Congratulatory Remarks
24th February 2012
Dean Jin-Hyun Paik
Dear Graduates,
First of all, let me congratulate you on your graduation.
Today’s graduation is the result of the effort and commitment you have dedicated over the last two years.
We are proud of your outstanding achievement.
Parents and family members,
All the helps you have provided for our new graduates have been most valuable. Without your support and love today’s celebrations may not have been possible.
On behalf of GSIS, I would like to express my special thanks for your hard work over the years.
Dear Graduates,
Today you leave the campus you have grown used to and enter into a new world.
The paths you choose to follow may differ. However, whichever path you choose you will surely be faced with both uncertainties and challenges you did not experience before.
I hope you will bravely find your way.
I wish that the efforts, integrity, patience and sense of commitment that you have acquired during your studies at the GSIS will help you overcome the trials you may encounter in the future.
Dear Graduates,
This morning I want to share with you a few things that I believe are important in life.
One of my favorite movies is “Fiddler on the Roof”.
The story is set in the early 20th century Czarist Russia, right before the revolution. The backdrop is a small Jewish village and the protagonist Tevye is a poor yet earnest Jewish family man who sells milk for a living.
The darkness settles on a rooftop, where a musician plays a beautiful melody on his violin. This sets the backdrop for the first scene of the movie featuring Tevye’s famous monologue.
Tevye contemplates the musician on the roof and wonders how is it possible to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without falling off the roof and breaking his neck.
He responds to his own question. “That’s because he can keep his balance”. Then he asks again, “how does one keep one’s balance?”
He shouts out, “tradition, tradition, tradition”.
Of course, the fiddler playing music on the dangerous roof serves as a metaphor for the uncertain and dangerous everyday life of Jews under persecution and discrimination in Czarist Russia.
And the message here is that not to lose one’s footing in this dangerous world one must find balance, and this balance is achieved by preserving tradition (in this case, the Jewish tradition).
Occasionally, I think that this message applies not only to those Jews living in the early 20th century Czarist Russia but also it is a message that can apply universally to our everyday lives, even today.
Especially, in the light of the fast-changing and increasingly competitive globalizing world, this may be all the more an appropriate monologue for us to think about.
Dear Graduates,
As you enter the real world, I advise you to keep your balance.
Work and family, work and health, personal achievement and sharing with others, ambition and restraint, and material pursuit and the spiritual quest… make sure to maintain a healthy balance in these matters.
And I advise you to have core values.
A dead weight is necessary to keep this balance, and this should consist of your core values.
Just as a tumbler doll will fall without any counter weight, a life unsupported by principles and values will easily crumble before hardships, challenges and temptations.
It does not matter whether these values come from religion, tradition, age-old wisdoms, or philosophy. What matters is that you maintain an upright set of values.
Believe in human dignity, be brave to do the right thing, and help those in need.
Always be truthful and sincere, and try your best at everything you do.
Life is a long journey. We are all “fiddlers on the roof”.
Do not hurry; do not burn yourself out too early. Be patient, avoid pursuing short-term interests and take a far-sighted view of life.
As a person who majored in international studies, continue to take an interest in the problems of the world and make efforts to understand and respect different races, religions, nationalities and cultures.
And if you can practice these things, no matter how arduous your journey becomes, you will be safe.
Dear Graduates,
Let me congratulate you once again on your graduation.
May you proudly celebrate your achievement.
Do not forget to thank your parents, family, and professors that have supported you throughout these years.
Do not be afraid of challenges. Be confident and keep your head up and go out to the new world.
I wish you the best of luck with your career and life.
Thank you.