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RemarksbythePresidentatBarnardCollegeCommencementCeremonyBarnardCollegeColumbiaUniversityNewYork,NewYork1:28P.M.EDTTHEPRESIDENT:Thankyousomuch.(Applause.)Thankyou.Please,pleasehaveaseat.Thankyou.(Applause.)Thankyou,PresidentSpar,trustees,PresidentBollinger.Hello,Classof2012!(Applause.)Congratulationsonreachingthisday.Thankyouforthehonorofbeingabletobeapartofit.Therearesomanypeoplewhoareproudofyou--yourparents,family,faculty,friends--allwhoshareinthisachievement.Sopleasegivethemabigroundofapplause.(Applause.)Toallthemomswhoareheretoday,youcouldnotaskforabetterMother’sDaygiftthantoseeallofthesefolksgraduate.(Applause.)Ihavetosay,though,wheneverIcometothesethings,IstartthinkingaboutMaliaandSashagraduating,andIstarttearingupand--(laughter)--it'sterrible.Idon'tknowhowyouguysareholdingittogether.(Laughter.)Iwillbeginbytellingahardtruth:I’maColumbiacollegegraduate.(Laughterandapplause.)Iknowtherecanbealittlebitofasiblingrivalryhere.(Laughter.)ButI’mhonoredneverthelesstobeyourcommencementspeakertoday--althoughI’vegottosay,yousetaprettyhighbargiventhepastthreeyears.(Applause.)HillaryClinton--(applause)--MerylStreep--(applause)--SherylSandberg--thesearenoteasyactstofollow.(Applause.)ButIwillpointoutHillaryisdoinganextraordinaryjobasoneofthefinestSecretariesofStateAmericahaseverhad.(Applause.)WegaveMerylthePresidentialMedalofArtsandHumanities.(Applause.)Sherylisnotjustagoodfriend;she’salsooneofoureconomicadvisers.Soit’sliketheoldsayinggoes--keepyourfriendsclose,andyourBarnardcommencementspeakersevencloser.(Applause.)There'swisdominthat.(Laughter.)Now,theyearIgraduated--thisarealooksfamiliar--(laughter)--theyearIgraduatedwas1983,thefirstyearwomenwereadmittedtoColumbia.(Applause.)SallyRidewasthefirstAmericanwomaninspace.MusicwasallaboutMichaelandtheMoonwalk.(Laughter.)AUDIENCEMEMBER:Doit!(Laughter.)THEPRESIDENT:NoMoonwalking.(Laughter.)NoMoonwalkingtoday.(Laughter.)WehadtheWalkman,notiPods.Someofthestreetsaroundherewerenotquitesoinviting.(Laughter.)TimesSquarewasnotafamilydestination.(Laughter.)SoIknowthisisallancienthistory.Nothingworsethancommencementspeakersdroningonaboutbygonedays.(Laughter.)Butforallthedifferences,theClassof1983actuallyhadalotincommonwithallofyou.Forwe,too,wereheadingoutintoaworldatamomentwhenourcountrywasstillrecoveringfromaparticularlysevereeconomicrecession.Itwasatimeofchange.Itwasatimeofuncertainty.Itwasatimeofpassionatepoliticaldebates.Youcanrelatetothisbecausejustasyouwerestartingoutfindingyourwayaroundthiscampus,aneconomiccrisisstruckthatwouldclaimmorethan5millionjobsbeforetheendofyourfreshmanyear.Sincethen,someofyouhaveprobablyseenparentsputoffretirement,friendsstruggletofindwork.Andyoumaybelookingtowardthefuturewiththatsamesenseofconcernthatmygenerationdidwhenweweresittingwhereyouarenow.Ofcourse,asyoungwomen,you’realsogoingtograpplewithsomeuniquechallenges,likewhetheryou’llbeabletoearnequalpayforequalwork;whetheryou’llbeabletobalancethedemandsofyourjobandyourfamily;whetheryou’llbeabletofullycontroldecisionsaboutyourownhealth.Andwhileopportunitiesforwomenhavegrownexponentiallyoverthelast30years,asyoungpeople,inmanywaysyouhaveiteventougherthanwedid.Thisrecessionhasbeenmorebrutal,thejoblossessteeper.Politicsseemsnastier.Congressmoregridlockedthanever.Somefolksinthefinancialworldhavenotexactlybeenmodelcorporatecitizens.(Laughter.)Nowonderthatfaithinourinstitutionshasneverbeenlower,particularlywhengoodnewsdoesn’tgetthesamekindofratingsasbadnewsanymore.Everydayyoureceiveasteadystreamofsensationalismandscandalandstorieswithamessagethatsuggestchangeisn’tpossible;thatyoucan’tmakeadifference;thatyouwon’tbeabletoclosethatgapbetweenlifeasitisandlifeasyouwantittobe.Myjobtodayistotellyoudon’tbelieveit.Becauseastoughasthingshavebeen,Iamconvincedyouaretougher.I’veseenyourpassionandI’veseenyourservice.I’veseenyouengageandI’veseenyouturnoutinrecordnumbers.I’veheardyourvoicesamplifiedbycreativityandadigitalfluencythatthoseofusinoldergenerationscanbarelycomprehend.I’veseenagenerationeager,impatienteven,tostepintotherushingwatersofhistoryandchangeitscourse.Andthatdefiant,can-dospiritiswhatrunsthroughtheveinsofAmericanhistory.It’sthelifebloodofallourprogress.Anditisthatspiritwhichweneedyourgenerationtoembraceandrekindlerightnow.See,thequestionisnotwhetherthingswillgetbetter--theyalwaysdo.Thequestionisnotwhetherwe’vegotthesolutionstoourchallenges--we’vehadthemwithinourgraspforquitesometime.Weknow,forexample,thatthiscountrywouldbebetteroffifmoreAmericanswereabletogetthekindofeducationthatyou’vereceivedhereatBarnard--(applause)--ifmorepeoplecouldgetthespecificskillsandtrainingthatemployersarelookingfortoday.Weknowthatwe’dallbebetteroffifweinvestinscienceandtechnologythatsparksnewbusinessesandmedicalbreakthroughs;ifwedevelopedmorecleanenergysowecoulduselessforeignoilandreducethecarbonpollutionthat’sthreateningourplanet.(Applause.)Weknowthatwe’rebetteroffwhentherearerulesthatstopbigbanksfrommakingbadbetswithotherpeople’smoneyand--(applause)--wheninsurancecompaniesaren’tallowedtodropyourcoveragewhenyouneeditmostorcha