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Governor John Baldacci: "You will graduate into a world of fllux that is uncertain and
changing. As President Robert Kennedy said in 1961, 'All of us might have wished to have
lived in a more tranquil time, but we don't, and if the times we live in are difficult
and perplexing, so they are challenging and filled with opportunity.' You don't need to
tell me that the national economy remains fragile and that jobs are difficult to find,
that the world can be hostile, and there are those around the world who want to do our
country harm, but you're strong, smart, and well-prepared to find your own path. You will
dream and dare to innovate. When you return to Orono for your 10-year reunion, the world
would have changed as dramatically as it has since I graduated, maybe even more. Renewable
energy will power our homes and factories and cars, technology I can't even imagine
but I bet you can will change the way we work, the way we drive back and forth to work, and
the way we communicate. Diseases that confound doctors and scientists today will be cured,
giving new life and new hope to people who suffer. We will see a new era in international
relations, a new day in American politics, and a fresh start in a robust economy, and
you'll all be there to help shape it."