currently the secretariat of the university and she’s been at every convocation – this is our ninth convocation at Trent this year, we want to keep them small so we’ve been doing lots of them. And Sarah has been taking care of our VIP Chancellor, and me, and organizing things behind the scenes. So, for them and all the unsung heroes of convocation, a round of applause please.
[Applause in the audience and on stage.]
Now there’s another thank you that I want the graduands to help me with. And what I would note is that you’re here today – and congratulations – because of all the work you’ve done but not just because of all the work you’ve done, you’re here because you have a support network. One of the things I like about convocation is that it’s all about family. That’s typically the core of it, but friends are also the core of it. They’ve been your emotional support network, maybe even a little financial help now and then when you need it, so I’d like to ask the graduands to stand and give a big shout out and thank you to your support network that’s sitting here.
[Graduands stand and applaud.]
Actually, I want a loud round of applause. Let’s try that again. Shout out!
[Graduates cheer and applaud loudly.]
Thank you for that and thank you all for being here and being that support network. It means a lot to them, it means a lot to Trent University as well. 
We will be shortly ending the ceremony. The procession will leave the stage following the singing of ‘O Canada’ and I’d ask you, if you are able to, to remain standing for that. 
First, I want to ask the Chancellor for some closing marks.
[Leo Groarke sits.]
[00:59:57]
[Don Tapscott stands at the lectern.]
Don Tapscott:
Well thank you Mister President. And thank you all for coming and sharing in the success of our graduates. And also, in the growing success of this thriving community in Durham. I’d like to thank Doctor Max Eisen in particular for his profound and moving and important remarks. 
I chair the nominating committee and our discussions are confidential, but I have to tell you there was strong and unanimous support that we confer this honour on Max. And I think not just because we viewed him as being a very worthy recipient, but it’s important that we learn from history and if we don’t learn from history, there’s a danger of the past being repeated. I’m very proud of Trent as a leader in fighting against racism, injustice, anti-Semitism, and sort of evil in all the vile forms that it takes. And having started at Trent over fifty years ago myself in its early days, I can tell you this goes back to the beginning of the institution. It’s in our DNA.
We need to remember that civilization, democracy are fragile things and that evil people can come to power, and it all begins sort of almost simply. With words, as Doctor Eisen said. So, let’s heed his important words and take them with us and never forget.
I also like to give my heartfelt congratulations to the graduates. This is a very special day and I hope you remember it, not just as the end of a period in your life, but as the beginning of an exciting new chapter. 
Now closing remarks like this are designed to inspire the graduating class and give some helpful hints for the future, so let me be brief with that.
Graduates, today is the first day of your life. Make lemonade out of lemons. Do well by doing good. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Also remember to buy a good suit, and of course good shirt and good shoes – hello, it’s all about the accessories! Floss – can’t overemphasize the importance of that. Increase the proportion of vegetables in your diet and, write this one down, don’t forget this – never, never, please, show up at a job interview you’re your parents in tow.
[Scattered laughter in the audience.]
So that pretty much sums it up. Are there any questions? Can we move forward?
Seriously, I’m not going to give you any advice about how to succeed, because you will be successful. The research shows that. You’ll all get jobs, you’ll build businesses, you’ll work for governments, you’ll do great things, and it will all be related expertise and from what you learned at Trent. But more important, it will be based on something deeper, on your capabilities because when you graduate, it’s not just what you know that counts, it’s your capacity – your ability to think, to solve problems, to put things in context, to research, to understand the big picture, to be critical, to write. And overall, to reinvent your knowledge base, have a passion for learning as you will change everything about your knowledge as you go throughout life and most important to have clear values and a moral compass. And Trent has equipped you well.
So, by all means, as Spock would have said – ‘Live Long and Prosper.’ And you will. You’ll all live a lot longer than you can possibly imagine with the new technology that’s coming. But I’d like to close my saying that we need more of you than just being prosperous. You see, when you think about the world that my generation is handing you, you’ve got to solve a lot of problems and fix a lot of broken things – sorry about that. The world is too unstable, it’s too unjust, it’s too conflicted, it’s too unsustainable, and your generation is really being called forth at this time in history to solve some very big problems. 
And as Doctor Eisen said in his very profound speech, we need to fight for what is right. And if you do that, maybe the smaller world that your kids inherit will be a better one.
Now I’m not suggesting that you all go work for an NGO or that you become a candidate for president of the world or something like that, but really as Doctor Eisen said, be informed. Be political – in the good sense of the term, small ‘p’ – understand what’s going on in the world. Have a point of view. Be active. As Doctor Eisen said, be strong, have courage, teach your children and overall try to live a principled life of consequence. 
The stakes are very very high going forward, the world is full of opportunities and it also some emerging very big challenges. So, Godspeed. Think big. Be bold. Be brave. Innovate. Have fun. And change the world. 
Convocation is now dismissed. 
[Cheers and applause from all.]
 [01:06:24]
[O Canada plays. It is an orchestral version without words, played over the sound system. Audience members, graduates, and members of the Academic Procession stand as able. Most remove their hats. Some sing along to the melody. A sign language interpreter signs the words from the right-hand side of the stage.]
[01:07:40]
[The Academic Procession leaves the stage, following the same order and path used to enter the stage. The Academic Procession is followed by the Graduand Procession. The banner on the screen reads “Thanks for watching. Congratulations to All!”]