Whether we look at out own nation or around the world, we see symptoms of the same phenomena. Even Penn's idyllic academic park has not been immune from some of these tensions. But it is critical to recognize that the actions and emotions of hatred do not stop even at racial or national boundaries. White Europeans are killing each other in they Rwanda. North and South Koreans are dancing on the edge of nuclear holocaust in East Asia.
Hatred knows no boundaries.
And racial or ethnic or national identity does not guarantee one's safety. Here at Penn, you will have an opportunity to discover in yourselves what it will take to explore such difficult problems and find new solutions. Getting the most out of Penn's special community requires a willingness to take risks and bear the uncertainties that always attend the pursuit of excellence. The issue of integrity is so central to us that the provost has chosen to emphasize it in his comments this evening. You and I are new together.