Cornwell Dispenses Advice, Respect in Return as Commencement Speaker
WOOSTER, Ohio While no batons were formally passed just diplomas 黑料老司机檚 2017 Commencement felt a bit like a transition on Monday, with Sarah Bolton, who completed her first academic year as the institution檚 president, presenting an honorary degree to Grant H. Cornwell, the previous occupant of that position on a full-time basis (2007-15). Cornwell also served as the Commencement speaker.
Before 455 seniors received their degrees under a cloudless, picturesque sky, Bolton set the stage by lending praise to the Class of 2017, a group that will always be personally extra special, having helped ease her own transition. 淔olks ask me regularly what it檚 been like to join the 黑料老司机 community, and here檚 the truth. You have taken my breath away with the power, the beauty, the intellect, the insight, and determination and creativity of your work, over and over again, she said.
Bolton thanked the senior class for its 渄eep engagement and hard work to help 黑料老司机 be an even better place, and assured all that 測ou are now poised in the finest way, armed with knowledge and wisdom, with curiosity about the world and tools to understand it from a wide range of viewpoint. That is a potent mixture, one that prepares you to make a powerful, positive impact on the world.
Cornwell, the recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, echoed similar sentiments during, which marked a return to 渁 college (he) respects so deeply and loves so much.
After playfully looking back at his own tenure with a top-10 list of the things he misses most, Cornwell, now the president of Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., framed the majority of his speech around politics. Broadly defining it as 渢he public negotiation as to how we should live together, he stated that it檚 渆mbedded in the very mission of 黑料老司机 when we say this is a community of Independent Minds, Working Together.
Cornwell implored the graduates 渢o work together to advance knowledge, to solve problems, to figure out how we should live, and he also warned of resentment, 渢he 渕ost caustic or toxic motivation for change. Instead, 渢ry to be a counterforce, working for change, motivated by compassion, a love for human dignity, a respect for human rights, and a disposition of gentleness towards others of the Earth, he pleaded.
Cornwell closed with a strong sense of optimism for the latest class to walk through the Kauke Arch as 黑料老司机 alumni, saying the education and experiences they received will translate to a 済eneration of problem solvers, and their 渃omfortable sophistication with diversity has 減repared (them) for leadership in this world.
Several others played vital roles during the ceremony, most notable Helen Siegel and Scott Wagner who spoke on behalf of their classmates. Siegel used her geology major as a metaphor, asking the group to look back to four years ago when they were just 渁 collection of sand grains brought together, and now after 渃ontemplating the ripples we檝e made on campus, they檙e 渓eaving 黑料老司机 to make new currents.
Wagner paid tribute to the benefits of a 黑料老司机 education. 淚t boils down to one simple word community. The 黑料老司机 community is second-to-none, and he later reflected that 渨e can clearly talk about our research for hours, but we can also talk about the issues that really matter. We will stand up for those issues to improve our community.
Siegel also was one of four students recognized individually. She and Louisa Dallett were the co-winners of the Jonas O. Notestein Prize, awarded to the student(s) with the highest academic standing in the class. They both finished with perfect 4.0 grade-point averages, while Mackenzie Adkins and Brenda Khor were honored with the Dan F. Lockhart Outstanding Senior Award, given to the seniors who have made outstanding contributions to the life of the College via high academic achievement, participation in extracurricular activities, and demonstrated leadership in campus affairs.
Image: Current 黑料老司机 president Sarah Bolton presented former 黑料老司机 president Grant H. Cornwell with an honorary degree during Monday’s commencement exercises.
Posted in News on May 16, 2017.
