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[Audience

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talking]

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This is a great crowd.

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I welcome you to the University
of North Florida, I'm Pierre

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Allaire, vice president
for institutional advancement.

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You've been invited here today
to celebrate

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and to dedicate our new social sciences
building.

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This is a wonderful addition
for the College of Arts

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and Sciences,
as well as for the university.

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Before we begin our program,
I would like to recognize several guests.

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first of all, we have

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elected officials.

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I know Ronnie Fussell is here

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and also I'm not sure

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there were several others not here yet.

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We have members from the College of Arts

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and Sciences
Advisory Board, the Deans Advisory Board.

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We also have faculty staff administration.

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We have Barry Allred, the CEO of Elkins
Constructors back there.

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His firm that put together this building
did a great job, as you'll hear.

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[audience clapping].

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And we also have

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Tom McCrary of Smith McCrary Architects,

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also with us times there.[auidence
clapping].

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We have a number of our donors
to this building.

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There were a number of people
who made private gifts,

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and we appreciate that support
and I'll say a little bit more about that

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at the end of the program.

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And also a special thanks to our students.

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They're the most important reason
why we're here.

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At this time,
I would like to ask our president,

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John Delaney, if he would share
his thoughts about this new facility.

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John.

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It's hard to believe

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that just a year ago,
we were standing on a dirt pile out here.

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In fact, that is really hard to believe
it's a year, is that right, Sharon? OK.

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She's nodding your head.

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Yeah, it's been a quick year and

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taking a look at how this

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was going to go,
and it's 63,000 square feet.

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And it doesn't just change the look of
the campus, it really does more than that.

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It's obviously
one of our more attractive buildings.

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It's unique in a number of different ways.

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one is the environmental certification.

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This is the first building
in Northeast Florida that has been built

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as a lead certification and telling
some people earlier that we know

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we pay a little premium, we pay a premium
for that and also for the aesthetics.

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But when you've got a building

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that's going to be here 50, 75, 100 years,
a campus is going to be here forever.

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It's clearly worth
that kind of an investment and it changed.

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The whole thing

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really changes the feel of our campus,
and I think it's a wonderful start.

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Clearly, this is $13.3 million building

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reflects the commitment that we have to

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students here
that our faculty have towards teaching

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and educating our students.

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And it's a high tech facility.

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It's complete with what we call the smart
classrooms completely wired

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state of the art teaching labs
wireless capability throughout.

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And we really have wireless throughout
the bulk of our campus right now.

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Students are studying sociology,
anthropology, psychology,

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political science,
criminology, criminal justice now really

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have a phenomenal place to learn from
the great faculty that we have on campus.

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We obviously house
a number of faculty offices here.

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Some of the

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faculty here have been shuttled
across to the gymnasium

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and those court sort of sorts of things

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when we had our old building eleven
with mold problems.

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So it's I think it's wonderful to

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to finally reward their patience with it
with a wonderful quality building.

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one of the things that we try to foster
here is that relationship

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between the faculty and the students.

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It's perhaps one of our most important
dynamics the intimacy that a student

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can have on this campus
and working with faculty and projects.

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And obviously, that's easier because of
the the layout of this building.

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I'm really excited
about the possibilities of this facility.

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What kind of a statement
it makes for our campus,

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for also for classroom instruction,
but also for the kinds of things that our

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faculty are very aggressive in in research
and community outreach programs.

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Dr. Macallan is,

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I think, almost full time for the county
right now on on some issues,

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and these are important elements
that a university should have in a campus

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and in a community.

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And our mission includes
some of these other activities.

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Also, the research
and the community outreach.

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On the second floor of the Public Opinion
Research Lab give students

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the opportunity
to both participate in research projects

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that that range from voter opinions
on upcoming elections to also residents

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changing attitudes about items
such as drinking and driving.

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Data from this lab is often
the centerpiece of news stories

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not just locally, not just statewide,
but across the country.

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And it's again
another important component and outreach

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component of what we do at the university.

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Also don't want to neglect
bringing up what we call TLOs

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which are transformational learning
opportunities and what we've promised

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our students here is an opportunity
if they avail themselves of it

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to have a life changing
or transformational sort of an experience.

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And that may be a student
that's working in the Duval County Jail

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to get a better understanding
of the mindset of juvenile offenders.

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That may be an anthropology student
working with homeless people

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to document their world and the lifestyle.

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That could be studying a course
studying abroad.

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It could be any of these other kinds
of experiences that our faculty

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really excel at creating
and then offering for the students.

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Our student student teacher ratio,

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and it's easy to say is 20 to one,

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and it's a number
that we've been able to actually decrease

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over the last couple of years or increase
the ratio of faculty to the students.

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It's a moving in a positive direction
in something that I know our

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board of trustees wants to preserve again,
that intimate sort of a relationship.

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We're adding state of the art facilities.

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We're on a major building boom
with more to come.

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Dedicated faculty, great opportunities
for learning, learning experiences.

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And that's really the elements
of a quality education.

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And then finally, as I mentioned earlier,
the the lead, which stands for leadership

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in energy and environmental design,
that environmental designation,

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that's sort of a part of this campus
culture, also.

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We've got a campus
and in the heart of a metropolitan area

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in the highest population
growth area in the region.

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And we're sitting in a nature preserve.

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And in fact,
we're still trying to pump out and capture

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land to the east
and the north and preserve it

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to be able to have this, this university
nestled in that kind of a setting.

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And so we think our commitment
to to build buildings

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that are environmentally friendly
is a healthy and positive sorts of things.

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Certified green buildings
here, they reduce stormwater runoff.

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They use materials
that do less damage to the environment.

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They use easy to use recycling stations
and also are designed to reduce energy

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use. And over time, we really think

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that's the kind of thing
that pays for itself.

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We have a responsibility
to this wildlife area in this

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in this area, too, and that's
why the building was constructed that way.

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And if you look around in here,
you'll see that there's been great

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use of natural light.

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The architects and designers
did a wonderful job incorporating that.

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And again,
it's also powered heating and cooling.

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It's a very energy efficient system

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to do that,
and we do have waterless urinals to boot.

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So it's all built in.

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All, everything was considered.

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A great day for UNF.

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And it's just part of a start of some,
some wonderful things in the future,

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we'll be starting
soon on another thousand beds for housing.

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Will be starting soon on a 45-50 million
dollar student union building.

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That'll actually be the most, most

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expensive building we've ever built
in the history of the campus.

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And it's something clearly that's needed
to really enhance student life here.

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Great day for UNF. Thanks.

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[audience clapping] Thank you, John.

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Before I introduce our next speaker,
I would like to recognize Dr.

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Ian Hopkins, he's back in the crowd,
our fourth president of UNF.

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Welcome.

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Our next speaker is a member of the Board
of Trustees, Steve Halverson.

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He's provided
great leadership for the university

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and we'll share his perspective
as a trustee.

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Steve.

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Thank you, Pierre.

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I always say it following Pierre
at the lectern because the microphones

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about a foot and a half higher than I than
I prefer it to be.

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But but fortunately, it's easily adjusted.

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President Delaney concluded his remarks
by saying the perfect statement.

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It is a great day for the University
of North Florida, and so it is today.

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On my day job, I'm in the
in the building business, so I think all

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buildings are cool.

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And what's good for the building

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industry is good for America
is my my political speech for the day.

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But this building really is important.

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Buildings are symbols

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in important respects.

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They symbolize many things,
and this building symbolizes

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much of what is important about UNF.

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It symbolizes quality and you can
you can see that it is manifest

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in its design and the excellence
in its construction, and I congratulate

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the architect and builder for that.

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It symbolizes the environmental culture
that is so much

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a part of UNF and one that we all applaud.

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Sustainability is important to our society
and to future generations,

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and I couldn't be more proud
that UNF occupies

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an important role and symbolizes
its commitment to a sustainable future.

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But in a larger sense, buildings
also express

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aspirations and beliefs and principles,
and this building does.

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In particular.

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It represents and validates
the importance of the work of faculty

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that will do their important
work in this building.

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It also represents the faith

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and belief in the value
of a liberally-educated society.

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And most of all,
it represents a conviction

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that the students that are so educated
here will go on to lead lives

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of consequence and significance
and thereby make our communities better.

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I'm your board of trustees and I am here
only as representative of a wonderful,

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wonderful group of men and women firmly
believe in these and these principles.

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We believe in the value and the importance
of what our faculty does.

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We are utterly committed to excellence in
education and the value of the liberally

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educated society to our community
and communities beyond Jacksonville.

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And most of all,
we believe in our students.

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We have wonderful students
at this university.

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We are confident that once they experience
the transformational education

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available to them here
at the University of North Florida,

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they will indeed go on to live lives
of great consequence and significance,

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and we will all be better for that.

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Congratulations to all of you.

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President Delaney, congratulations to you
for helping get the money to build this.

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There is no mission without money and

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and our president Delaney has helped us
in important ways to get this.

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And let's celebrate this building
the only way that we can and should,

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and that's by pursuing excellence
in everything we do within its walls.

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Thank you very much.

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[audience clapping].

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Before I introduce our next speaker,
who's the vice

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president of student government,
I would like to introduce

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the president of student government
and a trustee, Justin Damiano.

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Justin, Welcome [audience clapping].

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We'll now hear from a student
who is actually a major

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that's housed in this building,
political science and administration.

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And this is Darryl Briscoe,
student government vice president.

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Good morning.

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Well,

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you know, it's funny,
I was thinking the other day

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there's been a lot of changes in the past
30 years to this university.

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And honestly, having seen it, I'm only 21.

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[audience laughing].

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But but I'll tell you, you know,
for the past three years, I've been here.

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I'm I'm really proud to stand here as
we begin the next phase in the development

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of a new landscape for learning
at the University of North Florida.

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As a student, as a student
in the College of Arts and Sciences,

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I take special pride in being able

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to be a part of the dedication
of this building today.

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Now, for the past three years,
I've been here at UNF,

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I've seen a lot of growth
and a lot of change. And

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but, you know,

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it's just not quite like the growth
I've experienced as a student here.

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I've grown so much
academically as a student, physically,

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as a UNF athlete and socially through
student government in my fraternity.

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And tell you what, I really owe
lot of this growth to encouraging faculty

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that have supported me
in all my endeavors at UNF.

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Faculty like Dr.

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Corrigan over there, doctors Icer over
there just been very, very encouraging

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and really have told me just to reach
for the stars and go after it.

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You know, I also a lot of I also owe
a lot of growth to President Delaney.

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Sir, your leadership,
vision and determination

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that you have shown throughout your tenure
have much to do with this building

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being here and

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really on behalf of all the students here
at the University of North Florida,

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I want to just say thank you
for really just believing in us and

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helping us to

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reach higher
than we could ever dream of reaching

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and ultimately
giving us the resources necessary

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to not only excel at the university,
but really for the rest of our lives.

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So, sir, we do thank you.

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And finally, you know, this building
serves as one of the cornerstones

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for the expansion
of the University of North Florida,

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and I believe it is one of the landmarks

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of many great things
this university has to come.

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You know, let us face the future
with a newfound pride

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in UNF, in expectancy of greatness
and all that we as a university

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community are capable of accomplishing
in the months and years ahead.

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This is an exciting time,
and we all can kind of feel the excitement

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kind of brewing, and I'm just a part
just so thankful to be a part of it.

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Thank you, and God bless you all.

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[people clapping].Thank you, Darryl.

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Now our next speaker is someone
who has been here for the past 34 years.

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[auidence laughing].

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The interim dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, Dr.

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Dale Clifford, is actually a founding
faculty member of UNF so she was here

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when the doors opened on October 2, 1972.

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And Dale is a historian,
so I guess it's apropos

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that you share your thoughts
about this facility and UNF.

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Dale.

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Thank you. Yes.

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Oh, right.

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By now, you've heard a lot about what
makes this building absolutely special.

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I just want to say again

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that very much praise is due
to Tom McCrery of the Smith McCrery firm

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and to Elkins, because not only did
they do a beautiful job of building,

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they got it done on time
for the first day of classes.

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That's essential.

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[audience clapping].

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But as Pierre said, my day
job is as a historian.

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And so what I thought I'd tell you about
are some historical reasons

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why this building is really special.

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Of course,
it represents the future of UNF.

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It is a green building.

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It does take my friends,
the anthropologists, from their portable

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laboratories to beautiful laboratories
just down the hall here.

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It does have a glorious polling lab
for Matt Corrigan.

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It does have psychology counseling labs
for the graduate

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and undergraduate students
that are state of the art.

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The classrooms are state of the art,
and there's

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more fascinating technology coming.

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But the social sciences building

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also represents
the very best of UNF's past.

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You may not know it.

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I do.

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The first four buildings on this campus
had Student Commons

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in every single floor, in
every single area.

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And you might not have noticed
that buildings one

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and two have small balconies.

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To my knowledge,
this is the first building on campus

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to have a usable furnished balcony
since then,

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and this balcony is for students.

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It's on the second floor.
Take a look at it.

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When you get a chance to walk through.

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Locating the teaching, the research
and the intellectual community

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aspects of the university
together in one building

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is, I think, particularly important
at a time when the size

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of this growing university
might otherwise make it more difficult

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to preserve our tradition
of strong student faculty bonds.

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From its very inception,
this building was planned

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with the interaction
between faculty students

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and the built and natural environments
all in mind.

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Faculty were actively involved in talking

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about the arrangement of their classrooms
and their laboratories.

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The ways that we interact with
our students

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were not confined to the classroom
and the laboratory.

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Look at these wide corridors.

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These are places
where people can stand and talk.

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Students with students, students
with faculty, faculty with each other.

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And by the way, there are also wide
corridors in the upper two floors.

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The the offices

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have transoms above them
and the light shines through

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so that when there is an open office door,
it's even more inviting

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to a student
who happens to be walking past.

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We can talk to our students
when they are studying in the Commons

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areas,
and we're going in and out of the office.

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And when we look out our windows,
we can see the wetlands

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just over to the east.

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We can see the core campus to the north
and west.

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This is indeed, I think, a building

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that represents all of the things which

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make UNF unique.

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00:19:05,531 --> 00:19:08,740
Now do I sound just fakily lyrical?

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Let me tell you, my office
is just upstairs there on the third floor.

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00:19:13,722 --> 00:19:16,631
And what I am telling you
is absolutely the truth.

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00:19:16,799 --> 00:19:21,580
For an inhabitant of this building,
thank you.

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00:19:21,580 --> 00:19:25,425
[audience clapping].

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00:19:25,425 --> 00:19:27,833
Thank you, Dale.

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00:19:28,836 --> 00:19:30,508
Before we wrap up,

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00:19:30,508 --> 00:19:35,256
I'd like to point out a strong
alumni connection to this building.

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00:19:36,392 --> 00:19:40,137
I mentioned Elkins Constructors earlier.

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00:19:40,204 --> 00:19:43,715
Well, the project manager for Elkins
is David Birkleback.

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00:19:43,748 --> 00:19:45,587
You can see David back there.

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00:19:45,587 --> 00:19:48,396
He is a two time
alum from UNF with the building

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construction management
degree as well as an MBA.

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00:19:51,773 --> 00:19:55,752
And his assistant
project manager is Gus Evans,

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00:19:55,752 --> 00:20:00,132
also a UNF alum with a building
construction management degree.

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00:20:00,533 --> 00:20:02,339
And that's one connection.

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00:20:02,339 --> 00:20:05,683
Another one is Mark Lamkey
and Mark somewhere here.

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00:20:05,683 --> 00:20:07,388
I spoke to him earlier.

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00:20:07,388 --> 00:20:10,732
Mark graduated in 1985

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00:20:10,732 --> 00:20:15,613
and a few years ago started a building
company called True Vance,

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00:20:16,081 --> 00:20:19,692
and they do a lot of fiber
optic and network

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00:20:19,692 --> 00:20:23,705
cabling and were instrumental
in doing that for this building.

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00:20:23,705 --> 00:20:26,915
So you don't see what Mark's product is
because it's behind

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00:20:26,915 --> 00:20:30,158
the walls or underground,
but another alumni connection.

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00:20:31,830 --> 00:20:34,003
Again, I want to acknowledge our donors.

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00:20:34,003 --> 00:20:36,444
Thank you for your support.

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00:20:36,444 --> 00:20:38,885
This concludes our ceremony for today.

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00:20:38,885 --> 00:20:42,530
We do have a reception upstairs
on the second floor

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00:20:42,897 --> 00:20:46,141
and we have tours,
so please take advantage of that.

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00:20:47,144 --> 00:20:52,226
Again, thank you for being here
and have a great day.

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00:20:52,226 --> 00:20:55,704
[auidence clapping].