HWS News
18 May 2025 "May I Have Your Attention"
Former TIME Editor in Chief, presidential historian and Harvard professor Nancy Gibbs L.H.D. ’25 urged members of the Class of 2025 to apply the knowledge they gained as students to focus on sources of information that truly deserve their attention.
After receiving the Elizabeth Blackwell Award, former Editor in Chief of TIME Magazine, presidential historian and Harvard Professor Nancy Gibbs L.H.D.’25 urged graduates to become responsible stewards of their attention in an age dominated by digital noise and misinformation.
"May I have your attention? That’s actually the question. Such a simple formal request and yet so profoundly powerful, that I am asking you for the most precious thing you have," she told members of the Hobart and William Smith Class of 2025 during her Commencement Address on Sunday morning.
Gibbs highlighted the power and value of attention in shaping identity, truth and democratic engagement, warning against the dangers of disengagement and manipulation by algorithms. Reflecting on her own career in journalism, she contrasted the old standards of truth-seeking with today’s fragmented media landscape and called on the graduating class to actively seek trustworthy sources, remain engaged, and use their critical thinking skills to uphold truth and rebuild trust in society. She concluded with a tribute to Dr. Blackwell's spirit, encouraging graduates to embrace the future with boldness and purpose.
"Be deliberate about what you consume and what you share, what you pay precious attention to, and who you trust — because that is the whole battle," Gibbs said.
The first woman to lead TIME, Gibbs, the director of the Shorenstein Center and the Edward R. Murrow Professor of Practice at the Harvard Kennedy School, was honored as the 43rd recipient of the Elizabeth Blackwell Award during the ceremony for her contributions to media and public discourse.
During Commencement, six members of the HWS community were recognized with honorary degrees. In addition to Gibbs, recipients included: Director of the Martin Luther King Memorial Choir and Geneva community leader Patricia Blue ’77, L.H.D.’25; renowned musician and Founder of the Geneva Music Festival Geoffrey Herd L.H.D.’25; steadfast HWS supporter and philanthropist Mary Jane M. Poole P’91, L.H.D.’25 and Geneva benefactors Stephen Wyckoff L.H.D.’25 and Janet Wyckoff L.H.D.’25.
Commencement 2025
In his valedictory speech, President Mark D. Gearan referenced the Provenzano Art Gallery exhibit “Touch Grass” and reimagined the light-hearted internet phrase as a meaningful call for graduates to disconnect from technology, reflect deeply and engage in the world around them. He asked them to both literally and symbolically touch the grass — inviting a moment of pause to reflect on their academic journey — on the joy, hardship and growth they experienced.
“Today, I’d like to build on that phrase ‘touch grass’ to urge us, perhaps, to briefly pause, reflect on this moment with your newly minted degrees in hand. You've spent four years at Hobart and William Smith and I have seen in my three years here the difference you've made on our campus. In these highly contentious, polarized times in our civic life, you've engaged with one another, talked across difference and placed community as a priority. But as I ask you the following question, it's the great provocation that Mary Oliver posed in her beautiful poem The Summer Day when she wrote, ‘Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?’” said Gearan concluding “Go forth with our excitement and our confidence in your future. Go forth and touch grass from time to time and go forth and make a difference in this world.”
During the ceremony, the late Veronica Ashby ’25 and Benjamin Hutchinson ’25 were welcomed as honorary members of the Class of 2025. HWS Board Chair Craig R. Stine ’81, P’17 presented the annual Touching the Future award to Jennifer Harris, a mathematics teacher at Victor Senior High School in Victor, N.Y., who was nominated by Ryan Pero ’25.
Senior speeches were delivered by Aaron McClintock ’25 of Wading River, N.Y. and Anjalee Wanduragala ’25 of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
McClintock reflected on the growth and transformation of the Class of 2025, noting, “We came together four years ago as fresh-faced first-years, ready to learn, and today we leave as critical thinkers and leaders entrusted to make change and have a positive global impact.” He emphasized the responsibility to shape the future, adding, “In a world where so many things are uncertain and chaotic, what is important to remember is that we are responsible for leaving behind a powerful legacy for generations to come.”
Wanduragala spoke about the meaning of home, drawing on author Wendy Pearlman’s idea that home is something we create. “Through late nights, shared meals, inside jokes and moments of support when we needed it most, we made it our own,” she said. “So let’s keep finding home. Let’s keep making home. And let’s never forget that no matter where we go, we will always have a home in each other.”
Read more about Commencement.
