Karly Rivenbark

Welcome Speech

Rohler

30 August 2010

Konnichiwa, everyone!

Good morning, and welcome to the University of North Carolina Wilmington. My name is Karly Rivenbark and I am a senior Communication Studies Major.

I would like to begin by thanking Chancellor DePaulo, for the opportunity to represent our student body and greet everyone from Kyoto University. It is my honor.

Kyoto University delegates and officials, welcome to our University. You have now had a chance to explore our campus and have no doubt found some similarities to yours. The brick buildings echo your home University, not to mention the beautiful colors of fall surrounding our Clock Tower. You are no doubt reminded of your own Centennial Hall’s Clock Tower.

Even more important than our similarities are our differences. Geographically, Kyoto is tucked in the mountains while UNCW sits by the sea. Historically, Kyoto is 50 years older than this University. And scholarly, Wilmington is known for its Marine Biology program while Kyoto is known for its fundamental and applied research.

Kyoto friends, your mission in Japan is “to sustain and develop historical commitment to academic freedom and to pursue harmonious coexistence within human and ecological community on this planet.” My fellow Wilmingtonians, our own university’s mission can be summed up into “to stimulate creative inquiry, critical thinking, thoughtful expression and responsible citizenship in an array of high-quality programs.” Different, yet with the same final goal in mind: well developed, diverse and open-minded scholars.

By working together, we can reach both sets of goals. By establishing this partnership, we are not only inviting you to grace our Chancellor’s walk, visit our downtown’s historical ghost walks, and swim at our ocean. Nor are we only sending our students to enjoy authentic Japanese food, experience classes on three campuses, and hike among your mountains.

We are working together to invest in our future, our whole world’s future. To establish partnerships that will last long after these students have graduated - to bring our worlds and cultures closer together through experience and understanding.

On behalf of everyone at UNC Wilmington, thank you. Thank you for being here today. Thank you for working with us in this endeavor. Thank you for believing in the same final goal. Together, we will reach further than each alone.