Albany State University awards more than 390 degrees during Fall Commencement

ALBANY — Approximately 391 students majoring in the arts and humanities, sciences and health professions, education and business picked up degrees as Albany State University’s graduating class of 2014 marched across the Albany Civic Center’s stage Saturday morning.

“First, I would like to congratulate you, graduates, and remind you that a whole lot of people helped you get here today,” ASU Interim President Art Dunning said. “I can’t think of anything that will empower you more than earning your college degrees. As you move on, always be thoughtful on how you make decisions in your lives. Solve problems, don’t create them, and don’t stop here. Don’t ever stop learning.”

Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher was the commencement’s keynote speaker. Satcher was president of Meharry Medical College before joining President Bill Clinton’s administration in 1998. He served a four-year term as the nation’s top physician and simultaneously held the position of Assistant Secretary for Health from 1998 to 2001.

Satcher was the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrator of the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry from 1993 to 1998.

He is currently the director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

“Many of you may not realize it, but just by sitting here today you have increased the value of your lives from a public health perspective,” Satcher told the graduates. “Education is one of the most important factors in improving your lives and your health. As we have seen in the news, it is possible that some policemen don’t value black lives. How do you value black lives? We have too many young black men killing young black men, so this question also has to be asked of us.

“So the question I ask of you is how much do you value your life?”

Satcher said that the key to adding valuing to life lies simply in taking better care of one’s self.

“No matter what age you are, you can benefit from doing something as simple as walking every day,” he said. “Active living can help set people on the right course; regular physical activity helps people of all ages protect and improve their health. Walking is currently the most commonly reported form of physical activity among U.S. adults. Walking is a simple form of physical activity that can be done almost anywhere. Encouraging Americans to add walking to their daily routine has enormous long-term health benefits.”

As Satcher continued with his “surgeon general’s prescription” for better heath, he focused on proper nutrition, advising “three to five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Avoid toxins, particularly smoking, and pay attention to your sexual health. It’s not a sport, it’s about relationships,” he said.

The former surgeon general also warned against stress, which he said can lead to myriad health problems such as depression, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

“If you don’t manage stress, it will manage you,” he said. “You need a strategy to deal with stress, and for me it’s physical activity.”