President Weiss Welcomes the Class of 2010

President Dan Weiss delivered welcoming remarks to the class of 2010 today at the Convocation opening the College’s 175th academic year.

Good afternoon and welcome! It’s great to have you here. We celebrate your arrival; we’ve been looking forward to it all summer! Nothing revitalizes the campus as much as the presence of the new students, and I’m delighted to participate with my colleagues in welcoming you and beginning the school year and your college career.

As you’ve no doubt already heard, this is the 175th academic year of the College, and you are of course the class of 2010. The first of these events took place in May of 1832, when gathered together were 43 students and three faculty. The College has indeed come a long way, and we’re delighted to welcome all 630 of you individuals who are now becoming members of the class.

So, who are you, the 630 of you sitting out there? Fifty-four percent of you are male, 46 percent are female. You’re from all over the United States and 38 nations around the world. Among you is a student who has the hobby of building rockets. Another of you is a Junior Olympic freestyle skier, another – a young woman – is the founder of a fair-trade advocacy group, another is descendant of Horace Booz, who graduated from the College in 1895. (Horace designed and built Fisher Field, the football stadium, which is at this moment being renovated.) We have someone who interned at NASA, and someone who’s a champion Irish step-dancer. And we have myriad other individuals who have accomplished remarkable things. We’re proud of what you’ve accomplished and what you bring here, and we hold that in high expectation.

At this moment, this diverse group of individuals is becoming a class, and this is one of the most remarkable transformations that occur while you’re here at college. Most of you don’t know each other. But within four years you will be the closest of friends, colleagues, and partners. Some of you will marry each other. (Think about that!)

It’s a momentous day, a milestone in your lives, not only because you’re joining the College but because you’re beginning a new chapter in your lives: your career as serious learners is about to begin. For that reason, it is one of the most important days of your lives.

This will be a time of discovery and transformation in ways that are hard to imagine. You heard various allusions to this, including Amanda’s [Neiderauer ’08, president of student government] account of her experience here in only two years. It will happen to you as well, and it will happen quickly. This is, in a very real sense, the time of your life. We expect you to live it fully, to engage, to take part. But you may be wondering, “So how does that happen? What do I do next?”

The most valuable thing you can do is turn quickly to the faculty. A small gathering of the faculty is seated over here, and there are many more who will be ready for you on Monday morning. You might consider the 1935 College handbook, which says, “Remember, professors are human beings and like to be treated as such.” Good advice! But I’d go a step further. The difference between a mediocre experience and an extraordinary one is the quality of the faculty you will be interacting with. What makes this College distinctive, what is our signal post to excellence, is the quality of the faculty and their commitment to you. They are here to work with you, to teach you. They will spend time with you individually, they will help you realize your dreams, and they will always challenge you. But you need to go to them, to take that step, and that is, first and foremost, how to begin your new learning experience.

You’ve heard much advice from others, and I won’t recount lots of it . . . but it is my job to give advice. So let me briefly offer a few things.

I encourage you to take risks. This is a moment when many of you may be inclined to be a little risk-averse: “It’s a new experience . . . there’s a lot to learn . . .not so sure what college is like . . . don’t want to screw up.” But now is the time to extend yourself, to take courses that interest you, even if they frighten you a little bit. We have a very strong network of support here to help you succeed, and now is the time to open your minds to those things that engage you.

Use your time well here. Do your very best work. The more your put into this, the more you will get our of this. It’s like anything meaningful in life, just as Ping Chong pointed out. That’s a crucial thing to understand.

Practice tolerance, understanding, and respect for others. We have a very diverse student body and faculty. To learn from each other, to celebrate what makes each of us interesting, requires our individual effort. It isn’t always easy, but the rewards are substantial, and it’s crucial, because it makes the learning environment work. If everybody were the same, we wouldn’t have a whole lot to talk about. It also fosters our dream to sustain academic freedom. It’s worth every bit of effort you can put into it.

And, finally, as you become adults and we treat you as partners – and this we will do – it’s incumbent upon you to act with integrity, to take responsibility for your actions, personally and academically. The only way the learning environment can flourish is if there is complete trust on both sides. You would not be happy if you knew that scientists who are offering you medicine to cure an illness actually didn’t do the study. We count on the integrity of the academic system to advance our own lives and we count on you to behave with integrity to make this system work. Right now, here, as new students, it’s time to think about that.

This is indeed the beginning of a great adventure. It’s going to be a long, fun weekend, and then your college career will really begin. This is great place: you chose well, and we’re delighted you’re here. I look forward to seeing you around. Congratulations.