[applause] ok, back to work.

but the anniversary of the great earthquake was remembered. >> i would like to ask for a minute of silence. >> let's have a moment of silence. >> they meet for the annual reflating ceremony. he was joined by winnie for an afternoon celebration.

we are here to commemorate all that it signifies. at each anniversary the leaders meet to prepare for the next great quake. bob welcome everybody to the anniversary.

i got to say, the mayor gets it done. gooa round of applause for our e chief's wife. you look terrific. do we have sydney close five? -- close by.

we will pass the microphone to the mayor for a couple of quick words. we have a fire chief and the police chief. >> good morning, everyone. 106 years since our earthquake. we do have a grandson? she was with us in 2009.

goopublic works is here. this reminds us of the 3000 people but passed away in 1906 from the devastating earthquake, but the rebirth of our city is with us. i have been in all of these other positions where we are always prepared.

and we are already engaged in recovery efforts. we were there with a whole staff. we have six we assure you that when the next big event happens, that water system will be there for us to deliver water with that 24 hours. a huge change from depending on this fountain. we are handing it off to generations of youth in the city to understand -- make sure they're prepared. go to our website, it tells you all the things there. iti is about having those items prepared.w

we will survive. that is how we get ready and celebrate and honor the people who left us and make sure our city is ready. thank you for being here. congratulations to our survivors. >> very nice job. behind me is a good friend and a great firechief. you go back 106 years. braxton morning. -- good morning. one of the survivors could not be with us. those are amazing changes.

it does give us the opportunity to remember what happened. we commemorate those who suffered losses in their lives and hardships. we also celebrate the city that was nearly swept from the map. the fires raged for three days and caused rates -- great devastation. we take the opportunity to educate everyone. it is a pleasure for me to work under the direction of mayor lee. he is a public safety championship. he is a prepared as champion. he lives it. i have seen his kids and his workplace. it is all about teamwork. i am proud to be working with chief suhr. and scott weiner, it is a pleasure to have you out here. we appreciate it.

it is a great team. thank you to the people who are out here. and also our partners with the american red cross. who are here this morning. thank you for being here. it has been a tradition for many of us out here. i hope you have a great day and you remember what happened 106 years ago. it is great to be a san franciscan. >> a nice hand for the chief, everybody. i have seen this other chief speaking in the last couple of times. a nice hand for chief suhr. >> good morning. our fire chief said it. we're lucky in san francisco. we have a mayor who has moved through the tears of prepared as

an goddess ready to go. we get a little more prepared every day. god bless to the survivors. >> thank you. >> it is a minute of silence at 5-11. -- 51:11 p.m. let's have a moment of silence for a minute right now.

[siren]

>> i think the fitting way to end this germany first of all, -- this ceremony first of all. there will be playing. everybody have their words right here? i will give the countdown. as we hang the reece, i will give you a count here. have a look at me. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1. ♪ [singing]

♪ ♪ >> a great day, everybody. thank you. the san francisco chornicle.

and the history association. and the neighborhood emergency response team. the american red cross. and thanks for making this happen. i want to invite everyone to go to 20th in church or -- and church. and we will meet up. we may skirt the law and serve something before 6:00 a.m. the bookmobile, where are they? >> i have my cheat sheet here

which i cannot find. the library has been here after great disasters. there has -- is a special book that won an award this year. here is the book. i downloaded it on my kindle. it can check out copies of the book mobile. nex>> thanks for being here. start walking slowly. welcome to san francisco, everyone. ♪

>> in keeping with the university of san francisco tradition to invite the mayor to speak, we are honored to have in our presence today, the mayor of the city and county of san francisco, the honorable edwin m. lee. mayor lee received his law degree from the university of california-berkeley. for more than 20 years, he has contributed to san francisco in numerous capacities, including as director of public works and the director of the public rights commission.

in january 2007, mayor lee answered the call to complete the remaining year of former mayor gavin newsome. during that time, a groundswell of support in the boisterous campaign, and he was finally persuaded to pursue elected office. in november, he was overwhelmingly elected mayor of san francisco. he is the first asian-american to serve as mayor of san francisco. please join me in welcoming the honorable edwin m. lee. [applause] mayor lee: thank you.

members of the board of trustees, faculty and staff of the university of san francisco, family and friends -- good morning class of 2012. [cheering] thank you for that very kind introduction. also, thank you -- alex, you are valedictorian. something tells me we might see alex later. and perhaps he will be running for office some day. we could lose it -- we could use your leadership in government today. a man of a wonderful sense of humor never fails to reflect.

i'm going to try to avoid controversy today. many of you may not realize, i, too, and quite a comedian. just ask my daughters and my wife. they'll laugh at every single one of my jokes. really. and then there is that entertaining reality tv show i am a part of, that brings to help the -- healthy dose of comedy, sometimes trauma -- drama on a regular basis. it is called city hall. being mayor is a job i love. they have given me the opportunity. it is a privilege to wake up each morning and work for you, the people of san francisco, and do everything i can to help you

succeed and grow in your lives. class of 2012, that is what your date is about. it is growing in your lives for yourselves, your family, and as your mayor, i will selfishly say, for your city. in whatever community you go to from here. i have been thinking lately -- you know, i have done some good things in my generation. here in san francisco, we raised our voices against war, whether the it, or elsewhere -- whether vietnam or elsewhere. we have blazed trails in social justice. so that all of our people -- women, african-americans, asian- americans, gay, lesbian, latino

-- but have equal rights. we were the first city in america ought to have universal health care for all residents. when i was not much older than you, when i graduated from bowdoin college, i wanted to raise all little heck to make the world a better place. i work to prevent the eviction of elderly chinese and filipino residents. we sued the san francisco fire department to give women and people of color a chance to be a firefighter. and i think we made a difference. today, the city hired a woman to lead our fire department. i could never have imagined in my lifetime, the city would --

the country and the city would elect an african-american president or an asian american mayor. we also screwed up a few things along the way, from the economy to the environment and social justice. and now, class of 2012, the challenges and the promise of the world are your challenges and promises. your next assignment -- your homework for the rest of your life -- i can do that because i am mayor -- is to run the ball a little further down the field and get us to a better place. i know, many of you are thinking "mayor, i have got to get a job. i have to repay my student loans. i have to prepare for my family." yes, you do. i know going out into the world

to fend for yourself in this economy is difficult. it is survival of the fittest, like something out of "the hunter games." -- "the hunger games." but you are not on your own. is more like -- it is more like "the avengers." while it may not always be evident and while you may face many challenges throughout your life, always remember you are surrounded by a not so secret society of people who want to help you. these are people in business, and governments, sports, entertainment, health care, education. people who have achieved some measure of success or wisdom in

there own lives. the greatest gift they can ever give is to pass on a little bit of that wisdom to you and help you succeed to an even greater degree. don't get me wrong. you and you alone decide what you were going to do with that education and this opportunity and do not waste it. don't ever be afraid to ask for help. whether it is your boss, your family, your mayor. look to your own communities and ask yourself "how can i give back? how can i use my education to help my community and add to the valuable work within my neighborhood or my city?" because if there's one thing i see in this economy that is emerging, clean tech and

biotech that are adding some new jobs to our city, is that success does not come from going it alone. success comes from collaboration. bringing diverse backgrounds together to a common goal. new companies, out incubators in the market. they do not offices. they have a big open tables. they have whiteboards everywhere. the building is built around the notion of collaboration, the idea that success comes from sharing ideas and goals. because that is how we get innovation. that is how you, class of 2012, will lead the world a better place and fix things my

generation did not quite get to. that is not just innovation in technology and our economy, but innovative approaches in the health field, curing diseases, cleaning the air and water, and dealing with social justice. there is no better start than here. we are the gateway to the pacific rim and asia. to the west, the booming economies of latin america and brazil. we are the international destination are rhumba world -- around the world. you, class of 2012, are part of what makes san francisco brand. you represent new ideas, new frontiers, new beginnings. that innovation is perfected in your university's new marketing

campaign. "change the world from here." some of them definitely make you smile. academics covering the world from north beach? funny. the one that struck me the most -- "there is no moral compass app." so, i say to you as well, don't lose yourself and your values. don't forget where you came from, even amid the success you may achieve. some of you know the chinese zodiac for 2012 is the year of the dragon. dragon is the only mythical animal in the chinese zodiac and the most powerful.

the year of the dragon is fittingly a time for risk- taking, bold decision, and innovation. class of 2012, san francisco and the world need your risk-taking. sees the year of the dragon for yourselves, your families, for the rest of us. -- seize the year of the dragon. you are graduating at a time of immense promise. i know i am a little biased, but there is no better place to spend the rest of your lives. we are so proud to you. we are counting on you and we are here to help you realize your greatest objectives. thank you and congratulations, class of 2012. [applause]