Jerry Hultin, former president of the Polytechnic Institute of NYU, introduced his speech with the words of Brooklyn native Jay-Z, “Is Brooklyn in the house?” The NYU-Poly commencement ceremony on Thursday morning was the school’s 158th graduation and the first to take place at the Barclays Center in the heart of Brooklyn. Instead of the black and white jerseys of the Nets, over 6,000 students in purple caps and gowns sat on the court while their families and friends cheered from the stands. The keynote speaker, S. James Gates Jr., asked attendees to remember those responsible for their place here, and reminded them of their role as the next ‘Greatest Generation.’ Current NYU-Poly President Katepalli Sreenivasan advised the graduating class to take pride in their past and develop a strong work ethic for the future. The class of 2013 valedictorian, Radu Iliescu, ended his address with a piece of advice playing off Hultin’s concept of i2e — invention, innovation and entrepreneurship.