Californication meets Tranpacificism

Subject: HSU degree granted!

Okay, maybe it’s not so exciting to you, but since the most important parts are short:

Dear Ajay,

On behalf of Humboldt State University, congratulations on earning your degree! Your official date of graduation is 16-May-07.
[.. extra stuff you don't care about...]
Congratulations again, and best wishes for future success and personal satisfaction.

(Sent by one Travis Brunner, but signed by Hillary A. Dashiell of the Registrar’s office, which I think is a funny inconsistency, plus it’s from the former’s personal HSU address. Silly ppl. heh)  (PS: As aforementioned, my Grad pics are online.)
I do like that last line though.. isn’t that what it’s all about?

So I started thinking, “Nah, they wouldn’t want to read about me graduating, my degree and all that (esp since so many of the FB’ers reading this are still in “school”)” and thought instead of quoting another old email I found, fwd’d from my school’s President, Rollin Richmond, but originally from the Graduation Alliance Pledge Coordinators.

As we celebrate Commencement and the 20th Anniversary of the Graduation Pledge Alliance we invite you to join the Alliance by taking the pledge:

“I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences of any job I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.”

The Humboldt Spirit encompasses the core values of the Graduation Pledge. Humboldt State University is, as an institution, committed to being exemplars of stewardship in learning and promoting social and environmental responsibility. We serve as a multifaceted prism for students in recognition of the need for intellectual and practical development, relevant community involvement and a vehicle for outreach beyond academics.
[...stuff you don't care about..]
In taking the pledge below, you will be joining in solidarity with thousands of graduates from over 100 Universities, Colleges and High Schools worldwide which originated here at Humboldt State in April of 1987 by a volunteer group called Student Citizens for Social Responsibility. We encourage you to take a proud part of our academic heritage and professional legacy to the County of Humboldt, the State of California, the United States of America and the World over.

[sent by] Jacque Lee and Dawne Abdul Al-Bari
Interesting, exciting, no? True to name, this is the “Graduation” Pledge, but .. well, I don’t need to go into that analysis with you. Just because some folks sign a piece of paper around graduation time (and some only to get that neat free pin they gave out), it of course doesn’t mean much. And what of those that aren’t graduating (forget Humboldt, maybe even not from University or even High School, as is true with several of my friends), do they feel honor and duty-bound towards a better world? Or because they are “un/under-educated,” do they not give a shit? As Krishnamurthi might say, these are important questions I ask you.  I have some ideas about this, and experience in talking to such friends (notably the folks that prob won’t ever official graduate from HS, save less Uni), but I can not give anyone any of my conclusions, though I can share as appropriate.

So the real question: What do you think about this pledge?  do you like the sound of the words?  of the message?  If yes, is it something that you would take into your own life?  As I graduated I talked, just a touch with just a few folks about the pledge (GP hereon), and some used, what in retrospect are pretty stale, lines like about “realisticness” and needing to get a job for “money,” and similar nonsense.  Why nonsense?  They clearly neither properly read nor understood the pledge.  It says nothing about not taking a job which kills people or destroys the environment. (The biggest reasons I can think of to not take the pledge in ones’ own life).  It just says that one will consider such factors, and try to improve on the Social Conseq (I incl env consequences in that) in their organization. Wow, that’s asking too much? If so, then.. yeah, well, i’ll try to avoid this opportunity for pessimism+negativity for you and me both.
But really, I’m not here to bash anyone or otherwise criticize them for their decisions, I just want us all to think a little bit, and hopefully I put a seed in their, your, and my own mind by talking, and writing. (resp) I’d still love to hear thoughts. As I’ve been striving in my life, I’ll not judge. Am I wrong, is this actually unrealistic? Or once we’re “caught up the grind,” will we be unable to strive for better? Will that be a spot we wish to be in? If not why do we think about such possibilities, won’t such thoughts simply just take us straight to that place we say we don’t want? I mean, if you focus+think about something a lot, you’ll probably get it, for better or for worse.

I was thinking of tagging fellow grads in this post on FB, but since it changed to be GP-centered (as was the theme of the (Oct) 2007 Leadership Conference: “Ignite: Lighting the Passion Within” at my alma mater*, which hopefully my Humboldt friends were able to attend, and of which a few of my close Humboldt friends helped organize. (Actually, I’ll tag them so maybe they could share a thought, after thinking so hard+much on the GP.))

Some might say I’m in the “lucky” position of being an Environmental Sciences grad who will inherently be working in a field for the better life of others/the world. I say no. Everyone is in the same place, only different. More importantly, even among folks directly working in the fields of Social Justice and (under its umbrella) Environmentalism, aren’t necessarily doing anything to make their world better. Yes, I’m saying that I think that some are taking us in the opposite direction we should be going. I can give examples on demand, but let’s not lose focus, as examples are a good way to forget what we’re talking about.

So, with all this, and a fear of rambling (present or future) I close.  :)  Hope all of you are well, and yes, I am totally stoked.  It was a long time coming.  The shift of life direction is a bit scary (yes, in theory this is what I’ve been looking forward to for so long, but now..!) Where to go from here?  (As oh so many others also ask themselves)  Because it is a change.  And there’s no more recipe, no prescription to follow, from here on out.   I can do good, or I can do bad in the world.  Intentionally or not (because, as you might remember, Ivan Illich told, ”To Hell With Good Intentions“.)   What will happen.. I don’t know.  I’m not a bad person, and ppl like me (unintentional Stewart Smalley quote!), but.. that doesn’t necessarily lead to much.  That may not make sense, no worries!  I’d like to do good.  I don’t know if I’m doing anything good while on this India trip now, or if it’ll really lead to something/where cool, but.. I do think I’m going somewhere.  With that, take care, and be well my friends.  I think fondly of many of you often.

Namaste,

Ajay

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