AS STUDENTS around the world mark their graduations, they are hearing a common refrain: ''You are entering a different world.''


This sentiment will seem less of a cliche to us than to other classes, owing to the tragic events of the past year. We invest commencement with expectations of catharsis, reflecting a desire for reassurance that we are ready for the ''real world.'' We at MIT are fortunate then to have as our commencement speaker James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank. He is a reminder that in many ways nothing has changed.

Wolfensohn will reassure us that we are the elite, gifted with unparalleled education and resources; he will remind us that this entails responsibilities to those who are less fortunate. He will inspire us with his own story, the story of the World Bank, which represents the collective good will of the industrialized West, atoning for centuries of colonialism by working to vanquish poverty from the developing world.

Wolfensohn is the perfect speaker because we are a society blinded by our own mythology. We are taught that our public institutions embody democratic principles and pursue freedom and equality for all. We are told by our representatives that we are doing all we can to make life better for everyone. At MIT, we are also taught that hypotheses must not be accepted on faith but measured by their ability to explain observations.


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