Congratulations to the Valedictorian and Nominees

Matthew Sweeney

Major: Political Science and Philosophy double major Hometown: Leawood, Kansas Next year: Cornell Law school Organizations: Sig Ep Favorite Class: Honors Senior Thesis (political science), and Brad Stone's class on Heidegger Activities: Reading, All things sport, and giant games of Magic the Gathering

The Loyolan would like to extend its sincerest of congratulations to the other five finalists for this year's valedictorian. In an effort to recognize the finalists and share their perspectives on graduation, we present these excerpts from the finalists' 'would have been' speeches.

Stephanie Nordseth: LMU is a Village

Major: Accounting Hometown: Dallas, Texas Activities: Alpha Sigma Nu, Accounting Society and Loyolan Business Director

As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child." Venturing from Texas to the enormous city of Los Angeles presented extraordinary optimism and hope, in a world of infinite opportunities, and yet, an intimidating climate. I feared that I might get lost in the crowd, as a small fish among many, but surprisingly, I encountered something quite different. Los Angeles didn't feel large and impersonal at LMU; instead, it has been for me a small village, which seeks to cultivate leaders and calls them to pursue greatness.

During our tenure at LMU, each of us has learned to values ethics, service, and diversity of thought in our own particular passions and niches. Today is meant to pay tribute to the work done by all members of the LMU community for maximizing our opportunity and encouraging collective growth to become moral and determined leaders who desire to impact the world.

As we proceed to the next stage of our lives, we can rest assured in our potential. Each of us has attended countless lectures, taken a few too many exams, and, as you can imagine coming from a math person, written a few too many papers. As we sat in our classrooms, church bells rang every fifteen minutes to remind us of the presence of Sacred Heart Chapel, standing tall at the center of our university. It served as that constant reminder that we simply could not ignore the mission, identity, and values that come along with it.

Our degrees aren't just about the skills we developed, or the principles we retained in the classroom; they're about the ethical background we received, and the identity that was formed because of them. We're not just future teachers, or CEOs, or lawyers, or scientists, or artists-we are LMU graduates who have experienced four years of service to our community, and four years of education in a village that raises its students to exemplify a particular set of ideals, values, and a devotion to change. This distinguishes our degrees. Theodore Roosevelt once said, "To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." Who can argue? Throughout our time at LMU, ethics have been a foremost concern. All of us, regardless of emphasis, have been required to take a course in ethics. As I enter an industry that has been plagued by corruption, greed and scandals, I know that I will be distinguished as one of the few accountants who has attended an ethics course, and who has been inspired to stand up for what is right.

Of course, LMU is more than just three units of ethics. We also had the opportunity to become enlightened by influential speakers over the past four years. Just this January, Nobel Laureate and Auschwitz survivor Elie Wiesel told our campus, "To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all." His words recommitted our community to make a difference precisely because cowardice in the face of injustice is unacceptable.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Rigobertu Menchu's family was arrested, tortured, and killed by the Guatamalen military for standing up for the rights of farm workers. In the face of intimidation and the threat of death, Menchu chose to become an activist and continue her family's platform. Her speech last year exhibited the ideals of persistence and determination in calling out corruption and injustices. Similarly, Cynthia Cooper, an accountant for WorldCom, also refused to stand idle, be silenced or intimidated. Instead, she turned in those who caused incalculable damages to others precisely because it was the right thing to do. The speakers who visited LMU shared messages of hope, reinforced LMU's emphasis on ethics, and illustrated the importance of standing up as men and women for others.

As we move on to our next endeavors, may we always remember the core values and beliefs we have learned during our time at LMU. As Proverbs 22:1 states, "A good name is more desirable than silver or gold." Living an honorable and virtuous life, especially an ethical one, is more valuable and satisfying than any riches this world has to offer. We were created from dust, and to dust we shall return. In between, may we all continue to be strong leaders, who refuse to remain silent or indifferent during our short time on this earth.

Each of us leave LMU as educated leaders, who have been raised in a village on a hill, which overlooks a city that offers hope of stardom, that represents endless opportunities, and that cultivates all sorts of leaders. As we sit on that hill today, may we be reminded of what stands in between-Sacred Heart Chapel, a beacon of faith, of hope, of service, and of justice. Our experience at LMU has molded us to embody this challenging set of ideals that encourages us to be the change that we desire to see. We are no longer mere children; rather, we are leaders who have been raised in a hopeful village that has engrained a mission in us that continuously compels us to reach for greatness.

Catherine Lima: Class 007

Major: Mathematics Degree: BA in Teaching Mathematics Hometown: San Dimas, Calif. Activities: Pi Beta Phi, CLC and Underwings

E ach year LMU graduates a class of outstanding seniors, but we the class of 2007 are the first class in LMU history worthy of the name Double-O-Seven. I'd say the name accurately reflects the true nature of our class, as we are suave, daring, passionate, and have been given the necessary spy gadgets and training to execute our missions in life.

In our first weeks at LMU, the lifestyle seemed like a Casino Royale, as we were constantly wined and dined with free barbeques for freshmen wherever you turned. As the year progressed, we were given more and more responsibility, such as buying our own meals, and finding our niches in various clubs and organizations on campus. Then, on April 26, 2004, the strength and courage of our class was given its first real test.

The LAPD advised the evacuation of several buildings on campus and shut down campus activities for the remainder of the day. World War II bombs had been found as a result of construction in Playa Vista. But we stand before you today, survivors of Bomb Day 2004. We passed our first test. As the years went by, our attitudes matured, and so will these thoughts, I promise.

In the true style of a Jesuit's speech, especially one from our very own Father Lawton, I would like the remainder of my speech to focus on three main points, or questions rather. These questions should really be directed toward the class of '007 itself. First of all, who are the men and women in your lives who have helped shape your identities? Second, whose identities will you help shape in the future? And third, how much control do you have over either of these things?

Question one: who are the men and women in your lives who have helped shape your identities? I have a hunch that many of the people on your lists are standing here today, listening to this speech at this very moment. Don't forget to thank them for their help in securing you your seat in the Sunken Gardens today. We all know who we are talking about, and I do not mean Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, or Daniel Craig. Question two: whose identities will you help shape in the future? Some of the people on that list are also here today. So all the younger siblings and cousins out there in the crowd, pay attention and remember to thank your graduate for the great example they are setting for you. Thinking beyond the bluff, as we look ahead to our future travels, future careers, and future families, the people we meet should be able to recognize something in us that is different than the norm. People we meet should see that there is something unique about a graduate of a Jesuit University. They should see that our goal is to use our knowledge and skills to effect change in an unjust society, rather than to simply function comfortably within it.

Question three: how much control do you have over those who affect your life and whose lives you affect? You may not be able to choose your family, but you certainly make a conscious decision about how much time you spend with your family, and whether or not that time is quality. You may not have chosen your roommate freshman year, but you made a conscious decision about how you shared your space and how you shared your lives with each other, throughout the year. You chose your major, and will choose your vocation, your career, your spouse, how many kids you will have, how honest and fair you will be to your coworkers, and how often you consult God about all of this. Unlike James Bond, our class of 007 will be men and women for others in light of meditation upon God's will and God's grace.

The heroic acts to be performed by the class of '007 may never reach the silver screen, but they will be all the more valid in God's eyes. Bond was right to feel that The World is Not Enough for there are more important things to live for than fortune and fame.

David Niemeyer: A Unique Experience

Major: political science Hometown: Long Beach, Calif. Member: LMU varsity soccer

Welcome family, friends, faculty, alumni, distinguished guests, and, of course, my fellow graduates; it is an incredible honor to stand before you today.

Let me begin by congratulating all of my classmates for successfully completing their undergraduate education. Today marks an important milestone in each of our lives, and, if any have questioned the significance of earning a diploma, the number of people in attendance at this ceremony, and the great distance traveled by many of them to be here, is testament to our tremendous achievement.

Although our class is diverse in appearance and origin, our paths have converged here at LMU, and no matter what drew us here, be it the fantastic location, the beautiful campus, the school's exceptional reputation, the accomplished athletic program or a generous scholarship offer, every one of us graduating today can attest to the profound impact this institution has had on our life, and for that we are all eternally indebted to it.

LMU is truly a special place and while, understandably, many attribute the importance of college to the scholastic education acquired, graduates would be greatly disadvantaged if deprived of learning in other essential aspects of life.

If universities simply produced intelligent individuals with social and moral underdevelopment, then going to college would become mechanical and the world, as a whole, would suffer. Fortunately, this University recognizes the importance of a balanced education and, thus, has courageously adopted a mission statement which emphasizes the "education of the whole person."

For many of us, graduating marks the end of our institutional education and the beginning of our transition into the real world, and, while I am confident that we can all be successful in whatever we pursue, we must also be cautious not to forget the lessons we have learned here; for while the LMU community promotes justice and morality, much of the world does not. As proof of this we need only open the newspaper, turn on the television, or browse the internet. Truthfully, our class, and our generation, has inherited a fragile world: a world where greed and inequality causes thousands to die daily from malnutrition and curable disease, a world where political corruption and power-grabbing leads to needless wars and unspeakable atrocities, a world of instant gratification where many are willing to sell their soul for material wealth. For the rest of our lives we will be tempted to become a member of this distorted world; instead, however, we must resist our temptations and fortify the fragile world around us.

Although the "real world" has its problems, I see enormous potential before me today and I am certain that all of us will go on to make a positive difference in the world; I see scientists who can end the AIDS pandemic or reverse the effects of global warming, teachers who will educate the next generation, doctors and nurses who will save lives daily, engineers who will develop environmentally friendly energy sources, artists and entertainers who will beautify our world and businessmen and women who will promote ethical business standards.

Additionally, before I conclude, I would like to take a moment to thank anyone who, in even the smallest of ways, helped get us to this point, particularly our parents, teachers and friends. Whether it was pushing us to go to college, helping us decide where to go, or supporting us financially or emotionally throughout our journey; we are sincerely grateful for your help and your kindness will not be forgotten.

Lastly, in the tradition of our athletic director Dr. Husak: GO LIONS!!!

Sarah Santos: Learning to Listen

Major: natural science with an emphasis in secondary chemistry education Hometown: Lakewood, Calif.

A day like this certainly brings up a lot of emotions. There is the great excitement at this amazing accomplishment - being awarded our bachelor's degrees! But, there is also that sadness that comes in leaving a place that has truly become our home. It is at moments like these when we take a step back, look at who we were, who we are, and who we hope to one day become.

And looking over these past few years, there are countless lessons that we have learned. In the classrooms, in our residence halls and in the streets of Los Angeles. And there are countless voices that we have heard. Those of our professors, our friends and our communities. But I would have to argue that there is one lesson that stands above the rest…

We have learned how to listen.

There is a prayer by a Jesuit named John Veltri, and this particular prayer speaks to me about the personality of this class. The prayer is entitled, "Teach Me To Listen," and it starts like this:

"Teach me to listen, O God, to those nearest me, my family, my friends, my co-workers. Help me to be aware that no matter what words I hear, The message is, 'Love me for who I am.'"

We have listened to each other. We've listened to our classmates as we discussed philosophy and film and dance and business and engineering. We've listened to our friends in the hallways at 3 o'clock in the morning when we have an 8 a.m. class the next day. We've listened to our families when we spent those very precious weekends and holidays at home.

The prayer continues: "Teach me to listen, O God, to those far from me-the whisper of the hopeless, the plea of the forgotten, the cry of the anguished."

We have listened to those who are far from us. We listened when we attended discussions on homelessness, and embarked on Alternative Spring Break Trips, and spent our afternoons tutoring, We have listened, and our acts of listening have sparked us into great feats of action.

The sense of justice that this class embraces is simply remarkable. This class has left LMU, and Los Angeles, and the world as better places than when we found them. And I know this is a trend that is only going to continue as we go on to build loving families and meaningful careers.

The prayer goes on: "Teach me to listen, O God, to myself. Help me to be less afraid to trust the voice inside-In the deepest part of me."

We have listened to ourselves. We have exercised our bodies, stretched our minds and nourished our souls.We have done those things which are not so easy but that we know are right. May we always respect and nurture all of that which makes us unique. May we never be swayed by forces outside ourselves. May we never let time or routine keep us from opening our hearts to the world.

The prayer concludes: "Teach us to listen, O God, for Your voice-in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and in doubt, in noise and in silence."

We have listened for God. May we continue to listen for that subtle whisper. The whisper that will guide us down the path to our true personal vocations. The whisper that will teach us how to be the very best versions of ourselves. May we find God's Hand in all that we encounter. In our most painful struggles and in our greatest triumphs. In the familiar faces of yesterday and in the new challenges of tomorrow.

As we depart from LMU, and carve out our futures, may we always remember to listen. To those near to us. To those far from us. To ourselves. And to God.

For it is only through listening that we become all of that of which we are capable.

All we have to do is listen. And that's a skill that we have learned here at Loyola Marymount University.

Congratulations LMU Class of 2007!!

Jenny Lower: The Self

Majors: English and theology Hometown: Camarillo, Calif.

Today, as we consider the paths our lives have taken and the future that lies before us, I would like to share with you some words by the French Jesuit, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:

"Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability-and that it may take a very long time.

"And so I think it is with you. Your ideas mature gradually-let them grow, let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don't try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow."

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin could have been speaking to college students when he wrote these words. Four years ago, we entered LMU in a state of expectation. We were impatient to discover what our college experience would bring. We planned majors, hoped to join service organizations, sororities, and fraternities and looked forward to meeting new people. Despite our different backgrounds, we shared a common desire for the friends, grades and activities that would allow us to become the people we hoped to be, to lead the lives we envisioned for ourselves. We looked forward to graduation, the time when we would fulfill these dreams and move on to the next phase of our lives.

But for many of us, things were not so simple. Freshman year was a period of instability as we adapted to the changes of a new environment. We discovered that you really do have to sleep sometime; that professors can usually tell when you start a paper the night before; that true friendships do not just materialize, but have to be cultivated and nourished. The idealized picture we had created in our minds was not so easily realized. We longed to bypass the intermediate stages, and jump ahead to the future, when we would at last be content.

But as the years passed, so did we evolve. Majors changed, friendships shifted, and as we learned more about ourselves and the world, our ideas took root and began to flourish. Our character strengthened; our vision broadened. We discovered the joy that lies in the journey, instead of just yearning for the ultimate destination. But we were still impatient.

Today, we have finally ended the journey that began four years ago. But we are still incomplete, for our journey is not simply an academic one-it is about becoming our fullest selves, and it requires a lifetime.

Some of us may be confident about the next step of our lives, anticipating grad school, service programs, or the working world. Others are still waiting to see what unfolds. We should not despair if we do not know what lies ahead. We are works-in-progress, waiting for the future to be revealed to us. And when our impatience gets the better of us, we can remember these final words from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin:

"Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete."

Thank you.