Stevie Wonder Speaks to Class of 2023 at 178th Commencement
The ceremony also marked University President Tania Tetlow’s first commencement as president and awarded over 1,500 undergraduate degrees
Wonder was awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters and performed to the Class of 2023 following his speech.
June 9, 2023
Fordham University’s 178th commencement ceremony was held on May 20 and featured a forecast of heavy rains and rows of umbrellas that filled the audience. According to Fordham News, the university awarded 1,732 undergraduate degrees during the ceremonies.
The main commencement ceremony was held at Edwards Parade, beginning at 10 a.m., and concluding at approximately 1:30 p.m. The ceremony featured speeches from U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a commencement address from 25 Grammy Award and one Academy Award musician Stevie Wonder, and University President Tania Tetlow. The main ceremony was followed by separate diploma ceremonies for each school, including one for Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC), which took place on the Walsh Library Lawn at approximately 12:30 p.m., and the Gabelli School of Business at both Lincoln Center and Rose Hill, which took place at Jack Coffey Field at 12:45 p.m.
Several graduating students looked forward to the day’s events during their lineup to receive their name sheets in preparation for the main commencement ceremony, despite the rainy weather.
“I feel like we’re all in relatively high spirits,” Augustus Kellerman, FCLC ’23 said.
Amara McNeil, FCLC ’23, also shared her reflections on commencement day while waiting in line.
“Today, I think I’m just excited to celebrate with my family,” she said. “I think I’m also feeling a lot of personal accomplishments and feeling very proud of myself. It’s been a long four years, but we did it.”
Main Commencement Ceremony
Following the sounding of the Victory Bell, located outside the Rose Hill Gymnasium, graduates proceeded to the main university commencement ceremony at Edwards Parade.
Christina Greer, associate professor of political science at Fordham University, delivered an invitation to graduates, marking the beginning of the main commencement ceremony; she reminded graduates, “In [your] times of doubt, or insecurity, or fear, [you] can find faith, and lean into the foundation we’ve established here at Fordham.” Following her speech, the New York City Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corp (ROTC) color guard presented the flags and the university choir performed “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
“You’ve got to be activists, you have to vote, you have to serve your communities and you must enlighten the unenlightened.” Stevie Wonder, award-winning musician and 2023 commencement speaker
Schumer then shared his thoughts on Tetlow’s first year as president. “We love Father McShane, and she has just done a fabulous job succeeding him,” he said.
The Senate Majority Leader added that he also believes Fordham is not just one of the best higher education institutions not only in New York, but in the world.
Anticipation and excitement from the graduates and their families grew for Wonder’s appearance at the ceremony, a fact Schumer acknowledged before beginning his main speech.
“I know you want to hear Stevie Wonder,” he said as he tore up the remainder of his prepared remarks while acknowledging the incoming rain.
Following Schumer’s speech, Tetlow granted seven honorary degrees — degrees which bypass traditional requirements of the institution when conferring an academic degree to the recipient. Some of these recipients included civil rights leader and former President of Xavier University Norman Francis; Sharon Greenberger, CEO of YMCA of Greater New York; Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Homeland Security; businesswoman Regina Pitaro, Fordham College at Rose Hill ’76 and wife of Mario Gabelli, the namesake of the university’s Gabelli School of Business; and Wonder.
According to Bob Howe, assistant vice president for communications and special adviser to the president, Tetlow personally selected Wonder to receive an honorary degree of humane letters with approval of the board of trustees.
“What makes you special is how you will use your gifts to matter to the world — as teachers, lawyers, social workers and health care workers, as business people who will build new forms of opportunity.” Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham University
During his speech to the Class of 2023, Wonder inspired graduates to be “woke,” which he described as the quality of “being awake (and) being aware” of the issues of our world. He referred to students as the future and called on them to solve problems including climate change, educational inequities and prejudice found in governmental structures among other spaces.
“You’ve got to be activists, you have to vote, you have to serve your communities and you must enlighten the unenlightened,” he said.
Wonder also performed an unreleased song from his upcoming album “Through the Eyes of Wonder” and his classic “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” using a keyboard under a tent at the top of the steps to Keating Hall.
After Wonder’s speech and performance, Tetlow gave her first commencement speech as university president. She addressed the university’s slogan ‘New York is my campus, Fordham is my school” and gave a specific shout out to Fordham Lincoln Center (FLC) graduates noting that they studied at the epicenter of the world’s culture, media and global economy.
“You forged your own community, creative and joyful, vibrant and diverse, all the more tight-knit because you had no choice but to cram into elevators together during your vertical rush hour,” she said.
Tetlow added that she hoped students from FLC and the Westchester Campus felt at home in Rose Hill, which she described as the “roots” of the university.
The president noted that talent and “abundant gifts from God” will help students of the graduating class succeed in the future.
“What makes you special is how you will use your gifts to matter to the world — as teachers, lawyers, social workers and health care workers, as business people who will build new forms of opportunity,” she said.
Following the main commencement ceremony, graduates and their families dispersed to the designated diploma ceremonies for their schools.
FCLC Diploma Ceremony
At the FCLC commencement ceremony, Laura Auricchio, dean of FCLC, gave the dean’s welcome, where she reflected on her connection to the Class of 2023. She noted that she delivered her first speech in her position in 2019 before worldwide events such as the COVID-19 pandemic took place.
“We had just learned how to navigate the labyrinth of tunnels from Lowenstein to the Law School, and now we had to navigate a whole other brave new world on Zoom,” she noted. “Nonetheless, we returned. We persevered. You persevered. And here you are today. Triumphant.”
Following Auricchio’s opening remarks, the Class of 2023 welcomed Marley Poku-Kankam, FCLC ’23 and an Ailey/Fordham BFA graduate who worked as a Resident Assistant for two years and was a student worker in the FCLC admissions office. Poku-Kankam delivered the graduating remarks.
She highlighted the uniqueness of the first year for the Class of 2023, sharing how the pandemic changed the experience. She reminisced on experiences that the Class of 2023 gathered during their first-year, including their first football game and Midnight Breakfast, all which was upended during the pandemic in March 2020.
Poku-Kankam reminded the graduates that the original expectation was that the class would return to school after spring break. She noted, however, that a year of remote learning as a sophomore in what she considered a “ghost town” created a new sense of community on campus.
“Although this was probably a time at the bottom of the list in our college year rundown, it was the year we had the most growth,” she said. “I stepped into roles I had never dreamed of, and we all created new and imaginative ways to make even our online experiences incredible.”
She then took graduates back to junior year, which she referred to as the year of the “awakening” from the COVID-19 pandemic, in which students adjusted to a college campus recovering from the pandemic, leading to feelings of determination. With senior year, she reflected on the importance of support and community and asked graduates to always remember the aspect of community seen throughout their undergraduate career wherever they may go.
“No matter what the future holds, I’m confident knowing that these four years created the platform for us to valiantly move forward.” Caroline Brown, FCRH ’23
The awarding of scrolls was then led by Robert Moniot, associate professor of computer science and information science and associate dean of FCLC, and the Rev. George Drance, S.J., artist in residence in the theatre program, and was disrupted as the heavy rain began to get worse.
Many graduates and their families left the proceedings in the middle of the ceremony after receiving their diploma, and Auricchio concluded the ceremony earlier than expected after all graduates received their diplomas. As a result, the benediction of Michael A. Zampelli, S.J., associate professor of theatre, was canceled.
Zampelli shared an excerpt of his planned benediction to The Observer, in which he articulated his hope that students can use the skills and experiences cultivated at Fordham to serve others.
“We hope, in other words, that you will be generous enough to give something of what you know,” he said. “Something of what you can do, and — most importantly — something of who you are for the healing of the world.”
GSB Diploma Ceremony
At the Jack Coffey Field, graduates of the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) were taking part in their own diploma ceremony.
Lerzan Aksoy, dean of GSB and professor of marketing at Fordham, delivered the dean’s welcome. She encouraged Gabelli graduates to “find what you love,” which she described as being open to new opportunities, stepping out of their comfort zone and accepting the possibility of failure. Aksoy also reminded students of the power of grit.
“The good news is that every mistake, every failure provides an opportunity to learn if you’re willing to listen—not just about what doesn’t work, but more importantly who you really are,” she said. “And ultimately it is your ability to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles that creates the real success of joy.”
Vin DeCola, S.J., assistant dean for the bachelor of science in global business, Bob Daly, assistant dean for the bachelor of science in global business, and Brian Dunn, assistant dean of honors opportunities and dual-degree Programs, read the names during the diploma ceremony and handed out scrolls.
“We hope, in other words, that you will be generous enough to give something of what you know. Something of what you can do, and — most importantly — something of who you are for the healing of the world.”Michael A. Zampelli, S.J., associate professor of theatre
FCRH Diploma Ceremony
At the FCRH diploma ceremony, Caroline Brown, FCRH ’23 and the student speaker, noted that while graduation marks the conclusion of students’ time at the university, it also signals the beginning of other possibilities.
“The future is daunting and mysterious, but it also felt that way before Fordham,” she said. “No matter what the future holds, I’m confident knowing that these four years created the platform for us to valiantly move forward.”
Following Brown’s speech, Maura Mast, dean of FCRH gave brief congratulatory remarks to the graduates. Then, members of the FCRH administration and staff, including Mast and Jillian Minahan Zucchetto, assistant dean for juniors at FCRH, led the name reading and scroll distribution.
Administration Comments on Dissatisfaction Regarding the Rain
After the conclusion of the diploma ceremonies, some graduates threw their caps in the air as a celebratory measure and those who were left in attendance began to leave the Rose Hill campus.
“I wish Fordham had taken more initiative to work on the severe weather arrangement because everyone got drenched, and not everyone could hear the announcements.” Shenaya Dias, FCLC ’23
Shenaya Dias, FCLC ’23, described how she felt when all of her memories from her time at Fordham rushed back during the ceremony.
“The sense of accomplishment was mixed with joy and anticipation about what lay ahead,” she said. “It felt like stepping into the unknown, leaving the familiar comfort of my academic journey behind and venturing into the next chapter of my life.”
In regard to the planning, organization and execution of the event, some graduates and attendees shared dissatisfaction with the university’s management of the ceremony given the heavy rain.
Dias noted that the inclement weather led to graduates becoming soaked from the rain during their respective diploma ceremonies.
“I wish Fordham had taken more initiative to work on the severe weather arrangement because everyone got drenched, and not everyone could hear the announcements,” she said.
Howe acknowledged these complaints, noting that the university has heard from a “handful of people about the rain.” He explained that the university decided to hold an outdoor commencement since it would be more rewarding for guests adding that there is less “pomp and circumstance” for indoor ceremonies. He also cited spacing concerns as a reason for assigning the graduation ceremonies to occur outdoors.
“If we hold the main ceremony indoors, only the graduates of FCRH and their families can fit into Lombardi Field House with the commencement speakers and platform party (honorary degree recipients, trustees, deans, and Ph.D. graduates),” he said. “All other graduates and their guests must watch from separate locations via livestream.”
Howe added that it would have been “impossible” to move 15,000 graduates and their guests indoors in a timely and organized manner in the heavy rain. He added that a list of indoor streaming locations to watch the ceremony was provided on the commencement program and could be accessed by a QR code.
Information regarding the Class of 2023 commencement, including a livestream of the main commencement ceremony, can be found here. Livestreams of the school-specific diploma ceremonies can be found here.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that the awarding of scrolls was led by the Rev. Francis X. McAloon, S.J., acting dean for the Graduate School of Education, and Matthew Maguire, head of acting program at Fordham. As of June 9, this article has been updated to reflect that the names were read by Robert Moniot, associate professor in the department of computer and information sciences and associate dean of FCLC, and the Rev. George Drance, S.J., artist in residence in the theatre program.
