[00:00.00]by:www.51VOA.com [00:09.52]Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC [00:12.12]in VOA Special English. [00:15.01](MUSIC) [00:17.17]I'm Doug Johnson. [00:18.24]This week we Present [00:20.65]graduation speeches by famous speakers [00:24.29]at several American colleges . [00:26.87]Answer a listener question about "Star Trek" . [00:30.60]And play music [00:32.52]from Ziggy Marley's new reggae album. [00:35.65](MUSIC) [00:46.75]Most colleges and universities [00:49.25]have a special person speak to their students [00:52.90]during graduation ceremonies. [00:55.16]Mario Ritter tells us [00:57.72]about several graduation speeches [01:00.40]given last month by some very famous speakers. [01:04.35]MICHELLE OBAMA: "There are few things [01:06.71]that are more rewarding than [01:08.48]to watch young people recognize [01:11.36]that they have the power [01:12.63]to make their dreams come true. [01:14.82]You did just that. [01:16.06]Your perseverance and creativity [01:18.74]were on full display in your efforts [01:21.70]to bring me here [01:22.64]to Merced for this wonderful occasion." [01:24.68]That was part of a speech [01:27.33]First Lady Michelle Obama gave last month [01:31.27]at a graduation ceremony [01:33.26]at the University of California,Merced. [01:36.71]The ceremony honored the school's [01:39.34]first full class of graduates [01:42.12]since opening in two thousand five. [01:45.01]Missus Obama praised the determination [01:48.52]of the students, [01:49.65]who sent thousands of letters [01:51.92]to the White House asking her to come speak [01:55.36]at their graduation. [01:56.74]Her speech gave a message of hope [02:00.61]to people living in areas affected by drought, [02:04.44]high unemployment and housing problems. [02:08.03]President Obama was also busy [02:11.77]with graduation events. [02:13.46]He spoke at Arizona State University in Tempe [02:18.24]and the United States Naval Academy [02:21.36]in Annapolis,Maryland. [02:23.41]But it was his speech [02:25.58]at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana [02:28.92]that received the most attention. [02:31.52]For days,activists near the Catholic university [02:36.87]protested Mister Obama's appearance [02:39.55]because of his policies supporting abortion. [02:43.41]The president recognized this dispute [02:46.45]in his speech. [02:47.67]"The question,then the question [02:50.64]then is how do we work through these conflicts? [02:53.42]Is it possible for us [02:55.97]to join hands in common effort? [02:59.05]As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, [03:04.08]how do we engage in vigorous debate?" [03:07.66]Other members of the Obama administration [03:11.22]gave speeches as well. [03:12.89]White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel [03:17.00]spoke at George Washington University [03:19.95]in Washington,D.C. [03:21.65]Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [03:24.97]spoke to graduates at New York University [03:28.25]in New York City. [03:29.70]She introduced a new program for young people [03:33.49]to work with American embassies [03:36.10]to create "digital diplomacy". [03:39.01]"That's why today, [03:40.44]I am please to announce [03:41.85]that over the next year, [03:43.12]the State Department [03:44.98]will be creating Virtual Student [03:48.15]Foreign Service Internships [03:50.46]to harness the energy of a rising generation [03:53.61]of citizen diplomats." [03:55.20]The environmentalist Paul Hawken [03:58.72]had a very direct message for graduates [04:02.32]at the University of Portland in Oregon. [04:05.56]He told students it was time for them to learn [04:10.53]what it means to be a human being on Earth [04:14.24]at a time when every living system was failing. [04:18.48]He said the Earth is hiring [04:21.84]and it was up to them to join together [04:25.69]and do what is needed to help save the planet. [04:29.62](MUSIC) [04:34.69]"Space.The Final Frontier. [04:36.92]These are the voyages [04:39.32]of the Starship Enterprise, [04:41.02]its five year mission [04:43.12]to explore strange new worlds." [04:45.95]Our listener question [04:47.53]this week comes from China. [04:49.70]Min Yu wants to know why "Star Trek" [04:54.43]is so popular in America. [04:56.60]This is a timely question. [04:59.36]The newest film version of "Star Trek" [05:02.95]was released last month. [05:05.05]It is based on the television series [05:08.39]that began in the nineteen sixties. [05:11.06]"Star Trek" tells about [05:13.84]a huge Federation starship [05:16.89]operated by a multicultural crew [05:20.43]that explores the galaxy. [05:22.81]The newest "Star Trek" movie [05:26.10]is about the characters [05:27.51]in the first television series and how they met. [05:31.20]It shows James T.Kirk,Spock [05:35.33]and Leonard "Bones" McCoy [05:38.15]as young men training to become officers. [05:41.68]The movie has been a big success. [05:44.48]And it has introduced "Star Trek" [05:47.80]to a new generation of fans. [05:50.55]People who love all things "Star Trek" [05:55.18]are often called Trekkies or Trekkers. [05:59.24]Serious Trekkers join fan clubs, [06:03.35]read "Star Trek" magazines and attend events [06:07.93]like "Star Trek" conventions. [06:10.47]We asked two Trekkers why they love the series. [06:14.92]Clara Park of New York City says [06:18.99]she first fell in love with "Star Trek" [06:21.85]in the late nineteen eighties [06:24.29]by watching the "Next Generation" [06:26.79]television series. [06:28.26]She says she liked its perfect world [06:31.72]with no disease, [06:33.48]no discrimination and a very orderly government. [06:37.19]In college she went to a "Star Trek" convention [06:42.28]to meet the actor Patrick Stewart [06:45.65]who played the role of Jean-Luc Picard. [06:49.32]Miz Park says it was very exciting to meet him [06:53.61]and see fans dressed up [06:55.57]as characters on the show. [06:57.51]Miles Watson of Los Angeles,California, [07:02.07]says watching "Star Trek" on television [07:05.68]is one of his earliest memories. [07:08.63]He praises the show for its writing [07:12.21]which skillfully sets off the chemistry [07:15.33]among the three main characters. [07:17.96]They were played by William Shatner, [07:21.11]Leonard Nimoy,and DeForest Kelly. [07:24.89]Mister Watson says [07:27.30]the universe shown in the series [07:29.99]sparks the imagination [07:31.86]by creating a sense of wonder. [07:34.45]He says many shows he watched as a child [07:38.37]were filled with action. [07:40.49]But few were as filled with adventure, [07:43.90]mystery and excitement as "Star Trek." [07:47.38]Lincoln Geraghty is a film studies professor [07:52.08]at the University of Portsmouth in Britain. [07:55.29]He has written books and articles on "Star Trek." [08:00.03]He studies the ways [08:02.38]Trekkers have formed communities of support [08:05.54]to tell stories about how the series [08:09.05]helped them overcome difficult situations. [08:13.06]Professor Geraghty says [08:16.18]that "Star Trek's" message of hope,community, [08:19.98]and self-improvement are central [08:23.14]to American culture,history and identity. [08:26.89](MUSIC) [08:40.68]Ziggy Marley is a musician [08:42.38]with a special link to family. [08:45.05]His father was the reggae star Bob Marley. [08:49.49]Ziggy Marley grew up making music [08:53.14]with his brothers and sisters in their band, [08:56.25]the Melody Makers. [08:57.85]Ziggy recently released his third album, [09:01.99]"Family Time." [09:03.42]His five children helped influence his ideas [09:07.94]for the record. [09:09.21]He says music can be an important link [09:12.63]between a parent and child. [09:14.79]Barbara Klein has more. [09:16.84](MUSIC) [10:12.88]That was the title song,"Family Time," [10:15.91]from Ziggy Marley's latest album. [10:18.74]Like many songs on the record, [10:21.47]this one has a special guest performer. [10:25.06]Marley's daughter Judah was three years old [10:29.55]when she made the recording with her father. [10:32.20]He says he invited his daughter [10:34.98]and fifty of her friends to the studio [10:38.25]on the first day of recording. [10:41.12]He wanted them to bless the studio [10:44.41]with their young spirit. [10:46.79]Here is the song "Cry,Cry,Cry" [10:51.01]which Ziggy Marley performs [10:53.62]with the singers Jack Johnson and Paula Fuga. [10:57.94](MUSIC) [12:00.02]Ziggy Marley says these children's songs [12:02.94]are aimed at teaching younger generations [12:06.18]about reggae music. [12:08.14]He says this music helps children grow [12:11.86]with open minds and open hearts. [12:15.56]Part of the money from album sales [12:18.80]will help a school in Port Antonio,Jamaica. [12:22.79]We leave you with "Walk Tall" [12:26.41]sung by Ziggy Marley and Paul Simon.