Chinese and World History

I’ve been to lots of graduations over the years, daydreamed through countless graduation speeches, and watched endless streams of eager graduates march off into their futures. And I’ve probably forgotten everything I’ve ever seen or heard at all those graduations. Until now.

Sias University, where I teach history and do other academic-like things, just held its 2009 graduation in its new indoor sports arena/assembly hall. This graduation was actually rather special. I had taught hundreds of the graduating seniors back when they were freshmen. And again when they were juniors, I taught many of them British and American history. Since the students I now teach are all juniors or seniors, I will never again have the same classes for different courses and in different years. Some of those students are very special to me. A select group of about 5 or 6 of them formed a pool from which I recruited people to accompany me to Zhengzhou either to help negotiate deals, or just to share some yang rou and noodles, or western-style pizza. More about my students later.

What struck me about this particular graduation, and what I will always remember, was one seemingly insignificant response to a minor accident. One of the speakers lost her hat. No big deal, but without missing a beat, the university’s president, Li Haijun, who was seated with all the dignitaries on stage, got up from his seat, walked across the stage, picked the hat up from the floor, handed the hat to the speaker, and then returned to his seat. I don’t know how many of the graduates caught it, but there was a lesson more valuable than anything any of them ever learned in most of their classes. This was genuine leadership in action.

Chairman Mao Zedong years ago published a pamphlet entitled, Serve the People. In America we still use the title “public servant” to describe our elected officials. I doubt if one in a hundred officials in either country – or in any country – actually sees himself first as a servant, and only secondarily as a leader. More the shame. I think the only person truly worthy to lead is one who seeks first to serve. Yes, I actually believe this. That is why I wrote all those character sketches in our soon-to-be-published textbook, Speaking Beautiful English. I genuinely believe that character is the most important thing we can teach anyone. And here was a graphic illustration of what I had been writing about.

There was another great university president who also set a marvelous example. He was also named President Lee. This was President Robert Edward Lee of Washington College, the same national hero who led my nation in its failed attempt to return to the independence it had once enjoyed. Anyway, back in the late 1860s President Lee was vacationing at a spa in the Virginia mountains. One evening there was a dance. Lee noticed a young lady who was being totally ignored by all the young men, and for no obvious reason. He inquired, and was told that the young lady’s father was a damnyankee. Naturally, so soon after experiencing the devastation of invading northern armies, much bitterness remained in the South.

What Lee did next ranks as one of the greatest moments in the history of humanity. Lee asked this social outcast for a dance. The greatest hero of the South danced with the daughter of his former enemy. This action spoke louder than multitudes of lectures and sermons by legions of professors and preachers. Lee changed the life and fortunes of one young lady, and taught us all how to live better. Our own Sias University President Li likewise taught us a great lesson during our graduation ceremony.

I have attached at the end of this blog a link to a few photos of the graduation. I didn’t bring my own camera, as I was busy lending dignity to the occasion with my University of Illinois doctoral gown with my non-regulation graduation cap. The photos mostly came from Amy’s camera. They are random photos of students who wanted to pose with one or both of us after the ceremony. They represent not even 5% of all the photos taken at that time. The girl in the spectacular evening gown is Jodie, my former student who is heading to the University of Newcastle in England for graduate studies. I ate more than one meal at her house in Zhengzhou, or with her family at a Zhengzhou restaurant. She was one of my “inner circle.” Joy was one of my more memorable students, too. The others already left for jobs in Shanghai or Beijing or elsewhere, and did not attend graduation. But at least you can get a glimpse of our graduation ceremony. The gorgeous lady in many of the photos, of course, is my wife Amy. I have no logical explanation as to how that happened.

http://picasaweb.google.com/GaryLeeTodd/SiasUniversityGraduation2009#