Former U.S. President Bill Clinton acknowledges the Schoellkopf Field audience before giving his Senior Convocation address, May 29. Robert Barker/University Photography

By Roger Segelken

Delivering the 2004 Senior Convocation address May 29 at Cornell, former U.S. President Bill Clinton challenged graduates to "make friends, not terrorists," in order to extend this country's founders' vision of "a more perfect union" beyond national borders to all humanity.

Although not an overtly political message, Clinton's vision for the conduct of foreign affairs seemed to offer a marked alternative to the current administration's path. He told the students and family members and the entire audience of about 21,000 people in Schoellkopf Field that America must build global partnerships so there "are fewer people who will have reason to resent us or to kill us." Most of the world's problems are not amenable to "unilateral solutions," Clinton said, placing his articulated doctrine ("cooperate whenever we can and act alone only when forced to") in clear opposition to pre-emptive war waged by a slight coalition.

The applause that greeted numerous rhetorical points served a dual purpose, indicating agreement and warming audience members hands on a chilly, breezy (but bright) morning in Ithaca. The choice of the Convocation speaker, made, according to tradition, by the graduating senior class, had provoked some criticism beforehand. But there were no anti-Clinton protestors in evidence at the stadium, which also was the site of the university's Commencement ceremonies the following day.

Clinton began his half-hour-long talk by mentioning personal links to the university, among them Cornell graduates Janet Reno and Sandy Berger, his attorney general and national security adviser, respectively. And he pointed out that he nominated another Cornell grad, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to become the second female associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court -- and, Clinton joked, she had forbidden him to reveal her class year.

In his only direct reference to the conflict in Iraq, Clinton asked for prayers for the families of two Cornell alumni who have died there in the armed forces and Nick Berg, a former student murdered in Iraq, "whose only mission in Iraq was to help people," the former president said.

Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman introduced Clinton, after noting two long-standing Cornell traditions and a more recent one: The featured speaker at Cornell Commencement ceremonies, when the degrees are conferred, is always the university president, rather than an outsider, and no honorary degrees are awarded to speakers, said Lehman '77. Then, about 20 years ago, a Cornell senior class started the Convocation tradition of inviting distinguished speakers -- among them over the years, scientists, artists and public figures. For his well-received speech, Clinton was given, not an honorary degree, but an engraved medallion by Class of '04 Convocation Chair David E. Jackson II.

Emphasizing his theme of international cooperation that embraces all humanity, Clinton remarked that the audience appeared to be a potpourri of ethnic and religious diversity. And he noted the diversity of the graduating seniors sharing the stage with him, pointing out Ifunanya Maduka, a student-elected member of the Cornell Board of Trustees, and Esther Tang, senior class president and class alumni co-president.

Clinton's address was preceded by a welcome by Jackson, a nostalgic and humorous class president's address by Tang, and the presentation of the senior class gift of $62,760.64 by Tang and Russell Maurice Franklin, class alumni co-president. Lehman accepted the traditional oversized check on behalf of the university. The Cornell Glee Club and Chorus performed before and at the close of the ceremony.

The speech by the former president began slowly, as if his metabolism and vocal cords were trying to overcome the cold and windy weather. But he quickly shifted gears to reach the barn-burner pacing and intensity that Clinton audiences have come to expect. He said there is an honest "and intellectually respectable disagreement in America today about whether we should use this moment of unrivalled military, economic and political superiority to go out and get rid of the bad guys in the world ... or whether instead we should use this moment to build better frameworks of partnerships. It's an honest disagreement," Clinton said, leaving little doubt which path he prefers.

"If you live in a world where you cannot kill, occupy or imprison all your actual or potential adversaries," Clinton said, "then you have to make a deal. You have to try to build a world with more friends and fewer terrorists."

Although "we're thrown into a world of complete global interdependence," Clinton added, "only half the people are benefiting from it. People all over the world are trying to figure out how to hold onto their religious, their ethnic, their racial, their tribal characteristics that make them proud and give them identity without having to denigrate and dehumanize somebody who's different.

"It is in some ways the last great struggle for humanity on this planet," Clinton said. "If we finally get it together we can start looking for life in other solar systems. ... Finally we're being called upon to recognize what we have in common -- in this beautiful, cold, often rainy place -- with people in arid, hot deserts half a world away."