In her convocation address to the Class of 2006, President Nan Keohane called on two unique metaphors to stress the importance of character and diversity.
She invoked the wisdom of Charles Reade, a 19th-century novelist who said, "Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit, and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny."
The act of sowing, she said, is akin to a college education. Both involve taking a leap of faith that the seeds planted now will blossom and serve in the future. Keohane advised students to care for their minds, their bodies, their spirits and their senses of beauty by taking time to appreciate and take advantage of their surroundings at the University.
In addition to painting a student as a sower, Keohane likened a college education to extreme sports, asking students to take risks in their friendships and to transpire beyond the comfort zone of people with similar backgrounds. "An extreme student would live for the 'aha' experience, in or out of the classroom," she said.
A number of freshmen said they found the president's speech inspirational and even comforting as they come to understand their roles on campus.
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"Her speech really gave good insight into what it means to be here at Duke," said Matt Hellman, who hails from Burke, Va.
Derek Hower, a native of Sandusky, Ohio, said the Chapel left him with awe-inspired goosebumps, but that Keohane's speech took some of the edge off the beginning of classes.
"The whole 'extreme' thing makes it seem like it's going to be a lot of fun," he said. "I'm really excited to start now."
Supplementing Keohane's emphasis on character, Honor Council Chair Sandeep Kishore spoke on the significance of the Undergraduate Honor Code.
"You have been granted a privilege that so many covet and desire," Kishore said. "To succumb to the temptation of taking the easy way out--to cheat--will cheapen your position in the Duke community and demoralize all of our common efforts."
Baltimore native Andrew Todd said he was impressed by the passion with which Kishore spoke of the Honor Code and that he had no objections to being channeled through to the signing table immediately following the ceremony.
Amelia Lombard of Palo Alto, Calif., and Joy Grant of Fairfield, Iowa, felt differently.
"I would have signed it anyway, but it seemed a little bit forced," Lombard said.
Grant agreed, noting that the wording on the pamphlet distributed before the ceremony "invited" students to sign the Honor Code. "But when we got outside it was like, 'Have you signed yet? No? Then go there. Sign,'" she said.
Hellman said that although he did not believe the University should ever make signing the Honor Code a mandatory part of orientation, directing people toward the table after Kishore's speech could help accomplish the code's intended goal.
"Just having the table right there for signing probably led people at least to read the Honor Code," Hellman said. "People want to know what they're putting their signatures to."
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