Nikias’ inauguration speech well received by attendees

Attendees of Friday’s inauguration ceremony said they enjoyed President C.L. Max Nikias’ speech for its inspiration, direction and representation of the university’s accomplishments and future.

Students said they were impressed by Nikias’ remarks and recognized the importance and uniqueness of the new presidency.

“It was really a celebration of the best and the brightest USC has produced and hopes to produce in the future,” said Olivia Gardner, a freshman majoring in biochemistry.

Students also said they were able to relate to Nikias and felt that he had an understanding of the goals and desires of the student body.

“It was a great opportunity for the whole community to show support for our new leader,” said Margaret Ivey, a senior majoring in theatre. “I loved what he had to say about uncertainty being the beginning of a new adventure. It resonated with me being a senior and going off on my own adventure soon.”

Rosezetta Upshaw, a third-year graduate student studying law, said she valued Nikias’ vision for USC and welcomed his embrace of the entire USC community.

“His speech was great. It sounded like he really had a plan for USC and our future,” Upshaw said. “As a Berkeley alum, this is the first time I truly feel caught up in the Trojan spirit.”

Faculty and staff applauded Nikias’ plan to continue to uphold USC’s long-standing traditions, while simultaneously leading USC into a new era.

“He inspired a high-level goal, very far reaching and demanding. If we strive toward that goal we will be a better faculty and a better school,” said Ted Berger, professor of biomedical engineering.

At the same time, faculty and staff said they appreciated Nikias’ understanding of the adversities the university is encountering in the wake of the global financial crisis.

“The remarks were very enlightening,” said Tom Wright, a laboratory supervisor on the Health Sciences Campus. “He seems to have a very enlightened perspective of the global economy and the future of the university.”

Nikias stressed the importance of the school adapting to the globalizing and evolving world, which Kimberly Freeman, a part-time professor at the School of Policy, Planning, and Development, said she found inspirational.

“The president’s remarks about where the school is located allow the school to improve in a globalized way. The school can’t afford to not have an eye on its international opportunities,” Freeman said.

Alumni said they respected Nikias’ recognition of former President Steven B. Sample’s achievements and admired Nikias’ goal to integrate Sample’s accomplishments into his own vision.

“It was very nice that Dr. Nikias mentioned how much Sample had done and that he is going to build on that,” said Marilyn Kezirian, an alumna who received her bachelor’s degree in 1960.

For some alumni, such as Meredith Drake, an alumna from the class of 2010, Nikias brought new light to the school’s figurehead and deeply rooted traditions.

“His speech was incredibly inspiring. He weaved classic Greek tragedies into contemporary traditions,” Drake said. “Tommy Trojan is a mascot, but you rarely get the opportunity to really think about it as a deep symbol of the university that could inspire people.”

Nikias’ emphasis on the Trojan Family  and fostering of individual successes also struck the attention of Peter Kezirian, an alumnus of the Gould School of Law class of 1989.

“It reflected the magic that USC has a strong sense of community and it also stressed the individual as a leader in the immediate community and globally,” Kezirian said. “The blending of the individual and community is uniquely USC.”

For the Daily Trojan‘s recap of the inauguration ceremony, click here.

To learn more about the generous donations the university received at the ceremony, click here.