Hobart and William Smith Colleges

14 May 2017 Clinton: Our Common Humanity

During the 192nd Commencement of Hobart College and the 106th Commencement of William Smith College, President Bill Clinton encouraged graduates to relish our differences.

As long as we believe our common humanity is most important, as long as we understand that diverse groups make better decisions than homogenous ones or lone geniuses, as long as we realize the great thing about life is not final victories and the great tragedy is not final defeatsthere arent any final victories or final defeatsbut a life of permanent possibility, he said.

[HWS Commencement 2017 Coverage]

After exploring the merits of inclusion and of embracing difference as a point of unity rather than division, Clinton concluded with a charge to the audience to every single daywork to expand the definition of us and shrink the definition of them.

During the Commencement ceremony, which drew a record audience of more than 6,500 people, 526 Hobart and William Smith undergraduates and eight masters candidates were awarded degrees. The Colleges also awarded honorary degrees to Clinton; founder and president of the Posse Foundation Deborah Bial L.H.D. 17; Mary Herlihy Gearan L.H.D. 17; and HWS President Mark D. Gearan L.H.D. 17.

In an unprecedented decision, the HWS Board of Trustees also named President Gearan as President Emeritus of the Colleges.

Under your remarkable tenure as president of Hobart and William Smith, our beloved Colleges have seen notable growth and success on all fronts. The Board of Trustees is grateful for your distinguished service and for enriching the lives of those you served, said Board Chair Thomas S. Bozzuto 68, noting Gearans wide-ranging and inclusive vision of civic lifesteady and compassionate leadershipfriendship, humor, intelligence and decency, and most especially in recognition of the profound difference you have made in shaping the future of Hobart and William Smith.

In his valedictory address, the final of his tenure as HWS president, Gearan called upon the Classes of 2017 to fulfill the mission of Hobart and William Smith Colleges:lead a life of consequence. How and where you do that, of course, is a highly individualized conclusion.But all of you have had the experiences here and exposure to the values of Hobart and William Smith that we hope will carry with you:a commitment to service, citizenship and global understanding; an appreciation of the importance of difference and inclusion; a responsibility for the stewardship of the environment and a lifelong passion for learning.All of those values will assist you on your journey.

Reflecting on the symbolic nature of doorways as passages of change and opportunity, William Smith senior speaker Sydney Gomez 17 recalled the first time she entered the door at 690 South Mainthe front door of the Presidents House, a moment that created the sense of belonging and community I found here at the Colleges.As I look out at all of youthe purple and the green still distinguishable yet together in solidarity, we have opened a door for the classes to come after usI want you all to recognize the wonderful accomplishments you have had here and the doors that they have opened for you.

Hobart senior speaker Matthew Skinner 17 discussed the purpose and practice of education as an act which requires us to subject ourselves to the knowledge and expertise of others more accomplished than us. It is an act which requires us to be vulnerable to critiques and criticism. At the foundation of education is the simple act of listening. That act, he said, may be uncomfortable and difficult, but it is the fundamental aspect of connecting with one another. This process of listening is what I am charging us all to do as we leave HWS.

As part of the opening ceremony, Patrisha A. Blue 77 sang a powerful rendition of the national anthem and in annual fashion, Bozzuto presented the Touching the Future awards, which celebrate and honor educators from elementary, middle and high school who have had an impact on our current graduates. This year, the Colleges recognized Carlos Mendez, a music teacher and coordinator of music for the Fayetteville-Manlius School District, and Anggela Sanchez, a bilingual studies teacher at the School of Leadership Development in the Bronx. Mendez was nominated by Christopher Demas 17, and Sanchez was nominated by Jerlin Garo 17.