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Commencement keynote speaker Vice Adm. David Dunaway, commander, Naval Air Systems Command headquartered at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, told graduates and guests that America’s founding fathers were smart as they placed into the Constitution checks and balances to keep the country focused on individual liberties—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. “[As citizens] we are entitled to opportunity. We do our best work when we are service-oriented; when we serve each other more than we serve ourselves. We do our worst work when we are greedy.”

Dunaway offered students advice using three themes: tribalism, oysters and buffalo herds. On tribalism, Dunaway said that people break off into their own tribes such as when rooting for their football team, but will all come together as a larger tribe when rooting for the country as in supporting the United States at the Olympics. On oysters, Dunaway said that when he sees oysters, he marvels at the first person to have cracked one open and eaten what was, unappealingly, inside. “Who did that? Because that person is the kind of person I want on my team. They did not see the crust, they did not see the slime,” said Dunaway of people who are bold and innovative, curious people. Finally, on buffalo herds, Dunaway said that the lesson comes in two points. “One, if you are the lead buffalo, follow the path that keeps your herd from running off a cliff. If you’re a following buffalo, don’t fall down.” Dunaway said that the three items provide good analogies about life, that tribalism is about healthy competition, that oysters are about learning, innovation and being bold, and that buffalo herds are about being a good leader and a good follower. For more on Dunaway, visit http://www.csmd.edu/news/archive/2014/b90d68d8a858ea9bf8deaa1389db40b587b524f2.html