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University of Notre Dame Protests; First Lady Speaks in California
Aired May 16, 2009 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Don Lemon, we start this hour with special extended coverage of first lady Michelle Obama's commencement remarks at the University of California Merced. The reason Mrs. Obama chose this university is that the heart of what's made her so popular among college students and quite frankly Americans across the country. Merced is the newest of the University of California schools and is one of its most diverse, Merced, I should say -- 70 percent of the students there are minorities, half are the first in their families to even go to college.
The first lady is expected to give the same message that she carries to young people worldwide, that they can make it no matter the odds. We will carry Mrs. Obama's remarks, the first lady's remarks in their entirety when they begin.
And we will move on and talk about other things, but as soon as that ceremony gets underway in California, we will bring it to you live. You can see they are preparing there, so they should start in a couple of minutes -- Mrs. Obama's entire remarks moments away.
So you might be wondering, how did the University of California at Merced land the first lady as a commencement speaker? The bottom line is the student body worked hard for this honor, and the first lady took notice of that. Erica Hill explains for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hope for the future is easy to spot this weekend. On Saturday, 517 at the University of California, Merced, will suit up in cap and gown, file onto this field, and listen to the first lady give their commencement address.
She will be on this stage because of the perseverance of students like Efferam Ezell.
EFFERAM EZELL UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-MERCED SENIOR: People always ask us, what was your backup plan? And I tell them we didn't have a backup plan.
JANE LAWRENCE, VICE CHANCELLOR, STUDENT AFFAIRS: My first reaction when I heard that the students were trying to -- were going to invite the first lady was "Oh my goodness, I don't want to see them disappointed."
HILL: The campaign to bring Mrs. Obama onboard began in January with a personal appeal on behalf of the students and this city of a quarter million, the self-described "poster child for the recession."
SAM FONG, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-MERCED STUDENT: We did a lot of initial research as to why we are a compelling case. We eventually decided that the focus really should be on the San Joaquin Valley of California because it is so underserved and has been struggling with a lot of problems and housing, economics, and healthcare long before the current financial crisis his.
HILL: First they laid out their case in a personal letter signed by 12 graduating seniors.
"Dear First Lady Michelle Obama," they write, "You may wonder why we specifically chose to ask you to be our speaker. Who better to relate to our efforts and inspire passion towards historic change? We know that your message will assure Valley residents and students that we are not alone."
Up next, this You Tube video directed by a freshman.
And helping to seal the deal, 900 handwritten valentines from students, the faculty, and their families, which were reportedly the talk of the White House.
EZELL: We wanted to make sure that they understood it was a very personal campaign, it was a student-ran campaign.
HILL: The first lady's office tells CNN she was very moved and is both honored and thrilled to accept the invitation.
And she'll use this opportunity to share her own story of overcoming adversity and encouraging young people not to take "no" for an answer.
The city of Merced will also be listening intently to her message. With unemployment over 20 percent here and one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, the more $1 million Mrs. Obama's presence is expected to bring to Merced is a much-needed windfall for local businesses.
MARSHALL BISHOP, OWNER, BISHOP'S ON THE SQUARE: For dinner service Saturday night, we have upwards of 150. A normal dinner for us, considering we are fine dining, is anywhere from 50 to 60 people at the most.
HILL: The city has also organized a weekend long street fair, a cap and gown festival. Hotels are all booked, and on campus there is seating for more than 12,000, and an excitement that can't be ignored.
FONG: I just heard praise and thanks from everyone, because everyone really didn't think that this would happen.
HILL: Undoubtedly the first of many big accomplishments to come for the U.C. Merced class of 2009.
Erica Hill, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: All right, Erica.
And, as you can see there, live picture of -- on your screen -- of that ceremony about to start. And as soon as it happens, as soon as the first lady gets ready to make her remarks, we will bring them to you live in their entirety.
Well, the first lady's warm welcome is glaring in contrast to the days of protest ahead of her husband's speech tomorrow at Notre Dame. President Obama's support of abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research are the flash point.
And our Susan Candiotti is on campus today live with an update for us. Susan, what is going on today, right now in preparation?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Mainly students have been on campus showing their family friends just a day before the graduation.
You know, a vast majority of the (inaudible) graduating seniors will hear President Obama speak, but some plan to boycott. Now, they are in the minority they say, but they will be missing a milestone of college years because of a furor that is arguably bigger off campus than on.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said after he had pronounced that law, "Who so shedeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."
CANDIOTTI: Outside Notre Dame, antiabortion groups have been staging almost daily peaceful protests that end in trespassing arrests despite warnings from police.
Overhead, banners display bloody fetuses. On campus, few signs of the outside furor over whether President Obama should get an honorary law degree from one of the top Catholic universities in the land.
But make no mistake about it. A small group of seniors say they plan to boycott their own graduation, outraged that Notre Dame is extending a hand to a president whose abortion policies go against the Catholic religion's view on when life begins and stem cell research.
Michele Sagala and Andrew Kronester (ph), getting married this summer, will be no shows at their own graduation.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): Graduation day is such a big event in any student's life. How could you miss it?
MICHELE SAGALA, BOYCOTTING GRADUATION: The thing that consoles me in all this is that I'm taking a stand for those who are often forgotten.
CANDIOTTI (voice-over): But History and Peace Studies major Michael Angulo says most students stand behind Notre Dame's invitation even if they don't agree with all of his policies. MICHAEL ANGULLO, NOTRE DAME STUDENT: Don't think less of the University of Notre Dame. Don't think that our mission is being corrupted by a president who might have thought on this issue that's different than Catholic. Be willing to engage in that.
CANDIOTTI: But others protestors here today say they are going to the ceremony, as they put it, "to bear witness."
CHRIS LABADIE, NOTRE DAME SENIOR: This is not just a day in my college career. It's the end. It's the celebration of the past four years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CANDIOTTI: Now, that student plans to go to the ceremony, will wear a sticker on his mortarboard. It will have a cross on it as well as a cutout of baby feet.
Back to you, Don.
LEMON: All right, Susan. Thank you very much for that.
Washington is still buzzing this weekend about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and so is the rest of the nation. The issue that won't go away -- her efforts to explain what she knew about the government's use of harsh interrogation techniques.
Today, on the national mall, one of her Republican predecessors accused her of flat out lying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWT GINGRICH, (R) FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think that the fact that Leon Panetta, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, a former Democratic member of Congress and President Clinton's chief of staff, issued such a strong, clear statement yesterday puts enormous pressure on the House to open a formal investigation.
It seems to me on her press conference on Thursday, that speaker Pelosi lied on two counts. She lied, first, about the specific meeting. And then she defamed every person in the intelligence community by asserting that the CIA routinely misinformed Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: Well, Pelosi's remarks have breathed new life into the controversy. And now even the CIA director is speaking out.
CNN's Tom Foreman tells us where the story came from and where it's headed next.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Someone is not telling the whole truth, but who? Trying to track that down starts with a briefing the CIA gave to Representative Pelosi in the fall of 2002. As a leader of the intelligence committee, she insists she was misled in that meeting about when or even if harsh interrogation techniques were used against suspected terrorists, including Al Qaeda leader Abu Zubaydah.
PELOSI: Those briefings in 2002 gave me inaccurate and incomplete information. The only mention of waterboarding at that briefing was that it was not being employed.
FOREMAN: "No way." That is the sentiment from President Obama's own CIA director and Pelosi's fellow California Democrat, Leon Panetta, in a note to his staff obtained by CNN.
"Let me be clear, it is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values. Our contemporaneous records from September 2002 indicate that CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing the enhanced techniques that had been employed."
Pelosi has admitted for the first time this week she was told about the so-called torture techniques back in 2003, but said nothing because of secrecy rules.
It is all feeding a Republican frenzy. They see Pelosi tarring Bush officials over the interrogations, but ducking her own culpability. The latest to pile on, former Speaker Newt Gingrich on ABC Radio.
GINGRICH: I think this is the most despicable, dishonest, and vicious political effort I have seen in my lifetime.
FOREMAN: And at once trying to do damage control and turn up the heat on others, the speaker issued a late statement, saying in part, "My criticism of the manner in which the Bush administration did not appropriately inform Congress is separate from my respect for those in the intelligence community who work to keep other country safe."
FOREMAN(on camera): Still, she remains caught between Republicans who are accusing her of hypocrisy and some of other own Democrats, who are wondering why if Nancy Pelosi believed for six years America was torturing prisoners, she did not sound the alarm.
Who's not telling the truth? We still don't know for sure, but it feels like we're getting closer.
FOREMAN(voice-over): Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it may only just be the beginning now.
President Obama today surprised more than a few politicos when he reached out across the lines and nominating a moderate Republican, Jon Huntsman, as a U.S. ambassador to China.
Jon Huntsman is in his second and final term as Utah's governor, and, it's even been mentioned as a political challenger to President Obama in 2012.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JON HUNTSMAN, (R) NOMINATED AS AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: I grew up understanding that the most basic responsibility one has is service to country.
When the president of the United States asks you to step up and serve in a capacity like this, that to me is the end of the conversation and the beginning of the obligation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: A little bit more about Governor Huntsman. He served as a national cochairman of John McCain's presidential campaign. He is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and he once served as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan.
And, as we said, Jon Huntsman has been mentioned as a potential White House challenger to President Obama in 2012. Well, our Kate Bolduan is at the White House. Kate, that is a fascinating angle to this nomination, isn't it? Someone who is moderate is a very interesting choice.
KATE BOLDUAN, GENERAL ASSIGNMENT CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Absolutely. His experience in the region, that's clear, Don. But when you look at the political aspect of it, that's really one of the most fascinating parts of this.
Huntsman was really emerging and being talked about as an emerging centrist, moderate voice in the Republican Party, and people said he could be a very strong candidate in the 2012 presidential election.
Now with this it's a very interesting turn of events. When you look at his resume, it's quite an impressive resume. He's a two-term, very popular governor from the west, and this at a time when the Republican Party is really searching for its direction.
I mean, GOP insiders do tell CNN that they were really looking forward to backing Huntsman if he did decide to seek the nomination.
Well, now this is not only a very interesting pick in the sense that this is an important post for President Obama to fill, because it's an important ambassadorship, but this very interesting in the potential political fallout that it was when you look at the Republican Party, who was struggling to find its voice right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kate Boulduan, the best political team on television will be following the case, because David Plouffe said of Huntsman awhile ago that he is the person in the Republican Party who might be a potential presidential candidate. So it' very interesting to see what the outcome will be.
Let's talk about another Republican. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is breaking down the argument against same-sex marriage in dollars and cents, calling it a burden to small business, he told Republicans in Georgia.
Here's what he said -- "Now all of a sudden, I have someone who wasn't a spouse before that I had no responsibility for who is now getting claimed as a spouse that I now have financial responsibility for.
So how do I pay for that? Who pays for that? You just cost me money."
Steele says this is how the GOP can retool its message to appeal to young voter and minorities without sacrificing core conservative principals. We will talk more about that just a little bit later on.
I want to tell you we are following, live now, the ceremony that's coming out of California at the Merced University there, the University of California, where President Obama's wife, the first lady, Michelle Obama will be speaking in a moment.
Right now I want to tell you that the president of the university is speaking. This is the first graduating class there. And as soon as her remarks get underway, we will carry them for you live.
Also, please tell us what you are thinking tonight, what's on your mind. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Ireport.com -- we will get your comments on the air.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Live pictures of the graduation ceremony at Merced, California, the University of California. The first lady expected to speak at any moment. As soon as that happens, we will bring that to you live. You won't miss any of it, those statements and what she is saying, her speech in its entirety.
Forty-seven Taliban militants reportedly killed over the past 24- hours, and the Pakistani military says it is closing in on even more targets.
Artillery and air strikes have been going on for two weeks now in the northwest frontier province. The U.N. is reporting more than one million people have been displaced in northwestern Pakistan since the military offensive began two weeks ago.
Almost 4,300 American troops have died in the Iraq war since 2003. All of them deserved to be honored and remembered.
But one soldier's death in particular marks a sad milestone in the war. CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr explains.
BARBARA STARR, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Don, This is the story of a soldier who never really left the army behind.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: U.S. Army Major Steve Hutchison was killed by a roadside bomb in Basra, Iraq. His sacrifice, courageous, his age of service, extraordinary. Hutchison He was 60 years old, the oldest member of the military to die in combat in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
His brother, Richard.
RICHARD HUTCHISON, BROTHER OF STEVE HUTCHISON: He has been a soldier his whole life. And I know he wanted to go back in.
STARR: Back in 1968 and 1969, as the Vietnam War raged, Hutchison served two combat tours. Thirty-two years later, after the 9/11 attacks, he wanted to join again.
But his wife was against it. After she died of cancer, a part of Hutchison died, says his brother. So Steven joined the army for a second time in 2007.
HUTCHISON: He probably spent about eight months trying to get back into the military to get activated again.
STARR: He was assigned to first infantry division working to train Iraqi forces to keep their country safe. His brother says Steven wanted to be there.
HUTCHISON: I wish we weren't there. But I think people that are there deserve all the respect.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STARR: It seems extraordinary that a soldier would be in the warzone at that age. But the law allows them to rejoin and serve as long as they are physically able.
Steven Hutchison just one of the more than 4,000 souls lost in these war years -- Don?
LEMON: All right, Barbara, thank you very much for that. Barbara, we appreciate the story.
We want to take you now to California live, where graduation ceremonies are under way at Merced University, the University of California.
And the first lady of the United States expected to make the commencement there in just a short time. We will carry that for you in its entirety. You can see they are gearing up right there, going on with some parts of the ceremony. But as soon as the first lady steps up, we will bring it to you right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: The first lady of the United States commencement remarks from California in just moments.
But first, a small company is catching profits from the sea and helping the environment at the same time. Richard Louie dives into a true fist story in tonight's "Small and Global."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) RICHARD LOUIE: Going deep to make money and save the sea. Ocean Blue Sea Farms is raising fish in huge transparent mesh globes far from shore and pollution.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're in very deep water with strong currents. You are what you eat, and you are where you live. So we are feeding the fish with the best ingredients that we could find and growing them in the cleanest water we can find.
LOUIE: The so called "Aquapods" may be the better for fish and the environment than coastal, shallow water fish farms.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Aquapod is a completely closed system. We like to call what we do free-range fish farming.
LOUIE: The aqua-pods are tied to the ocean floor off the coast of Puerto Rico and now Panama.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Panama represents a great opportunity for us to diversify the business. It's only 45 miles from the Atlantic to the Caribbean to the Pacific.
LOUIE: The fish start their lives at a fishery and are then transferred into the Aquapods to grow. Mature fish will be sold to the U.S. The company scored a half million dollars in revenue last year, and 2009 is expected to be even better.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have this passion for the ocean. There is a lot of opportunity for us to responsibly develop in the high seas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live to California and the first lady when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: All right, we are following developments and watching live pictures coming out of California where the first lady is getting ready to speak at any minute. We'll bring it to you live.
Meantime, it was the toughest and most complex job yet for the Shuttle Atlantis astronauts. Fixing a broken camera may not sound too tough, right? But if it is at the Hubble telescope, then it is a little tougher.
Spacewalking astronauts made some unprecedented repairs to Hubble's camera today. They also put some new high tech gadgets on the super telescope, giving it an even better view of the universe.
Jaqui Jeras, you know you really got a cool forecast right? Or should I say hot shuttle picture to show us.
But, first, before you show us that shuttle picture, you know we were watching the first lady out there in California. You sent me an email that said it was 93 degrees in Merced? JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's hot out west. Take a look at that -- 94 in Fresno.
LEMON: And what is that? Las Vegas?
JERAS: Yes. We have heat advisories even just outside of the San Francisco area because of all this heat. High pressure is in place and it will be a very hot weekend out here.
Let's show you that picture, though, of the shuttle in front of the sun, because this is really, really cool, guys. Take a look at that.
Jus a little speck.
LEMON: Did you take that picture?
JERAS: No.
LEMON: It's not you doing your photo shop?
JERAS: No. I think this is an A.P. photo. NASA released this yesterday, actually. They took the picture on Tuesday of Atlantis as it was en route to the Hubble. And they actually took the picture from the ground with a solar filter so that you are able to see it.
That is just really cool, cool stuff. Love that space stuff, don't you?
LEMON: I do.
JERAS: I know.
So let's take a look at the temperatures and take a look at the radar picture. Showers and thunderstorms really the rule here across parts of the east and the southeast today. This radar lit up. There are so many people saying I can't get to the pool today and do my barbecue. And that will be the rule throughout the weekend.
The northeast we should see some clearing, we think tomorrow. You can see a thunderstorm watch in effect from Syracuse down towards Al Tuna -- Don?
LEMON: Don't worry it's 93 degrees right now because the first lady is getting ready to take the stage for the commencement, and we will listen in to the first lady of the United States at Merced University of California. Let's listen.
(APPLAUSE)
MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Thank you. Thank you so much. Class of 2009!
(CHEERS)
All I can say is "Wow!" And good afternoon, everyone. I am so proud of these graduates. We have to give them one big round of applause before I start. This is just an amazing day.
(APPLAUSE)
I want to thank Dick for that lovely introduction. He makes for a good companion when you have to go to an inauguration. So I'm glad he could be with me here today. I appreciate all he has done to make this day very special.
I want to acknowledge a few other people before I begin -- Congressman Jerry McNerney, Lieutenant Governor John Giramendy (ph), Attorney General Jerry Brown, and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass.
I want to thank you all for your leadership and for being an example of what a live in public service can mean to us all.
And, of course, I have to thank Chancellor Kong for this incredible welcome, and as well as President Udoff (ph) and Provost Keith Alley (ph) for all that they have done to help make this event just such a wonderful day for us all.
And to the graduates and their families and the entire community of Merced, I am so pleased, so thrilled, so honored to be here with all of you today.
Now, I know we got a lot of national press out there, and a few people may be wondering, why did I choose the University of California, Merced to deliver my first commencement speech as first lady?
(APPLAUSE)
(CHEERS)
Let me tell you something. The answer is simple. You inspired me. You touched me.
There few things that are more rewarding than to watch young people recognize that they have the power to make their dreams come true, and you did just that. Your perseverance and creativity were on full display in your efforts to bring me here to Merced for this wonderful occasion.
So let me tell you what you did, if you don't know, parents, because some of you were involved. My office received thousands of letters, and, of course, Valentine's cards from students, each and every one of them so filled with hope and enthusiasm.
It moved not just me, but my entire staff. They came up to me and said "Michelle, you have to do this. You have to go here."
(APPLAUSE)
They were all terrific. Like the one from Christopher that read Casuga (ph) that read, "Dear Mrs. Obama, please come to U.C. Merced's commencement. We could really use the publicity."
(LAUGHTER)
That really touched me.
(LAUGHTER)
Or then there was from Jim Greenwood, who wrote not on his behalf, but on behalf of his wife and mother of his two children, who is graduating with us today.
(APPLAUSE)
And then there was the one from Andrea Macado, I think this was one of my favorites. Andrea said that the role of first lady is and I quote, the balance between politics and sanity. Thank you, Andrea for that vote of confidence. I received letters from everyone connected to this university not just students, but they came from parents and grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles and neighbors and friends. All of them telling me about how hard you all have worked and how important this day is for you and for the entire Merced community. Then there is that beautiful video. The we believe video. Let me tell you it worked because I'm here.
I want to thank in particular Sam Fong and Yasha Saba and all of the students who launched the dear Michelle campaign. I am honored by your efforts and happy to be with you to celebrate this important milestone. But I understand that this type of community-based letter writing campaign isn't unique to me. This community, this Merced community employed the same strategy to help get the University of California to build a new campus here in Merced. Every school kid in the entire county I understand sent a postcard to the UC Board of Regents in order to convince them to select Merced. I just loved the fact that some of these graduates sitting in this audience today participating were involved in that campaign as well and then they used the same strategy to get me here. That is amazing. And what it demonstrates is the power of many voices coming together to make something wonderful happen. I'm telling you next year's graduation speaker better watch out because Merced students know how to get what they want.
This type of activism and optimism speaks volumes about the students here, the faculty and staff but also about the character and history of Merced. A town built by laborers and immigrants from all over the world. Early settlers who came here as pioneers and trailblazers in the late 1800s as part of the gold rush and built the churches and businesses and schools that exist, African-Americans who escaped slavery and the racism of the south to work on the railways, as truck drivers up and down route 99, Mexican Americans who traveled north to find work on the farms and have since become the backbone of our agricultural industry. Asian Americans who arrived in San Francisco and have slowly branched out to become a part of the community in the San Joaquin Valley. Merced's make up may have changed over the years, but its values and character have not.
Long hot days filled with hard work by generations of men and women of all races. Who wanted an opportunity to build a better life for their children and grandchildren. Hardworking folks who believe that access to a good education would be their building blocks to a brighter future. I grew up in one of those communities with similar values like Merced. The south side of Chicago is a community where people struggled financially, but worked hard and looked out for each other and rallied around their children. My father was a blue collar worker as you all know. My mother stayed at home to raise me and my brother. We were the first to graduate from college in our immediate family. I know that many of you out here are also the first in your families to achieve that distinction as well. And as you know, being the first is often a big responsibility.
Particularly in a community that like many others around our country at the moment is struggling to cope with record high unemployment and foreclosure rates, a community where families are a single paycheck or an emergency room visit away from homelessness. With jobs scarce, many of you may be considering leaving town with your diploma in hand and it wouldn't be unreasonable. For those of you who come from communities facing similar economic hardships, you may also be wondering how you will build decent lives for yourselves if you choose to return to those communities. But I would encourage you to call upon the same hope and hard work that brought you to this day, call upon that optimism and tenacity that built the University of California at Merced to invest in the future of Merced in your own hometowns all across this country. By using what you learned here you can shorten the path perhaps for kids who may not see a path at all.
I was once one of those kids. Most of you were once one of those kids. I grew up just a few miles from the University of Chicago in my hometown. The university like most institutions was a major cultural economic institution in my neighborhood. My mother even worked as a secretary there for several years. Yet that university never played a meaningful role in my academic development. The institution made no effort to reach out to me, a bright and promising student in their midst and I had no reason to believe there was a place for me there. Therefore when it came time for me to apply to college, I never for one second considered the university in my own backyard as a viable option. As fate would have it, I ultimately went on and accepted a position in student affairs at the University of Chicago more than a decade later.
What I found was that working within the institution gave me the opportunity to express my concerns about how little role the university plays in the life of its neighbors. I wanted desperately to be involved in helping to break down the barriers that existed between the campus and the community. In less than a year through that position, I worked with others to build the university's first office of community service. Today the office continues to provide students with opportunities to help reshape relationships between the university and its surrounding community. Students there today are volunteering at local elementary schools serving as mentors at high schools, organizing neighborhood watches and worshipping in local churches. But you know a little something about working with your community here, don't you, Merced? You see Merced its faculty and its students seem to already have a handle on this need and it speaks once again to the character of this community. As I learned more about what you have done, I am so impressed with how the students, faculty and the community are collaborating to ensure that every child in this community understands there is a place for them at this big beautiful university if they study hard and stay out of trouble. For example, there is Kevin Mitchell, a professor in the school of natural science who studied chaos of all things. He's coordinating a program to bring physicists into local elementary and high schools to help open the eyes of students to the possibility of careers in science. Then there's Claudia Zepella, a junior psychology major who is mentoring students from her high school here. The first in her family to attend college, Claudia works with the Westside Initiative for Leaders, an organization that helps prepares disadvantaged students for college. And because of her help, 10 students from her high school will attend UC Merced this coming fall. That is amazing.
And then there are local leaders like police officer Nick Navarette who coordinates a program that brings about 60 UC Merced students to local elementary schools each week to mentor students from poor neighborhoods. Nick then brings kids to campus regularly so that they can do something special. See what it's like to be on a college campus and begin to dream. And then there is my friend and former law school professor, Charles Olgetry, a product of the Merced public schools, now he is an example of how you can bring your skills back. His ambitions took him far away from home but he has never forgotten where he came from. Each year with his help, Merced's high schools are able to hand out scholarships. Not just for the best and the brightest students, but also for many students who were just stuck in poverty and simply need a hand up to compete.
So the faculty, the students, local leaders, Merced alumni, everyone here is doing their part to help the children of Merced realize that access to a quality education is available to them as long as they work hard, study hard and apply themselves. It is this kind of commitment that we are going to need in this nation to put this country back on a path where every child expects to succeed and where every child has the tools that they need to achieve their dreams, that's what we are aiming for. We are going to need all of you graduates, this generation we need you to lead the way. Now let me tell you careers focused on lifting up our communities whether it's helping transform troubled schools or creating after school programs or training workers for green jobs. These careers are not always obvious. But today they are necessary. Solutions to our nation's most challenging social problems are not going to come from Washington alone. Real innovation often starts with individuals who applied themselves to solve a problem right in their own community. That's where the best ideas come from and some pretty incredible social innovations have been launched by young people all across this world.
Teach for America in this country is a great example. It was created by Wendy Cox as a part of her undergraduate senior thesis in 1989. And now as a result of our work then, more than 6200 members are teaching in our country's neediest communities, reaching approximately 400,000 students. Then there is Van Jones who recently joined the Obama administration as special adviser to the president on green jobs. Van started out as a grass roots organizer and became an advocate and a creator of green collar jobs. Jobs that are not only good for the environment, but also provide good wages and career advancement for both skilled and unskilled workers. Jobs similar to the ones being created right here at UC Merced as this green campus continues to grow. And then one of my heroes Jeffrey Canada grew up in the south Bronx after graduating from Boden and getting his masters at Harvard, he returned to New York City and used his education to ensure that the next generation would have a chance at the same opportunity. Jeffrey's Harlem Children's Zone is a nationally recognized program that covers 100 blocks and reaches nearly 10,000 children with a variety of social services to ensure that all kids are prepared to get a good education.
In an effort to invest in and encourage the future Wendy Cox, Van Jones and Jeffrey Canadas, the Obama administration recently launched the office of social innovation at the White House. The president has asked congress to provide 50 million dollars in seed capital to fund great ideas like the ones I just described. The office is going to identify the most promising results-oriented nonprofit programs and expand their reach throughout the country. This university is blessed with some of the leading researchers and academics who are focusing already their attention on solving some of our nation's most critical issues like the energy crisis, global warming, climate change and air pollution. You, the students, the graduates and faculty on this campus, you are capable of changing the world, that's for sure. Where you are right now is no different from where Wendy and Van and Jeffrey were when they graduated. Remember that. You too can have the same transformative effect on the community of Merced and our entire nation. We need your ideas, graduates. We need your resourcefulness, we need your inventiveness. As the students who help build the school, I ask you, make your legacy a lasting one. Dream big. Think broadly about your life and please make giving back to your community a part of that vision.
Take the same hope and optimism, the hard work and tenacity that brought to you this point and carry that with you for the rest of your life in whatever you choose to do. Each and every single day some young person is out there changing the world in ways both big and small. Let me tell you something, as you step out into that big open world and you start building your lives, the truth is that you will face tough times. You will certainly have doubts. Let me tell you because I know I did when I was your age. There will be days when you will worry about whether you're really up for the challenge. Maybe some of you already feel a little of that right now. Maybe you're wondering am I smart enough, do I really belong, can I live up to all those expectations that everyone has of me.
And you will definitely have your share of setbacks. Count on it. Your best laid plans will be consumed by obstacles. Your excellent ideas will be peppered with flaws. You will be confronted with financial strains as your loans become due and salaries fall short of both expectations and expenses. You will make mistakes that will shatter your confidence. You will make compromises that will test your convictions. You will find that there is rarely a clear and direct path to any of your visions. You will find and you'll have to readjust again and again and again. There may be times when you wonder whether it's all worth it. There may be moments when you just want to quit. But in those moments, those inevitable moments, I urge you to think about this day. Look around you. Look around you. There are thousands and thousands of hardworking people who helped you get to this point. People who are celebrating with you today who are praying for you every single day. And others who couldn't be here for whatever reason. I want you to think of the people who sacrificed for you.
You know that. Family members who worked a third job to get you through and took on the extra shift to get you through and put off doing something important for themselves to get you to this day. And think about the friends who never got the chance to go to college but were still invested in your success. Friends who talked you out of dropping out. Friends who kept you out of trouble so that you could graduate on time. Friends who forced you to study when you wanted to procrastinate. Most importantly though, think of the millions of kids living all over this world who will never come close to having the chance to stand in your shoes. Kids in New Orleans whose schools are still recovering from the ravages of Katrina. Kids who will never go to school at all because they were forced to work in a sweat shop somewhere. Kids in your very own communities who just can't get a break. Who don't have anyone in their lives telling them that they are good enough and smart enough to do whatever they can imagine. Kids who have lost the ability to dream. These kids are desperate to find someone or something to cling to. They are looking to you for some sign of hope.
Whenever you get ready to give up, think about all these people and remember that you are blessed. Remember that you are blessed. Remember that in exchange for those blessings you must give something back. You must reach back and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future. As advocate and activist Marian Wright Edelman says, service is the rent we pay for living. It is the true measure, the only measure of our success. So graduates, when times get tough and fear sets in, think of those people who paved the way for you and those who are counting on you to pave the way for them. Never let setbacks or fear dictate the course of your life. Hold on to the possibility and push beyond the fear. Hold on to the hope that brought you here today. The hope of laborers and immigrants, settlers and slaves whose blood and sweat built this community and made it possible for you to sit in these seats.
There are a lot of people in your lives who know a little something about the power of hope, don't we, parents and grandparents? Look, I know a little something about the power of hope. My husband knows a little something about the power of hope. You are the hope of Merced and of this nation and be the realization of our dreams and the hope for the next generation. We believe in you. Thank you so much. And good luck. God bless you all.
LEMON: You can see there the thunderous applause for the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, giving her remarks just a short time ago at Merced University.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- a special guest and a member of the community. Your visit to University of Merced is a true testament to the founding class's vision, hard work and ambitious attitude. This is truly a momentous occasion. Our campus, the city of Merced, the county and the state of California. As a University of California chancellor, the chancellor's medal is the highest honor I can bestow upon an individual for exceptional achievement. I have to find the right one first. This is the medal, yes. So on behalf of the University of California at Merced, I present this medal in recognition of your lasting contribution to our campus, you serve as an inspiration to our students, staff, faculty and our community. Thank you very much.
LEMON: He presented the chancellor's medal at the University of California Merced, giving the commencement address just a short time ago. The person who gave her that medal mentioned just how important she was to the country, how important she was to the university. Just to give you a little bit of an idea, we told you that 70 percent of the students who are there are members of a minority group. And half of them, are the first in their family to go to college. This is what it costs university, costs university anywhere between $700, roughly $600,000 or more. So they had budgeted for Mrs. Obama to speak there. When asked how they were going to handle this, they said that they would borrow money if they had to because this was so important to the community. The first lady has been speaking to schools around the country, little known. Sometimes she doesn't, there's not even press around it, but she goes to speak to students in areas that may have been overlooked by other administrations. She gives them the same message, the message that you can make it no matter what. First lady there speaking at a commencement ceremony. CNN will bring you the president's commencement address tomorrow at Notre Dame Sunday, live, 2:00 p.m. eastern, 11:00 pacific.
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LEMON: The first lady of the United States, speaking out just moments ago at Merced, California, at the University of California Merced. Talking about the importance of community service and the importance of giving back. To many people in this country and in other countries, the first lady Michelle Obama is a hero. And speaking of heroes, our next one is doing something because people are going without, more and more families at all financial levels are forced to do that in these days. Sometimes even foregoing food. But tonight's CNN hero is trying to change all that, redefining what it means to be a good neighbor.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The things that we could do like go to the movie, we haven't done it in quite a while. We just go to church and come home. We're not poor, we're not broke, but it's a real struggle to survive right now.
PAM KONER, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: Families who were able to make it and just get through the month are not able to make it quite the same way anymore. So food becomes the item that gets dropped at the end of the month. My name is Pam Koner, I began an organization that makes families with more to families with less.
After learning about this community in Illinois that women and children were not eating the last week of the month, something moved me to come up with something to change this. I sent a letter out to all of the families in my childcare businesses and I said well, how about if we matched families. Our original mission was to help poor rural communities, we began to expand, to help families who were not in need of help before but now were in trouble. Families purchase and send groceries or donate via pay-pal. Most families are writing life changing letters, opening up to each other and sharing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was very happy to hear from you, I did get your e-mail, also your wonderful package that you sent for us, this will be a great help for the entire family.
KONER: No one really knows what's going to happen tomorrow. We're all a part of a big family. We need to be there for each other.
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LEMON: We want you to remember that all of our CNN Heroes are chosen by people you nominate at cnn.com/heroes. So if you want to help out with that hero or you want to nominate someone, go to our website.
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LEMON: Ok, well, let's talk about what you guys are talking about. Some of your comments here, "Excellent speech, the first lady appeared to do her research of history of the valley which I now call home." Orbitaldiamond says she's such an amazing speaker. And Briperiham says love this speech of hope and blessings. John425 says there's pressure especially for first generation minority college students whose parents didn't have the same opportunities. And Nedhesamarcusa says, I wonder if the first lady Michelle Obama was invited to Notre Dame, would it have caused the same controversy? We appreciate you joining us tonight. Wolf Blitzer in "The Situation Room" just moments away, we'll see you at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
