Harvard UNIVERSITY

Hanks urges graduates to defend truth and resist indifference

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.>> Tom Hanks told graduates of Harvard University on Thursday to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain.

“For the truth to some is no longer empirical. It’s no longer based on data, nor common sense, nor even common decency,” said the two-time Academy Award winner during his keynote address. He invoked the Latin word for truth is “veritas,” Harvard’s motto.

“Telling the truth is no longer the benchmark for public service,” he said. “It’s no longer the salve to our fears or the guide to our actions. Truth is now considered malleable, by opinion and by zero sum endgames.”

That left the more than 9,000 graduates at Harvard’s 372nd commencement with a choice to make, said the Hollywood icon, who has played an astronaut, a soldier, a little boy in a man’s body and even a Harvard professor in a decades-long movie career.

“It’s the same option for all grown-ups who have to decide to be one of three types of Americans: those who embrace liberty and freedom for all; those who won’t; or those who are indifferent,” he said. “Only the first do the work of creating a more perfect union, a nation indivisible. The others get in the way.”

— The Associated Press

JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

Zelenskyy delivers surprise commencement speech

BALTIMORE>> During a surprise commencement address to graduates of Johns Hopkins University on Thursday morning, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told them to take advantage of the time and resources they have to pursue their passions and uphold the democratic values at stake in his country’s war against Russia.

He spoke live from Ukraine, where the ongoing conflict has impacted the futures of countless young Ukrainians, robbing them of opportunities and loved ones, Zelenskyy said.

“Time is the most valuable resource on the planet,” he said. “Some people realize this sooner, and these are the lucky ones. Others realize it too late, when they lose someone or something.”

Zelenskyy described a recent visit with Ukrainian troops on the front lines, saying many have dreams and aspirations similar to those of the American graduating students. The difference is young Ukrainians are forced to endure the collective tragedy of war before chasing their dreams, he said. “You have to know exactly what you need today — and what you want your tomorrows to look like.”

— The Associated Press