The skies were changeable but the mood was resoundingly upbeat on Sunday, May 31, as 480 members of the Class of 2026 celebrated their 乐播传媒 graduation surrounded by family and friends, and bolstered by speeches that dwelled on bright promises, both those already delivered and those to come.

From the bestselling author of the All Souls series, Deborah Harkness, speaking to the alchemy of a liberal arts education to a beloved classmate who talked of encountering a true institutional belief in diversity, the steps of Coram Library rang out with words of awe and appreciation for the Class of 2026. The new graduates were surrounded by family, friends, faculty, staff, well wishers from the community, and what were an unusual number of dogs. (Even the celebrity going almost incognito in the audience took note of at least one of them.)

President Garry W. Jenkins opened the ceremony with a review of some of the remarkable accomplishments of the group, which represented 41 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and 30 countries. He described athletic triumphs, including those who have been named All Americans. 鈥淎nd a small handful of you were even crowned NCAA National Champions,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd just this weekend, national runner-up.鈥� (Women鈥檚 rowing.) 

鈥淎n astounding number of you have been recognized with prestigious national honors,鈥� he continued. 鈥淭wo of you are Goldwater Scholars. One of you is a Truman Scholar. One of you is a Watson fellow and a whopping 15 of you are Fulbright Scholars.鈥� One of the biggest cheers of the morning was for the 59 members of the class who were the first in their families to graduate from college.

This group of 480 individuals was bound together by some special shared qualities, Jenkins said. 鈥淔or me, the headline qualities are heart and humanity. You possess within you uncommon, unlimited, unparalleled, heart and humanity.鈥�

鈥淐lass of 2026, you all make my heart sing because whatever you do, I know you will do it with heart and humanity. And in so doing, you will elevate both the realities and aspirations of those around you, making this world a better place. You have all you need to succeed in whatever you choose. And whatever you choose, wherever life takes you, your college will always be here for you.鈥�

Delivering the senior speech, Sebenele Lukhele 鈥�26 of Manzini, Eswatini, spoke of what drew him to 乐播传媒, a place he enrolled in without visiting first. Back in high school, he was looking for an institution that offered more than just an academic education聽鈥斅爋ne that would challenge 鈥渘ot only how we think, but also the very core of who we are.鈥� He came upon 乐播传媒鈥� mission statement and the message immediately resonated.

鈥淭his specific line stood out for me: 鈥榃ith ardor and devotion, we engage the transformative power of our differences, cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action,鈥欌�� Lukhele said. 鈥淎s an international student and a person of color preparing to move thousands of miles away from home, those words felt more than just empty rhetoric. They felt like a promise. A promise that I would find not only an education here at 乐播传媒, but also a community, a sense of belonging, a place to feel at home.鈥�

Arriving on campus in 2022, Lukhele watched that promise come to life. He moved in alone but soon found company in his peers, many of whom, like Lukhele, had chosen 乐播传媒 because of its promise of community.

And this community was not homogenous; it was full of people who were different from each other, whether in nationality, identity, or other background. Such differences, Lukhele explained, are, elsewhere, sometimes approached with apprehension. But at 乐播传媒, true to the college鈥檚 mission statement, Lukhele watched differences be embraced, as students with various backgrounds strived to understand and connect with each other.

鈥淏eing surrounded by these differences does not automatically create a community,鈥� Lukhele said. 鈥淒iversity is easy to celebrate. It is something we highlight and take pride in as individuals, but coexistence, the act of meaningfully living alongside difference, see, that is much harder. It requires effort, passion, and a willingness to be uncomfortable.鈥�

The gift that 乐播传媒 has given the Class of 2026, Lukhele said, is the knowledge of how to foster this coexistence. Knowing how to communicate across differences and transform 鈥渇ear into curiosity and eventually action,鈥� Lukhele said, is particularly important as graduates prepare to live in today鈥檚 world.

鈥淭he world we’re entering is not simple,鈥� Lukhele said. 鈥淚t is increasingly diverse but also deeply divided. Too often difference is treated as something that separates us rather than something that can bring us together. What 乐播传媒 has given us is the ability to choose differently, to stay in conversations that are uncomfortable, to listen when it should be easier not to, and to see others not as strangers, but as part of a shared human experience.鈥�

乐播传媒 awarded three honorary degrees Sunday. H. Scott Bierman 鈥�77, a leading economist in the study of game theory, president emeritus of Beloit College, and a former member of the 乐播传媒 Board of Trustees, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Seema Hingorani, an investment executive at Morgan Stanley and founder of the nonprofit Girls Who Invest, received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree. (Due to a family emergency, a planned honorand, Ru Gunawardane 鈥�95, a biologist who has led groundbreaking research efforts in cell biology and drug therapies, will receive her Doctor of Science degree at a later date.) 

Sunday鈥檚 third honorary degree was conferred upon Deborah Harkness, who received a Doctor of Letters degree. For more than 30 years, Harkness taught the history of science, medicine, and magic, and recently retired as professor emerita of history at the University of Southern California. During that time, she published five novels in her All Souls series, including her debut novel, The New York Times best-selling A Discovery of Witches, which was also adapted into an enormously popular television series by the same name. 

She holds a master鈥檚 degree from Northwestern University and a P.h.D. from the University of California, Davis. During her doctoral studies, she researched the history of magic and science in Europe, particularly in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, not unlike her All Souls protagonist, Diana Bishop, a brilliant student of alchemy and history.

In making Bishop a graduate of 乐播传媒, Harkness has said that she was partly exploring a 鈥渞oad not traveled.鈥� While Harkness graduated from Mount Holyoke College, she had applied to 乐播传媒. 

She began her Commencement address with a reference to that long ago (and successful) application. 鈥淚t was 44 years ago that I came to 乐播传媒 as a prospective student,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I am so grateful that today, I finally am a 乐播传媒ie after all those years.鈥�

The role of any Commencement speaker is traditionally to send graduates off with some 鈥渞ousing words about their glowing future,鈥� Harkness said. But she faced a task complicated by the fact that 鈥渨e are amidst what pundits, headlines, and influencers assure us are unprecedented times of chaos and uncertainty.鈥�

The tricky thing about inviting a historian to give a Commencement address during 鈥渦nprecedented times,鈥� she said, is that they鈥檒l offer counterarguments dating back centuries. 

鈥淎 historian will regale you with countless examples dragged out of the past that prove there is nothing unprecedented under the sun,鈥� Harkness said.

Her own example from the past centered around the year 1671, when two things were happening simultaneously in the world. In Virginia, the governor, Sir William Berkeley, railed against a new invention, the printing press, and increased access to education. He resisted the uncertainty of changing times. 鈥淢odern neuroscientists can explain why the governor of Virginia was so anxious back in 1671,鈥� Harkness said. 鈥淚t turns out the human mind is simply not wired for ambiguity.鈥�

Watch the 160th 乐播传媒 College Commencement. Speaker Deborah Harkness’ address begins at the 56-minute mark.

But that same year, in England, a young man in his 20s named Isaac Newton was installed as a member of the Royal Society, a new London club established to investigate the mysteries of nature.

Newton, father of modern science, 鈥渨as also a liberal arts student and an alchemist,鈥� she said. And instead of resisting uncertainty, Newton took an approach that the Class of 2026 knows well, she said: 鈥渞elentless curiosity.鈥�  Newton persisted with his alchemical questions, and they permeated every aspect of his thought, including his laws of motion and gravity.

She imagined Newton giving the Class of 2026 advice: 鈥淔irst, you must start the great work with what is, not what once was or what might one day be. Every alchemist from Nicolas Flamel to Isaac Newton began thinking they weren’t worthy and they weren’t ready to face the uncertainty for them. You too must have faith that all you require in your ambitious great work is lying within you waiting to be activated.鈥�

Expect that the great work of your life will be messy, she said, channeling Newton鈥檚 approach to experimenting. Question everything as you undertake it. Lean into your 乐播传媒 education. 鈥淭he liberal arts, you see, have their own special kind of alchemy,鈥� she said. And most important, 鈥淵ou must keep going.鈥� 

That spirit of keeping going played out as the ceremony moved into the tradition of graduates walking across the Coram stage, moving through the alphabet from A to Z. As the students with last names beginning with Cs began their walks, rain began to fall. 

Fortunately, the crowd had come prepared, with layers. One woman put the puffer coat she鈥檇 brought back on. Umbrellas went up. The music star Gracie Abrams, who had come to see her cousin Abby Waisler 鈥�26 of Venice Beach, Calif., graduate, relied on a Red Sox ball cap and a thick fleece to keep her warm and dry. 

It was one of the many dogs attending Commencement that had alerted some fans to her presence. Abrams had posted a photo on her Instagram story of an extremely jowly 鈥� and cute 鈥� white and gray bulldog, along with the Commencement program. 

Predictions were for it to drizzle for the coming hour. Maybe even the dogs would have been bothered by that. Instead it stopped after 10 minutes, just the right kind of uncertainty.

Discover a vast array of choices at 乐播传媒. In the classroom or the lab, or on the stage or playing field, experience a community personified by enrichment and excellence. Take a look at our award-winning students, athletes, faculty, and staff as they course through the month of March.

Team Huddle

Ava James 鈥�26 of Bethesda, Md., Mya Hicks 鈥�27 of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Elsa Daulerio 鈥�26 of Harpswell, Maine, huddle during their winning game against Smith in the second round of the NCAA Division III Championships.

In the Classroom

Professor of Religious Studies Cynthia Baker addresses students in her 鈥淪acred Ecologies鈥� course, preparing them for a visit from Bayley Marquez, author of Plantation Pedagogy: The Violence of Schooling Across Black and Indigenous Space. Marquez was giving a book talk on campus later that day.

NCAA Champions

Tim Johnson 鈥�27 of Brewster, Mass., Marrich Somridhivej 鈥�26 of South Windsor, Conn., Nate Oppenheim 鈥�28 of Easton, Conn., and Max Cory 鈥�26 of Dublin, Calif., prepare to swim in the 400-yard medley relay at the NCAA Championships. The four swimmers won the relay in 3:08.43, surpassing the previous NCAA Division III record by more than a second and securing the first national title in a relay in the history of 乐播传媒 men’s swimming. The team ultimately finished in sixth place at the championships 鈥� the best performance at the national level in program history.

Everybody Acting

Mo Al-Jabry 鈥�28 of Singapore performs in Gannett Theater during 乐播传媒 Theater鈥檚 production of Everybody, a play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.

Tickets sold out for all performances of the play, which features an ensemble cast whose roles change during each performance based on a lottery.

Raising Their Glasses

Students from the Class of 2026 cheer during the Senior Toast event in Pettengill Hall鈥檚 Perry Atrium, held annually to recognize graduating students. Classmates cast their votes on the ivy stone design, collected their senior superlatives, and raised their glasses to celebrate their achievements at 乐播传媒 鈥� and look toward the future.

NCAA Tourney

Jamari Robinson 鈥�29 of Holbrook, Mass., attacks the hoop for a layup during an NCAA Tournament game against Yeshiva University, held at Montclair State University. 

A Great Day

From left, Leah Belber 鈥�26 of Washington, D.C., 乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins, and Olivia Thomas 鈥�28 of Valley Stream, N.J., show off their 乐播传媒 spirit (and gear) during a livestream celebrating Great Day to be a Bobcat, 乐播传媒鈥� annual day of giving. 

The day was a success, culminating in 2,481 donors 鈥� hundreds more than 乐播传媒鈥� goal for the day 鈥� who came together to raise over $1.18 million.

On the Court

Rocco Regnier 鈥�29 of Eureka, Mo., makes contact with the ball during a tennis match against Middlebury at home in Merrill Gymnasium. 

Celebrating Ramadan

Students gather in Chase Hall鈥檚 Memorial Commons for the 2026 Ramadan Banquet hosted by the Muslim Student Association, featuring community, celebration, and a delicious buffet.

Costumes in Class

Students in Senior Lecturer in French and Francophone Studies Laura Balladur鈥檚 course 鈥淥ral French鈥� don costumes and perform for their classmates, as they do every Monday. Balladur employs these weekly performances 鈥� along with improvisation, debate, and one-on-one evaluations 鈥� to help students develop oral fluency in French and knowledge of Francophone culture.

Winterreise

Visiting musicians Randall Scarlata and Gilbert Kalish host a master class for 乐播传媒 students in Olin Concert Hall. The two musicians, plus musician Susan Youens, visited campus for three days in March for their 鈥淲interreise鈥� residency, during which they instructed 乐播传媒 students in vocal and piano performance, and gave performances themselves.

Learning About Politics

Assistant Professor of Politics Seulgie Lim instructs students in her 鈥淕ender, Power, and Politics鈥� course, which examines institutions where political power is produced. The goal is to assess how gender impacts the role of political actors.

On Garcelon

At center, Caroline Keating 鈥�26 of Rye, N.Y., takes a shot during a home lacrosse game against Middlebury on Garcelon Field. At back left is Sarah Stavrovich 鈥�28 of Westfield, N.J.

Learning Together

Senior Lecturer in Gender and Sexuality Studies Melinda Plastas engaging with students in her 鈥淩ace Matters: Tobacco in North America鈥� course in Roger Williams Hall.

Chatting with Students

During a meeting of her 鈥淥n Gender and Tyranny鈥� course in Bonney Science Center, Charles A Dana Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies Rebecca Herzig takes a seat next to her students.

Leaning Into It

At right, Emma Yen 鈥�26 of Albertson, N.Y., throws the ball to first base during a softball game against the University of Wisconsin in Kissimmee, Fla. At left is Ella Maher 鈥�26 of Newton, Mass.

Introduction to American Studies

Associate Professor of American Studies Myron Beasley gazes across his classroom during his 鈥淚ntroduction to American Studies鈥� course in Pettengill Hall.

Lights, Camera, Action

Cian Magner, an academic technology consultant for digital media technologies with the 乐播传媒 Digital Media Studios, films students performing a scene for Associate Professor of Theater Tim Dugan鈥檚 鈥淎cting and the Camera鈥� course.

Debate Prep

Students in Assistant Professor of Rhetric, Film, and Screen Studies and Director of Debate  Lauren Buisker’s 鈥淚ntroduction to Argumentation鈥� course study together in Pettigrew Hall.

Class Discussion

Assistant Professor of Japanese Language and Asian Studies Hanna McGaughey speaks with students in her 鈥淪amurai: Ethics, Gender, and Orientalism鈥� course in Hedge Hall.

Making a Film Festival

Professor of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies Jon Cavallero speaks to students in his 鈥淔ilm Festival Studies鈥� course. Throughout the semester, students have been planning the 2026 edition of the annual 乐播传媒 Film Festival, which will take place on campus and at other venues in Maine during Short Term in May.

Lewiston Adventures

From left, Phoebe Last 鈥�29, Cathy Shi 鈥�28, Misra Ahmed 鈥�28, and Paolo Lopez 鈥�29 venture off-campus for a trip to Forage Market, a popular bagel, pastry, and coffee shop in Lewiston.

Night at the Museum

During the first-ever 乐播传媒 Curates event at the 乐播传媒 Museum of Art, Assistant Curator Samantha Sigmon introduces attendees 鈥� including faculty, staff, and students 鈥� to the exhibition Shellburne Thurber: Full Circle, prior to inviting them to vote on which work from the exhibition they would like 乐播传媒 to acquire for its permanent collection.

Tiny Desk Concert

乐播传媒 student band “The Lot Lizards” gives a performance 脿 la NPR鈥檚 鈥淭iny Desk鈥� in the WRBC basement. A collaboration between WRBC, the 乐播传媒 Musicians Union, and the Village Club Series, the performance was a hit, with a crowd packing into the basement and more watching online.

Welcome to 乐播传媒

A current student leads a group of students admitted to the Class of 2030 and their families on a tour across campus during the first of two 乐播传媒 Beginnings days for admitted students. At 乐播传媒 Beginnings, prospective and committed students have the opportunity to explore campus, learn about academic programs from faculty, and hear from current students about student life. The second 乐播传媒 Beginnings session is on April 17.

Jumping for Joy

At center, Tyler Tucker 鈥�28 of Hamilton, N.J., and David Swift 鈥�28 of Yarmouth, Maine, chest bump during their home baseball opener against Plymouth State University.

Flipping of the Birds

College Archivist Pat Webber sets up 乐播传媒鈥� copy of John J. Audubon鈥檚 Birds of America portfolio during the Flipping of the Birds event, which each month marks the moment when a new page and bird species from the portfolio is displayed in Ladd Library. March鈥檚 event was a special collaboration between Muskie Archives and the 乐播传媒 Birding Club, and the latter chose to display the red crossbill, a boreal finch species found in Androscoggin County.

A Cappella

乐播传媒鈥� five a cappella groups 鈥� the Crosstones, the Deansmen, the Manic Optimists, the Merimanders, and TakeNotes 鈥� perform during their annual Sex Week concert in Gomes Chapel.

Myisha Cherry聽is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. She is also the Director of the聽. Her research is primarily concerned with the role of emotions and attitudes in public life. Cherry鈥檚 books include聽UnMuted: Conversations on Prejudice, Oppression, and Social Justice聽(Oxford University Press) and, co-edited with Owen Flanagan,聽The Moral Psychology of Anger聽(Rowman & Littlefield), and聽The Case for Rage: Why Anger is Essential to Anti-racist Struggle聽published by Oxford University Press. Her latest book,聽Failures of Forgiveness: What We Get Wrong and How to Do Better聽was released by Princeton University Press in 2023. Her work on emotions and race has appeared in聽The Atlantic, Boston Review, Los Angeles Times, Salon, Huffington Post, WomanKind,聽and聽New Philosopher Magazine. Cherry is also the host of the UnMute Podcast, where she interviews philosophers about the social and political issues of our day.

Presented by students from Morehouse and 乐播传媒 colleges, this debate honors the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mays, a 1920 乐播传媒 graduate, prominent debater, longtime Morehouse president, pioneer of the civil rights movement, and important mentor to Martin Luther King Jr..

This year鈥檚 topic is 鈥淩esolved: This house believes that social justice movements should practice a politics of anger.鈥� 

Dr. King offered a complicated assessment of anger鈥檚 place in our struggle for social change. Dr. King once cautioned in his speech titled 鈥淭he Other America鈥� that 鈥渁ngered expressions鈥� of despair could produce 鈥渂itterness in the violent rebellions鈥� of civil rights activists. Yet, Dr. King also recognized anger鈥檚 positive potential in his 1968 commemoration of W.E.B. Du Bois, expressing that 鈥渢he supreme task is to organize and unite people so that their anger becomes a transforming force.鈥�

At 乐播传媒鈥� 159th Commencement on Sunday, May 25, Commencement speaker Angela Duckworth began her address with one simple request to members of the audience: to take out their phones and hand them to someone next to them.

The 504 members of the Class of 2025, along with their families, faculty, and staff 鈥� whether strangers or kin to their neighbors 鈥� obliged. 

Onstage, Duckworth traded phones with President Garry W. Jenkins. Free from their digital companions, Commencement attendees turned their attention forward.

With this striking exercise, perhaps unique to the 2025 graduation season, Duckworth began to drive home a compelling, useful, and relevant message: Through 鈥渟ituation modification, we have the power to shape and alter our surroundings in ways that help us thrive.

 鈥淭his is what mindfulness looks like in the digital age,” said Duckwork, who is a psychologist, leading voice in the study of human behavior, and author of the New York Times bestseller Grit. “Not willpower, but the wisdom to shape the situations that shape you.鈥�

View the 159th 乐播传媒 College Commencement. Speaker Angela Duckworth’s address begins at the one-hour mark.

This emphasis on self-determination and its relationship to our surroundings 鈥� whether the latter be the location of a cellular device, the campus that the Class of 2025 has grown to call home, or 乐播传媒鈥� spot in an uncertain world 鈥� echoed throughout the Commencement speeches, including Jenkins鈥� welcoming remarks and the 2025 Senior Address given by Aanika Patel 鈥�25 of Needham, Mass.

On the heels of last week鈥檚 atypical May northeaster that covered campus in rain, the 159th Commencement was one of the chilliest in recent memory, with the temperature at 56 degrees but feeling cooler thanks to clouds overhead and a northwest breeze, which prompted a number of audience members to arrive with fleece throws.

Members of the Class of 2025 are from 38 states, the District of Columbia, and 31 countries. Among those students were 126 with double majors and four with triple majors, including five students who received Fulbright grants for the 2025鈥�26 academic year. Sixty percent of the Class of 2025 studied abroad, and more than 40 percent played on varsity sports teams. 

Duckworth received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree, and three other honorands were also recognized: 

• Mary Bonauto, a lawyer and activist for LGBTQ+ rights who successfully argued Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) before the Supreme Court, received a Doctor of Letters degree;
•  Stanley Nelson, an award-winning documentary filmmaker who tells the dynamic stories of Black Americans, received a Doctor of Fine Arts degree; 
• Deval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts and former U.S. assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, received a Doctor of Laws degree.

In his opening remarks, Jenkins acknowledged the unique and challenging moment that the Class of 2025 faces as they enter the world beyond 乐播传媒.

鈥淵ou have probably heard more than once that these are uncertain times,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淧erhaps so much so that you may be a bit tired of hearing it.鈥�

But, Jenkins said, there is good and bad news on this front. On one hand, 鈥渢here will always be uncertainty,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淟ife is defined by change, by the unexpected, by the yet-unknown and the always-unknowable.鈥�

The Class of 2025 is well-equipped to handle uncertainty, Jenkins said, having ended high school and begun college during a pandemic and gained an education preparing them to handle a changing future.

As they venture onward, the Class of 2025 has much to offer, Jenkins said, and he hopes that they will bring forth the skills they鈥檝e acquired at 乐播传媒 to continue to do good.

鈥淭he world needs 乐播传媒 graduates 鈥� the world needs you 鈥� to bring all the tools and talents you have acquired during your time on this campus to bear for lives of leadership and purpose, ameliorating uncertainty, fueling prosperity and innovation, standing up for what is right, caring for those around you,鈥� Jenkins said.

The Class of 2025 has much to offer, Jenkins said. They embody grit, creativity, and a commitment to seeking justice and asking the hard questions, values instilled by a liberal arts education.

鈥淚t is at places like 乐播传媒 that we prepare students to think critically, to problem solve, to engage across difference, to connect, both the dots and with each other,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淎nd then those students become graduates who contribute to their communities around the world in all their vibrancy, diversity, and complexity.鈥�

Jenkins charged the Class of 2025 and Commencement attendees with carrying forward a message about the importance of higher education in changing our world for the better, and 鈥渢he reason it matters to a healthy democracy.鈥�

鈥淗igher education has long fueled American progress 鈥� driving innovation, preparing leadership, and enhancing civic life. Of all this, I am certain,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淎nd, I can tell you 鈥� our amazing graduates, as well as friends and visitors 鈥� I call on you all to be ambassadors for 乐播传媒 and for higher education.鈥�

Senior Speaker Aanika Patel 鈥�25, an environmental studies major from Needham, Mass., began her speech by recounting a very-乐播传媒 tale. 

Picture this: It was winter in Lewiston, and Patel was preparing for the first outdoor lab in the course 鈥淪cientific Approaches to Environmental Issues.鈥� Ahead of the lab, her professor, Christian A. Johnson Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies Holly Ewing, encouraged her students to dress appropriately for the trek up Mount David in the snow. 

That was really no big deal, thought Patel. She showed up wearing a jacket and Blundstones, not a glove in sight, and declined to sport the college-provided snowshoes, despite a foot and a half of snow on the ground.

鈥淎bout 30 minutes into it, I felt the snow slowly seeping into my socks, and my hands turned a terrible pale shade of white,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淭his class had suddenly become one of those David Attenborough Planet Earth 诲辞肠耻尘别苍迟补谤颈别蝉.鈥�

Patel learned her lesson: proper preparation frees the mind to revel in the surrounding natural wonders. 

鈥淎fter learning to dress properly, I began noticing the Maine beauty around me that I continue to be grateful for,鈥� Patel said. 

On Mount David, Patel saw a maple tree, which, even in its stateliness, grew while leaving room for a nearby birch tree to also extend its roots. Each species, she noticed, played a role in the delicate dance of nature. She imagined the birch tree falling over, and its fellow trees stepping up to take over its ecological responsibilities.

鈥淓ach species finds a new place in space,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淚n this way, communities form, diverse but intertwined and interdependent through relationships forged over many years.鈥�

乐播传媒鈥� community is not indifferent from these intertwining natural relationships, Patel said. Since the first week of freshman year, the Class of 2025 has constructed its own 鈥渆cosystem,鈥� rooted firmly in place and defined by the lessons students have learned from one another and the memories they鈥檝e shared.

鈥淧lace is a network of relationships carrying histories, contexts, stories, and identities,鈥� Patel said. 鈥淚n order for a place to remain, there needs to be this acknowledgement of what has created it and how our identities are framed by it.鈥�

Like Jenkins, Patel acknowledged that the Class of 2025 has dealt with tremendous change, from enrolling in college during a pandemic, to grieving in the aftermath of the October 2023 Lewiston shootings, to processing the 2024 presidential election.

But they didn鈥檛 go it alone. The Class of 2025 persisted and thrived thanks to support from many entities on campus.

鈥淚t is on this campus we found a community to fight against isolation, to mourn loss and find hope in change, and to fight for the things worth fighting for just by being there and adjusting and relying on each other,鈥� Patel said.

Wherever the members of the Class of 2025 end up next, despite the fear and uncertainty of a path untrodden, they will always have 乐播传媒, Patel said.

鈥淟ike the trees standing their ground on Mount David, we will always have these histories we created in our back pockets, and their memory will be a reassurance to stand tall, stay grounded in who you are, and be courageous in this next chapter of our lives.鈥�

In her Commencement address, Angela Duckworth also discussed the importance of staying grounded, specifically by improving our relationship with the devices that now live ubiquitously beside us.

鈥淚f being on your phone were a paid job, we would be getting overtime,鈥� Duckworth said.

Cell phone use and placement have a profound effect on personal performance and well-being, Duckworth explained. Research shows that having one鈥檚 phone within eyesight while taking an IQ test lowers scores, and high school students who study with their phones farther away from them perform better academically.

Additionally, she pointed out, the popularity of social media over the last two decades coincides with decreasing rates of in-person social interaction, and studies show that halting Facebook and Instagram use for just one month corresponds with increased levels of happiness and decreased levels of depression and anxiety.

Often, the choice to pick up our phones is not a conscious act but rather a habit that we turn to when we鈥檙e feeling awkward or anxious; cell phones are 鈥渆ffectively adult pacifiers,鈥� Duckworth said.

The key to dealing with digital distractions, she said, is not about willpower but taking action to remove the distraction.

鈥淪ituation modification means using physical distance to create psychological distance,鈥� Duckworth said.

Successful people change their environment to eliminate temptations or distractions instead of expending energy to resist them.

Due to her phenomenally successful book, Duckworth is famously linked to the concept of grit, which 鈥渕ight make it sound as if world-class performers just force themselves to do things. But that鈥檚 not accurate. They love what they do. And because they love what they do, they create sanctuaries where they cannot be distracted from their craft.鈥�

Where we keep our phones is among the most important choices we make, Duckworth said. Luckily enough, it is not a choice that we make only once, but rather one that we can recommit to 鈥� or change 鈥� over and over again.

鈥淚 urge you to make a humble yet powerful vow: Commit to situation modification,鈥� Duckworth said.

As such, Duckworth offered six suggestions:

• Put your phone in another room when you need to focus deeply.
• Go outside when you feel awkward, anxious, or bored.
• Keep your phones off of the table during group dinners.
• Keep your phone beyond arm鈥檚 reach while driving.
• Don鈥檛 keep your phone in your bedroom.
• When you do want to use your phone, listen to The Ezra Klein Show podcast featuring author Zadie Smith, who discusses why she refuses to buy a smartphone.

鈥淪ituation modification isn’t about abstinence. It’s about intentionality,鈥� Duckworth said. 鈥淚t’s about creating space between stimulus and response, between notification and reaction. And it鈥檚 about reclaiming your attention.鈥�

Malcolm Hill, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, offered the honorary degree citations for Duckworth, Bonauto, Nelson, and Patrick.

Bonauto, a leader in legal efforts to advance marriage equality, has been senior director of civil rights and legal strategies at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD Law) since 1990.

In 2015, she successfully argued in front of the Supreme Court in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, which made same-sex marriage legal throughout the country.

鈥淎s she said at the beginning of this year, accepting the Presidential Citizen Medal from President Biden, 鈥榃e each have a role to play in fulfilling our country鈥檚 promises of equality, dignity, and freedom,鈥欌�� Hill said, quoting Bonauto.

鈥淚n her career, and her contributions to a more equitable society, we see the realization of her own hopes,鈥� Hill said.

Stanley Nelson鈥檚 expansive documentary filmmaking has broached subjects including Harriet Tubman, Emmett Till, and historically Black colleges and universities.

鈥淗e is a prolific 鈥� and prolifically talented, and prolifically honored 鈥� documentary filmmaker, focused on telling the stories of Black Americans 鈥� lifting up those narratives that haven鈥檛 been told, and sharing other narratives, ones that we presume we know, in new and revelatory ways,鈥� Hill said.

Deval Patrick focused on 鈥渟tudent achievement, healthcare coverage, entrepreneurial activity, and veterans services鈥� and defended Massachusetts鈥� law legalizing same-sex marriage, the first of its kind in the country.

鈥溾�楥ommunity鈥� provides not only the through-line of his life and career 鈥� it is a value deeply held, frequently cited, and powerfully enacted,鈥� Hill said.

Hill then read the Class of 2025鈥檚 names during the conferral of the degrees, the students鈥� short steps across the Coram stage marking a leap into the next phase of their lives.

After the conferral, Jenkins paused to recognize Hill for his contribution as dean of the faculty; after a sabbatical; he will returns to the classroom as a professor of biology and earth and climate sciences.

Then, Leah Elsmore 鈥�12, president of the 乐播传媒 Alumni Association, offered parting words about the importance of building connections with fellow alumni and being prepared to support future 乐播传媒ies.

鈥淭hroughout the twists and turns of your professional and personal journey, you can always connect with a Bobcat in the wild,鈥� Elsmore said. 鈥淎nd I urge you to pay it forward. Someday when you鈥檝e established yourselves in your chosen fields, be ready to be there for the next generation of 乐播传媒 graduates.鈥�

In a benediction coinciding nicely with the images of nature twisting through Patel鈥檚 address, and after Jenkins鈥� charge to go out and do good, the words of the Rev. Raymond Clothier, interim multifaith chaplain, closed the Commencement ceremony:

鈥淢ay what you have learned at 乐播传媒 take root and flower in minute and majestic ways to nourish others, nurse the wounded earth and nurture human community.

鈥淢ay it be so.鈥�

During our annual stint on the Great Day to Be a Bobcat livestream yesterday, we shared a few CatFacts 鈥� fun morsels of information 鈥� with viewers, which we now share with you.

Great Day 2025 was another great success for 乐播传媒 and the 乐播传媒 Fund: 2,499 donors made gifts totaling $1,247,332 鈥� both representing increases over 2024, with a few more mailed gifts still to arrive.

The annual 乐播传媒 giving day is named after the famous 乐播传媒 cheer, “It’s a great day to be a Bobcat,” .

On with the CatFacts!

100 years ago: The beginning of chemistry research

Under the legendary Walter Lawrance, 乐播传媒 chemistry students engaged in research projects for the first time. 

The new opportunity was offered to second-semester seniors, reported the Daily Kennebec Journal in March 1925.

鈥淭he fundamental idea underlying this policy is to enable the students to think for themselves, to develop resource and initiative, and give them confidence in their ability to handle problems in chemistry.鈥�

A 2025 philosophy thesis gets lucky

A senior is now working toward completion of an honors thesis that suggests that 鈥渁uthentic self-respect must acknowledge the role of luck in our lives.”

True self-respect, including a complete understanding of the self, can鈥檛 be created without acknowledging the impact of our environment, including luck. 

100 years ago: An immigrant nicknamed Zippy

Euterpe Boukis Dukakis, Class of 1925, was the first Greek-American woman in the U.S. to go away to college. In March 1925, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Born in Larissa, Greece, and coming to 乐播传媒 from the Greek immigrant community in Haverhill, Mass., she earned the nickname 鈥淶ippy鈥� at 乐播传媒.

Besides academic prowess, she was also a cheerleader, 鈥渁 leader of songs and cheers, marshaling us into Hathorn and the rallies,” said the Mirror yearbook.

Her immigrant story was referenced in a of her son, Michael, a former Massachusetts governor and Democratic candidate for president in 1988.

50 years ago: 乐播传媒’ first NCAA hosting gig

In March 1975, 乐播传媒 announced that the college would host the following year鈥檚 NCAA Skiing Championships, with Alpine events at Sunday River in Newry and Nordic events at Black Mountain in Rumford, home of the venerable Chisholm Ski Club.

It was a triumph for head coach Bob Flynn, who had resurrected the dormant program.

60 years ago: Notes to the actors

In Feburary 1965, the Robinson Players put on a production of Antigone, directed by the legendary 乐播传媒 theater professor, Lavinia Schaeffer.

“The entire presentation was carried on in the Greek tradition, and patrons were asked to refrain from applauding, but a few did at the end of the play,鈥� reported The Lewiston Daily Sun.

Staged several years before the construction of Schaeffer Theatre, the play was presented in the 鈥淟ittle Theater鈥� located in Hathorn Hall. 

75 years ago: Tips for the boys, like don’t mansplain

In 1950, newspapers around the country ran a column by a nationally syndicated columnist, Dr. Ralph Habas, reporting on the results of a survey conducted by a 乐播传媒 psychology class.

According to Habas, the survey sought to 鈥渇ind out what suggestions might be most helpful to young males who hadn鈥檛 had too much experience with the fair sex.鈥�

Habas organized the findings as a series of “don’t do this” tips, including:

• 鈥淔lirt or kid with the waitress when you have a girl with you鈥� 
• 鈥淏low your automobile horn instead of coming to the door when calling for a girl鈥� 
• 鈥淐lean your fingernails or use toothpicks in public鈥�
• 鈥淧ut sticky hands on the back of a girl鈥檚 dress when dancing鈥� 
• 鈥淎ttribute all bad driving to women鈥� 
• 鈥淚ndulge in fast or spectacular dancing without asking if your partner enjoys it鈥�
• 鈥淐onsider the opinions of your sex vastly superior to those of the fair sex.鈥�

60 years ago: Ali’s knockout remembered in a big way

A 10-foot bronze statue of boxer Muhammad Ali, honoring his victory in Lewiston 60 years ago, will be dedicated in Lewiston in May.

On May 25, 1965, Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight boxing title. The unlikely location of the fight was The Colis茅e, then named the Central Maine Youth Center.

The Lewiston Evening Journal sports editor, Norman Thomas, was spot-on when he reported the next day that the fight, though only 1 minute long, would be remembered as great because it would give “food for argument for years to come.”

Ali’s knockout punch is famously known as the “phantom punch” 鈥� neither Liston or his fans saw it, said the Evening Journal.

Lake Andrews and its denizens

Muskrats, Ondatra zibethicus, are among the many animals that call Lake Andrews their home.

A semi-aquatic rodent, muskrats are good for the Puddle because their feeding habits prevent shoreline overgrowth. This guy was seen swimming (and ultimately diving) on April 11, 2024.

A 2025 economics thesis gets in-personal

A 乐播传媒 economics major is now completing an honors thesis that looks at whether employers are biased when it comes to evaluating in-person work and remote work.

That is, might employers view in-person work as better than remote work, even when the actual work quality is exactly the same? Stay tuned.

100 years ago: Digging it

On June 21, 1925, 乐播传媒 broke ground for the Gray Athletic Building.

Here, 乐播传媒 Trustee Hervey Cowell, Class of 1875, joins the ceremony. He was principal of Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., at the time. The first spadeful of dirt was turned over by President Clifton Daggett Gray.

Looking out at the audience gathered in Gomes Chapel on Monday morning, Erica Chenoweth, an expert on nonviolent protest and this year鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. keynote speaker, piqued the audience鈥檚 interest by saying they could easily mount a big, DIY nonviolent protest that very evening. 

鈥淟et鈥檚 say we all got on social media and said we are organizing a mass demonstration tonight in, say, Portland, and we said, 鈥楤e there or be square,鈥� and we had a couple of fun little slogans. I kid you not: We could get 10,000 people to do it, just like that.鈥�

Yet the ease of creating such a protest, said Chenoweth, is partly why nonviolent movements around the world are achieving less success than ever: Organizers are embracing easy tactics instead of doing the hard work that marked the successes championed by King and his mentor, the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mays, 乐播传媒 Class of 1920.

At 乐播传媒, MLK Day can be retrospective, as in 1999, when the writer John Edgar Wideman gave a heartbreaking address, 鈥淟ooking for Emmett Till,鈥� about the infamous and haunting black-and-white photograph of Till, a boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, lying in his casket. 

Other times, MLK Day at 乐播传媒 responds to the 鈥渇ierce urgency of now,鈥� as King said, such as in 1991, when the 乐播传媒 faculty voted to cancel classes and hold a day of discussion about the war in Iraq, which had broken out five days earlier. 

That pivotal moment in 乐播传媒鈥� MLK Day history was highlighted by 乐播传媒 Student Government co-president Dhruv Chandra ’25 of Kolkata, India, who, with co-president Ethan Chan 鈥�25 of Westborough, Mass., offered a welcome that framed this year鈥檚 keynote as a 鈥渘ow鈥� moment.

“Today we find ourselves navigating similar complexities in a world still fraught with conflict, war, and social injustice,鈥� Chandra said. 鈥淭he values Dr. King championed 鈥� peace, nonviolence, and justice 鈥� are more relevant than ever.”

With a presidential inauguration occurring nearly simultaneously in Washington, D.C., the 2025 MLK Day keynote was here and now. Speaking from the Gomes pulpit, President Garry W. Jenkins addressed the elephant in the room in his opening remarks.

鈥淲e all know how contentious the recent presidential election cycle was. We all remember Jan. 6, 2021. We know that such transitions can be disorderly and even violent. We all, whatever our leanings, understand that these are uncertain times, to be sure. There’s ample anxiety about what’s to come [and] potential changes that may be faced in this context.鈥�

Jenkins invoked the words of Benjamin Mays, Class of 1920, who delivered the final eulogy for Martin Luther King Jr. at Morehouse College on April 9, 1968. Mays said that King 鈥済ave people an ethical and moral way to engage in activities designed to perfect social change without bloodshed and violence.鈥�

And as the U.S. confronts potentially divisive new policies under a new administration, Jenkins encouraged 乐播传媒 to embrace Mays’ and King’s ideas, modeling civil discourse while honoring diverse perspectives.

In light of potential policy shifts that could challenge higher education, Jenkins reaffirmed 乐播传媒鈥� responsibility to learning and civic responsibility. “We will defend to the fullest of our abilities the importance and power of higher education. This may not always be easy work, but it is essential work. It is what Dr. King and Dr. Mays call upon us to do.”

Chenoweth was introduced by Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Tyler Harper, who chairs the college鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Planning Committee. 

Harper linked Chenoweth鈥檚 work on the promise of nonviolent action to H.G. Wells, who, shortly before his death in 1946, predicted 鈥渢hat humanity could not be trusted with nuclear power, that were the atom bomb ever invented, full-scale nuclear war would be inevitable in the near term.”

Yet, 鈥渘early eight decades have passed since nuclear weapons were invented, and they have never again been used in combat,鈥� said Harper. 鈥淭he worst did not come to pass. Humanity proved more capable of restraint than imagined.”

That restrain, that possibility, of “peace and specifically peace through justice and nonviolence, our keynote speaker Erica Chenoweth has devoted their life to studying.”

In their keynote, Chenoweth, who is a professor at Harvard University, shared findings from their book project, The End of People Power. Chenoweth鈥檚 other books include 2011鈥檚 Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict, with Maria Stephan.

Beginning with Mahatma Gandhi and his followers, who successfully kicked the British out of India, and on to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, nonviolent protest has had a good run by relying on training, strategy, discipline, and organization. 

鈥淏asically, we’ve lived through what you might call 鈥楪andhi’s century,鈥欌�� said Chenoweth, noting that Gandhi began articulating and experimenting with methods of organized, collective, nonviolent action in the 1920s, which would spread around the world, including to the U.S., thanks to Martin Luther King, in service of desegregation and dismantling Jim Crow.

Since the early 1900s, nonviolent movements have succeeded more than twice as often as the violent ones, Chenoweth said. 鈥淥n the face of it, [that] gives a lot of credit to King’s argument that there is a realistic alternative to violence, even for revolutionary goals.鈥�

They succeeded through large, inclusive participation, strategic planning, and disciplined resistance. And they use diverse tactics. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 just stick to a single technique like protest or marches.鈥� 

But in the last decade, even as the tactics of nonviolent protest have been embraced in historically large numbers (think of those images of mass protests in Myanmar or Belarus), 鈥渨e have seen a historic decline in their effectiveness,鈥� said Chenoweth. 鈥淲e are now basically to pre-Gandhi levels of the success of unarmed collective action.鈥�

(Chenoweth defines success of a 鈥渕aximalist鈥� campaign as ousting an authoritarian leader or achieving a revolutionary goal within a year, and recent research indicates that the findings are likely also to apply more narrowly, to protests over policy issues.) 

So, organizers, listen up about why protest success is slumping:

Authoritarian regimes are learning and adapting

Autocrats have learned from the successes of past nonviolent movements and developed strategies to counter them. “Many different dictators no longer take for granted that they can just ignore these movements or expect to politically survive in the face of them,鈥� Chenoweth said. 

Autocrats use tactics like narrative control, delegating violence to unidentifiable actors, selective repression, and counter-mobilization. And they share the playbook with other autocratic regimes.

“It’s a very well-worn toolkit,” said Chenoweth, that “blames a movement on outsiders or foreigners, mischaracterizing people who engage in nonviolent resistance as terrorists or coup plotters or traitors.”

Decline in 鈥渄efections鈥�

To succeed, a movement needs defections from key pillars of society, like security forces, which are crucial for the success of movements. 

For example, mass protests led to the toppling of Slobodan Milo拧evi膰 in October 2000. Importantly, those large protests undermined the loyalty of Milo拧evi膰鈥檚 police force. Interviewed afterward about why they didn鈥檛 follow one order to shoot live fire on the demonstrators to disperse them, the police said things like, 鈥淚 thought I saw my kid in the crowd,鈥� or 鈥淚 thought I saw wife’s brother,鈥� or 鈥淚 thought I saw the guy who sells me liquor on Saturdays.鈥�

In other words, Chenoweth said, 鈥渁 very large and diverse participation [in protests] activates all kinds of loyalty questions that can prove politically very powerful.鈥�

But today鈥檚 regimes 鈥渉ave figured out how to proof themselves against consequential defections in ways that movements haven’t fully grappled with.鈥� What movements might do, said Chenoweth, is be more strategic. Do homework. Get some intel. Find out which of the pillars, 鈥渨hether they’re business elites or state media or security forces, are already a little shaky in their loyalty, and go for them first, and that activates the cascade of defections.鈥�

Over-reliance on mass demonstrations

As noted earlier, movements today are choosing to pick the 鈥渓ow-hanging fruit鈥� of the nonviolence orchard, neglecting deeper preparation or strategy, or another tactic altogether that might not be photo-friendly.

鈥淚f we are in an Instagram world, what could be cooler than 鈥� Yet tactics like a stay-at-home action might be just as effective, 鈥渂ut people don’t know what they’re looking at when they look at a photo of an empty marketplace in Kashmir. I’m sure that it took them longer to prepare for and to execute the stay-at-home demonstration and a general strike than it does for us to whip up a mass demonstration.鈥� 

Today鈥檚 movements 鈥渕ight be missing out on some of the real political power that can be built and developed by basically training, preparing, thinking about a strategy of impacting those pillars and then organizing tactics to match the strategy.鈥�

Lack of training and preparation

Movements today often lack the organizational foundations and training in nonviolent resistance seen in past successful movements. 

“Maybe movements today haven’t had the deep civil society organizational basis and the preparation that movements like the civil rights movement and the noncooperation movement in India spent years developing before they ever mobilized.”

Smaller average participation

Movements today tend to mobilize smaller proportions of the population compared to earlier successful movements.

鈥淢ovements in the 1990s and the 1980s [had] some of the biggest movements…. 3 to 5 percent of the population participated in these mass movements. Now we’re more down to the average campaign getting about 1 percent.鈥�

During the audience Q&A, a student said that he was struck by a scene in Fantastic Mr. Fox, when the minor character Petey adopts a revolutionary tone yet remains loyal to the farmers, helping them dig out the foxes. 鈥淭hat’s a little bit what I feel like sometimes when I’m rallying against the machine [yet] do all these things that support all the institutions in power.鈥�

When you feel complicit in something or otherwise struggling to go along, you have three choices, Chenoweth said, referencing Albert Hirschman鈥檚 book Exit, Voice, and Loyalty.  鈥淥ne is exit, which is just get out of there and go do what you want to do. The second is voice, which is protest, and the third is loyalty, which is basically just acquiescing and going along.鈥�

Each person must make their own choice, each person must 鈥渆xamine your values, where your heart is, and your future aspirations. Be real with yourself. Write down what you鈥檙e trying to achieve in the world and how you are going to behave and not behave in order to live your values.鈥�

With the help of friends, advisers, and mentors, Chenoweth wrote their own personal ethical code, as a way to live their values.

While Chenoweth wasn鈥檛 trying to be directive, 鈥渢here are reference points for the values that we might align to. And those are things like or the and the incredible aspirations defined in it, which inspired even the civil rights movement in making the claim that all people are equal in the eyes of God.鈥�

Ultimately, Chenoweth noted, 鈥淚 spent a lot of time working with and for people who are involved in the very movements that I study. They inspire me and give me a lot of hope.鈥�

This year鈥檚 MLK Day celebration, themed 鈥淏ending Toward Justice: Peace and Nonviolence,鈥� brought together students, faculty, staff, and community members for art and action, discussion and debate. 

Here鈥檚 an in-depth, hour-by-hour look at MLK Day 2025 through photographs and words.

8:34 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 19: Speaking (and Dancing) Their Truth

The night before the full day of programming on MLK Day, the 乐播传媒 community gathered in Gomes Chapel for the MLK Spoken Word Festival, where students and community guests shared themes of peace and nonviolence. 

Misaki Fukushima, a Hirasawa Scholar from Tokyo, evoked the horrors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki through her performance, in which she danced to Beethoven鈥檚 sonata 笔补迟丑茅迟颈辩耻别 and read a poem by a Japanese physician and survivor of the Nagasaki attack, Takashi Nagai.  

鈥淎lthough I am not from Nagasaki or Hiroshima, I grew up hearing stories of the devastation caused by atomic bombs,鈥� says Fukashima, who hand-wrote the poem on Japanese paper and carried it in the form of an origami crane throughout her dance to symbolize peace. 

鈥淎s an artist, I often feel powerless to directly impact immense issues like war and peace. However, through dance, I can empathize with the suffering of others and convey those emotions.”

The college’s historic Hirasawa Scholar program, named after Kazushige Hirasawa 鈥�36, brings Japanese university students to campus for one year.

Seen here is Joseph Jackson, a formerly incarcerated person, reading his poetry. 鈥淚f our words were songs, we鈥檝e sung we鈥檙e hurt. We sung it in the church. We sung it to the judges, jurors, lawyers and the clerk.鈥� 

Jackson, a founder of the Maine State Prison chapter of the NAACP, now serves as co-executive director of community programs at Maine Inside Out, a Lewiston-based nonprofit that creates theater for social change in schools, prisons, and in the community.

Musician Kenya Hall鈥檚 music and words were clear and on point: 鈥淚 need you to wake up! Wake up! Wake up!鈥� 鈥� a fitting way to end Sunday evening鈥檚 MLK Spoken Word festival and propel the campus community toward Monday鈥檚 full day of programming.

9:54 a.m., Monday, Jan. 20: Media on MLK Day

After the keynote ended, President Garry W. Jenkins took a few minutes to talk to a NewsCenter Maine reporter, Alex Haskell, about the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day programming at 乐播传媒, which dates back to the 1980s.

Haskell was particularly interested in the relationship between two giants of the Civil Rights Movement, Class of 1920 graduate Benjamin E. Mays and King himself, Mays having served as King鈥檚 early mentor, friend, and finally eulogizer.

NewsCenter鈥檚 coverage centered that relationship in both and stories about the day. “Today’s message is about how we can all think about our role in social change,” Jenkins told Haskell.

The Sun Journal鈥�s Joe Charpentier , sharing highlights of Chenoweth鈥檚 research on nonviolent protest with readers.

10:45 a.m. Snowy Strolling

Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Tyler Harper, who chairs the college’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Planning Committee, walks past the Mouthpiece featuring this year’s poster for the MLK Day theme, “Bending Toward Justice: Peace and Nonviolence.”

10:48 a.m. Fashion as Subversion

Janie Phillips ’27, an English major from Portland, Ore., shared her presentation on the Black Dandy, a figure who pushes back the norms of white supremacy by 鈥渄ressing to live, and living to dress.鈥�

She walked the audience through the history of the Black Dandy, tracing its origins to the 18th century,  when enslaved and freed Black individuals used fashion as a form of resistance and self-expression.

Phillips asked the workshop participants to discuss their ideas of what it means to be a gentleman, highlighting the standards of white supremacy which the Black Dandy operated within and subverted.

Drawing information primarily from the book Slaves to Fashion by Monica L. Miller, Phillips brought the audience to the present day, showing photos of modern day dandyism at the Met Gala and giving the audience a deeper appreciation for how clothing can be a form of both personal and political resistance.

11:07 a.m. Wealth as Resistance

鈥淚 just love talking about rich Black folks,鈥� quipped Andrew Goddard 鈥�27 as he presented the history of the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Okla., a Black neighborhood famously known for its economic prosperity in the early 1900s 鈥� and infamously known for being destroyed by a white mob over just two days of murder and mayhem in 1921.

Goddard鈥檚 presentation grew out of a project he completed last fall for the course “Black Resistance from the Civil War to Civil Rights,鈥� taught by Frances Bell, a visiting assistant professor of history. 鈥淚 thought about the concept of Black wealth,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 concluded that garnering capital in a nation where our ancestors were once viewed as capital may be the greatest form of Black resistance possible under capitalism.鈥�

His MLK Day presentation featured YouTube video clips, archival photographs, and his own strong narrative command. For the audience, the net effect was to grasp the incredible economic and social prestige of a district that was dubbed the 鈥淏lack Wall Street.鈥� 

鈥淭hey had up to 600 businesses in the district. I know that number is huge 鈥� just absurd 鈥� in a 35-block radius. Unreal,鈥� he said. 鈥淔orty grocery stores, 30 restaurants, at least 15 physicians, some of which were regarded as some of the most talented in the country. And six private airplanes, which at the time was kind of just a weird flex!鈥�

A mob destroyed the district and killed upward of 300 people from May 31 to June 1, 1921. There are two known survivors of the massacre, Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, both over 100 years old, but legal efforts to seek justice for them and descendants of those killed have not been successful.

As Goddard said in his talk, his focus was not on the massacre, but on what existed and what it meant: 鈥減ossibility, advancement, but even fear that arises as a result of widespread Black wealth, social capital, and unity.鈥�

Reflecting on what he learned from the project, Goddard said that he 鈥渞eally wanted to figure out what this place looked like, how it came to be, and the reasons behind why things are the way they are.

鈥淚 guess it just told me that I like finding the truth.鈥�

11:09 a.m. Biopic Depictions

Simply being oneself can be a powerful action, explained Charles Nero, Benjamin E. Mays ’20 Distinguished Prof of Rhetoric, Film, and Screen Studies, in his presentation 鈥淪exy Peace.鈥�

The talk centered around Bayard Rustin, an anti-violence pioneer and one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest but oft-overlooked mentors. As a Black, gay man in the 1960s, Rustin was often an outsider among his fellow activists and in greater American society. 

Nero used the 2023 biopic Rustin, based on Rustin鈥檚 life and starring Colman Domingo, to exhibit how Rustin鈥檚 sexuality and his fight for civil liberties were inextricably linked. 

鈥淭here’s a tremendous amount of resistance to Bayard Rustin as a Black, gay man who is not private about his sexuality, who does not conform to respectability politics,鈥� Nero said. 鈥淗e’s making the activists very nervous.鈥�

As the film鈥檚 characters prepare for the historic 1963 March on Washington, Rustin鈥檚 fellow civil rights leaders worry about how the public will respond to him being openly gay. Rustin asserts that he cannot and will not change how he presents his sexual orientation to the world.

鈥淲hat you see, I cannot conceal,鈥� Rustin says.

11:21 a.m. Community on Track

乐播传媒 students and local children came together for a morning of games, crafts, and mentoring, embodying the spirit of service and inspiration central to MLK Day.

11:56 a.m. Community from the Ground Up

Minquansis Sapiel, Passamaquoddy Tribe member from Sipayik, led a morning workshop, 鈥淗onoring Water and Land,鈥� which centered the wisdom and resilience of the Passamaquoddy Indigenous people in Maine.

Sapiel spoke about her experiences of isolation and frustration growing up Native in Maine and then opened up discussion groups on taking actions to support and grow community.

鈥淟et鈥檚 decolonize our minds a little bit,鈥� Sapiel told the packed house in one of the conference rooms in Commons. 鈥淭hat means assess our values from the heart.鈥�

But first, something had to be done about the furniture. 鈥� I feel like institutions like this…,鈥� she said, gesturing to the lines of chairs set up, audience style, and shaking her head. 鈥淭his whole setup, I would not have it this way. I would not have us lined up and just me out there alone. I would have us in circles engaging, because like I said in the beginning, it takes all of us and all of our minds.

鈥淓ach and every one of us have something to bring to the table. When we learn that and know that, we can create the most powerful, wonderful things. So I would love that for us.鈥�

Once students, faculty, and staff had settled into groups, Sapiel gave them a single, action-oriented question to consider: 鈥淗ow are you going to show up for your community?鈥�

Kyle Woodworth 鈥�25, of Berwick, Nova Scotia, got right to business as facilitator for his group. 鈥淚 think talking about what we can actively do for our communities is a good question,鈥� Woodworth said. 鈥淚 think before we begin we probably want to think about what community means to each of us. That’s a very different thing.鈥� And the group was off and running.

1:59 p.m. Grief and Poetry, Personal and Universal

Cal Dagner ’27 of Crozet, Va., read her poetry aloud during the workshop “Where Does Your Grief Sit?” by Portland鈥檚 poet laureate Maya Williams.

Williams asked the workshop participants to describe physical aspects of grief prompted by the poems, societal expectations about grief they鈥檇 witnessed, and the power of art in the face of loss. Attendees offered poems from different areas of history and parts of the world, all united by the theme of grief.

From rhyming poems by the ancient Greek Simonides to meditations on suicide by Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar, Williams guided participants through a journey of understanding grief as both a deeply personal and universally human experience.

3:03 p.m. Malleable Memory

Jenna Dela Cruz Vendil 鈥�06, associate director of democratic engagement and student activism at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, welcomed attendees to the workshop “Reclaiming Public Memory.”

The session addressed grassroots work in Maine from scholars, artists, and culture keepers that are shaping public conversations. These efforts offer new possibilities for changing relationships that have political impacts on Wabanaki and African American communities.

3:32 p.m. Different Kind of Justice

乐播传媒 Restorative Practices student advisors Risa Horiuchi 鈥�25, John Campana 鈥�26 (center), and Julia Parham 鈥�25 led “Building Bridges for Healing” workshop participants in restorative justice exercises.

An alternative to retributive justice, restorative justice aims to mediate conflict, remedy harm to victims, and discourage future harmful behaviors through community-building practices.

Facilitators began with an introductory activity intended to make the room into a 鈥渟anctuary,鈥� where participants felt comfortable sharing and exploring new ways of communication. In the next activity, attendees paired up to have conversations about conflict focused on active listening and responding.

鈥淚t’s sometimes hard to do active listening because often we are trying to think of what we want to say,鈥� Parham said. 鈥淚 invite you to challenge that.鈥� 

Student advisor Nice Matrakul 鈥�26, Assistant Dean of Community Standards and Deputy Title IX Coordinator Andee Bucciarelli, and Andrew Forsthoefel, the restorative practice systems specialist with the Cumberland County Public Health Department, also facilitated the workshop.

Forsthoefel first learned about restorative justice while completing a year-long walk across the North American continent with a sign reading 鈥淲alking to listen鈥� taped to his back.

In the Western U.S., members of the Navajo nation introduced Forsthoefel to restorative justice, which has roots in indigenous culture. He went on to complete an eight-year apprenticeship with a Navajo restorative justice master practitioner.

鈥淲e have to remember that this isn’t something new we’re making up,鈥� Forsthoefel said. 鈥淲e’re inheriting an ancient wisdom that is finding its way into modern society.鈥�

4:23 p.m. Spreading the MLK Love

Emmy Comrack ’25 of Washington, D.C., prints a 乐播传媒 MLK Day ’25 design on a tote bag during a screen printing workshop in Olin Arts Center. At right is Michel Droge, a visiting lecturer in art and visual culture.

Several student-created designs were available for printing, including one displayed by Sarah Van Lonkhuyzen 鈥�27 of Rockport, Maine, who was one of the first students to ink up a themed screen print.

4:49 p.m. Debating Justice

The annual debate in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall honoring the Rev. Benjamin E. Mays, welcomed students from Morehouse and 乐播传媒 colleges.

Mays, a 1920 乐播传媒 graduate, was a longtime Morehouse College president known as the “Schoolmaster of the Movement” for mentoring Martin Luther King Jr. and other future civil rights leaders.

This year鈥檚 topic was 鈥淩esolved: Law and order exists for the purpose of establishing justice.鈥� It drew from Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 鈥淟etter from Birmingham Jail,鈥� in which King decried the inaction of the country鈥檚 faint-hearted 鈥渨hite moderates鈥� who professed allegiance to the civil rights movement yet seemed to prefer inaction to action.

King wrote, 鈥淚 had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose, they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.鈥�

7:56 p.m. Ending Together

In the evening, the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall was the setting for the final event of the college’s MLK Day observance, a montage of student presentations addressing the day’s theme as well as the legacy and aims of social justice. Here, Sebenele Lukhele 鈥�26, a biological chemistry major from Manzini, Eswatini, speaks to the gathering.

Reporting by Jay Burns, Alexandra DeMarco, Mary Pols, Hannah Kothari ’26, and Ramona McNish ’28 of 乐播传媒 Communications and Marketing.

At noon today, one year after the mass shootings in Lewiston, the 乐播传媒 community gathered in Gomes Chapel for a Remembrance Service to pause, grieve, and reflect on the tragedy, while also acknowledging the acts of compassion, courage, and resilience.

“We meet in shared grief, and care, and in love, and also in shared reflection and hope for our neighbors, our city, our community,” said 乐播传媒 President Garry W. Jenkins in his welcome remarks.

Jenkins spoke about 乐播传媒’ role as a caring neighbor. “Above all else, we are citizens of Lewiston, affected by the tragedy and also showing up wherever and however.”

Led by the Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, the college鈥檚 multifaith chaplain, the Remembrance Service created a shared space for the campus community to feel the emotion of grief through silence, poetry, musical offerings, student reflections, and interfaith poems and prayers.

“It is not always the easiest thing to pause during one of the busiest moments of the semester and remember and hold space for our grief, and I am grateful you are taking the time to slow down and share in this meaningful moment together,” she said.

“I invite you to simmer in this beautiful chapel, allow yourself some spaciousness and authenticity and let whatever feelings rise up 鈥� joy and sorrow, gratitude and anger, hope and grief 鈥� and have their moment, each in turn, as you move through this time.”

In her remarks, Longsdorf shared how grief is “simply another form of love,” and reflected on how 乐播传媒 and Lewiston have grown stronger together. “Our grief-love has bound us to each other in profound and new ways.”

In his remarks, Lewiston mayor Carl Sheline offered appreciation to 乐播传媒 for supporting the city and citizens of Lewiston in the aftermath of the shootings, including the many students who created a welcoming community Halloween trick or treat event six days after the tragedy.

鈥淚 love Lewiston and I love you all,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y wish for Lewiston is simple, that we embrace community and each other.鈥�

Jillian Scott-Lewis ’27 of Portland, Ore., was one of three students who offered reflections. In October 2023, she had been a 乐播传媒 student for barely two months, she said.

“I was starting to love Maine, but I didn’t feel at home yet. At the vigils and remembrance events that I attended, I remember hearing everyone say that the Lewiston community was so strong. I can now say that Lewiston is my home, my second home, and that in the past year, it has been proven to me over and over again how strong the Lewiston community is.”

Anzal Isaak ’26 of Lewiston said that “on the hardest days, hope doesn’t always look like happiness or excitement. Sometimes hope is just a quiet resilience 鈥� the ability to keep going, to find something to hold on to, even in our saddest moments.

“Today, we honor the memories of those we’ve lost and we allow ourselves to grieve. We also acknowledge our own strength, our own ability to cope, to keep going, and to spread hope in the world. Because in the end, that’s how we honor life. By continuing to live and find peace within ourselves.”

The Remembrance Service included the reading of the names of the 18 people killed in the shootings, and the communal singing of “Dona Nobis Pacem” (鈥淕rant Us Peace鈥�) led by the College Choir, directed by Assistant Professor of Music Zen Kuriyama.

Samantha McCune, a Multifaith Chaplaincy program coordinator, delivered the closing blessing.

The 乐播传媒 Class of 2024, whose college experience reflected great tests and greater perseverance, heard three pieces of life advice from one of the nation鈥檚 foremost journalists at Commencement this morning: Be wary of when success becomes a non-stop treadmill, remember much of life depends on what we choose to see, and hold tight to those lifelong friendships forged at 乐播传媒.

鈥淭he friendships you have made at 乐播传媒 鈥� the real ones 鈥� will matter to you,” said Mary Louise Kelly, host of NPR鈥檚 evening news program All Things Considered, in her Commencement address. “They will enrich your life for all the years ahead. Cherish them. Fight for them.鈥�

Complete 2024 乐播传媒 Commencement Video

• Welcome by President Garry W. Jenkins: 52:30
• Senior Address by Yun Zhang: 1:09
• Presentation of Honorands: 1:19
• Commencement Address by Mary Louise Kelly: 1:31
• Conferral of Baccalaureate Degrees: 1:48:30

At today鈥檚 158th 乐播传媒 Commencement on the Historic Quad, 437 members of the Class of 2024 took the iconic walk across the Coram Library stage to accept congratulations and diplomas from President Garry W. Jenkins in his first Commencement since taking the helm on July 1, 2023. 

Kelly received an honorary degree along with two other honorands. Poet Richard Blanco, who served as the presidential poet at President Barack Obama鈥檚 second inauguration, received a Doctor of Letters degree along with Kelly, and President Emerita Clayton Spencer received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

The Class of 2024 represented 36 states and the District of Columbia and 19 countries, including 51 students who were the first in their family to graduate from college. As many as 48 percent of the graduating class studied abroad and 43 percent participated in varsity sports 鈥� big numbers that were proudly shared by Jenkins as he welcomed the class.

鈥淭he 乐播传媒 Class of 2024 has been tested, and they have persevered. And in so doing, they have found joy and strength in one another, in connections, in relationships.鈥�

President Garry W. Jenkins

鈥淎ll of this you have achieved while giving back, especially here in Lewiston, giving thousands of hours to community-engaged learning and research, volunteering, community work-study, and other forms of informed civic action,鈥� Jenkins said.

The newly inaugurated president greeted the graduating class by noting how their time at 乐播传媒 was bookended by the COVID-19 pandemic during their first year and the horrific Oct. 25 mass shooting in Lewiston 鈥� yet the challenges in these unsettling events made them stronger. 

鈥淭he 乐播传媒 Class of 2024 has been tested, and they have persevered,鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淭hey have taken on everything that has come their way and they also have thought deeply about their personal relationships to local, national, and global events. And in so doing, they have found joy and strength in one another, in connections, in relationships.鈥�

Jenkins praised the seniors in how they 鈥渢urned outward, not inward,鈥� and demonstrated grit. And Jenkins added: 鈥淚 love grit.鈥� 

He called it a 鈥渟ecret, powerful weapon,鈥� and, in fact, a critical piece to success.

鈥淭o discover the undiscovered or produce something of beauty, you have to have grit. It takes grit to remove stubborn institutional and structural barriers that undermine equality and belonging,鈥� Jenkins said.

鈥淚 want professionals with a relentless push for improvement and excellence and the ability to find the means to transcend the inevitable roadblocks that one encounters in life and inside organizations. All of that takes grit.鈥�

鈥淪tay committed to a lifetime of learning, stay healthy, and tend to your well-being. Stay engaged in the issues that matter to you most.鈥�

President Garry W. Jenkins

Jenkins suggested the Class of 2024 lean into their steely grit and think of it as a muscle, something that can be strengthened. Use it, he advised, to get back up after getting knocked down, to make the best of a less-than-ideal situation 鈥� to persevere.

Then he reminded them: 鈥淵ou are forever a part of the 乐播传媒 community, and 乐播传媒 is forever a part of you.鈥�

鈥淓ach of you has the capacity to contribute to organizations, communities, disciplines, and industries. And to do that, stay on your path 鈥� the one that鈥檚 right for you, not someone else,鈥� Jenkins advised. 鈥淪tay committed to a lifetime of learning, stay healthy, and tend to your well-being. Stay engaged in the issues that matter to you most.鈥�

Kelly was described in her Doctor of Letters degree citation as having “provided the highest degree of service as an award-winning journalist: seeking authenticity over artifice, sharing well-researched facts, and informing the public about the forces at work in our society and their impact on our lives.”

As she took the lectern for her address, Kelly enthusiastically said she now considers herself 鈥渁 乐播传媒 alum from here on out.鈥� She also spoke about responsibility, how in a democracy that protects free speech and a free press and offers rights and freedoms, citizens are obligated to educate themselves on history, geography, literature, and art, and to stay informed about world and national events. 

Only from shared facts can productive discussion flow, she said. “I believe we are capable of celebrating strong and honest differences of opinion even as we respect a common set of facts.  And I congratulate you here at 乐播传媒 for finding ways to do that.”

In doing so, she said, that knowledge equips us with the ability to celebrate 鈥渟trong and honest differences of opinion even as we respect a common set of facts.鈥� With that, Kelly pivoted to the advice she brought Sunday for the graduates, and shared it through three personal stories.

The first was about the college-visit trip she took with her oldest son, James, to the University of Chicago, where her son noted how the acceptance rate of the students applying to the nation鈥檚 top 15 law schools is a whopping 83 to 93 percent.

Kelly said that made her think about the rat wheel of success her son already saw himself on: good college, then good grad school, and so on. She said that she wanted to whisper to her son: 鈥淛ust enjoy this moment. This one. Stop thinking about the next step and the one after that.鈥欌�� 

Kelly advised the graduates to consider, instead, the perspective offered by author George Saunders, who wrote: 鈥淪uccess is like a mountain that keeps growing ahead of you as you hike it. There is the very real danger that succeeding will take up your whole life while the big questions go untended.鈥�

鈥淪uccess can be like a treadmill,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淚t can obscure the actual living of life. Try not to let it.鈥�

Her second piece of advice also came from her experience as a parent, from the time she took an extended leave from NPR to help her other son, Alexander, when he had speech delay in early childhood. But when Kelly ran into a fellow journalist one day on the way to the park, the encounter made her question her choice. The successful colleague also had just had a child, but chose, instead, to return to work. 

However, years later, the woman told Kelly that on that day, she regretted her choice of returning to work, and saw Kelly as a radiant, happy mom who made the right choice to be at home with her son. It made Kelly realize: Too often we see only our shortcomings. We beat ourselves up. 

Instead, Kelly told her audience, we should choose to see something else about ourselves. 鈥淪o much of life depends on what we choose to see,鈥� Kelly said, and then shared with the Class of 2024 her last bit of wisdom: Guard the friendships that are dear to them. 鈥淗old on to the friendships you have made these last four years.鈥�

She shared how her own college friends are part of a tight group of loyal, supportive girlfriends dubbed 鈥渢he Forces of Nature.鈥�

鈥淭oday we live all over the country. But we gather, in person, all of us, at least once a year,鈥� Kelly said. 鈥淭hese women鈥檚 faces, their voices are as familiar to me as my own. We were the maids of honor at each other鈥檚 weddings. We are godmothers to each other鈥檚 children. These women would drop everything and get on a plane to help me if I needed them to. And I know this 鈥� because they have done it.鈥� 

For senior speaker Yun Zhang of Anhui, China, it was a good Samaritan at the Walmart in Auburn who provided a great example of the reverberating power of kindness, community, and generosity.

鈥淎s Lewiston embraced me with its unexpected warmth, I realized that these moments of kindness are the true essence of community, transforming an unfamiliar place into a haven of belonging.” 

Senior Speaker Yun Zhang of Anhui, China

Zhang shared the story of how last Thanksgiving, which she spent alone as an international student 7,500 miles from her hometown, she decided to find strength in making a feast for one. But when her credit card momentarily wouldn’t work at Walmart and a woman stepped to the register and 鈥渙ffered to cover the gap,鈥� Zhang realized from this simple act of kindness that she was not alone.

鈥淎s Lewiston embraced me with its unexpected warmth, I realized that these moments of kindness are the true essence of community, transforming an unfamiliar place into a haven of belonging,鈥� Zhang said. 

As did Jenkins, Zhang referenced the dark nights following the Oct. 25 shootings 鈥� and echoed the president鈥檚 assertion that 乐播传媒 came through the fear and uncertainty of those subsequent dark days ever closer. The experience, Zhang said, proved they were 鈥渁 community undeterred, united in the conviction that together, we could weather any storm and stay 鈥� Lewiston Strong.鈥�

To which the audience stretched across the Historic Quad erupted in a rousing round of applause.

That horrific tragedy, Zhang continued, lent a larger, lasting lesson.

鈥溊植ゴ� taught us that caring for the community means engaging with the world at large, with communities rooted in differences yet bound by the shared human experience,鈥� Zhang said. 鈥淥ur journey from the gates of 乐播传媒 into the vast expanse of the world is a transition from one form of community to another, with the mission to spread the ethos of understanding, support, and unity that 乐播传媒 has so deeply ingrained in us.鈥�

The honorary degree citations for Kelly, Richard Blanco, and Clayton Spencer were offered by Malcolm Hill, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. 

Blanco, whose poetry has won a number of prestigious awards, including the 2021 National Humanities Medal, emerged from his undergraduate experience initially as an engineer. He was introduced by Hill as an expansive example of possibility.

鈥淔or all those in the audience who graduate as dance majors planning to go to medical school, or religion and physics double majors 鈥� for anyone who has embraced the myriad ways of knowing the world that the liberal arts present 鈥� we offer you our first honorand: the poet engineer,鈥� said Hill.

Blanco read the poem 鈥淥ne Today鈥� at President Barack Obama鈥檚 second inauguration, becoming the youngest and the first gay and Latino poet to read his work at a U.S. presidential inauguration. 鈥淗is poem celebrated unity amid discord and commonality amid difference,鈥� said Hill, who noted that Blanco鈥檚 鈥渃entral theme is the idea of home. Sometimes, he says, the poem 鈥� the art itself 鈥� is the home.鈥�

Spencer, who served as president of 乐播传媒 from 2012 to 2023, is perhaps 鈥渂est remembered for her frequent exhortation, borrowed from the poet E.E. Cummings, to have the 鈥榗ourage to grow up and become who you really are,'” said Hill.

That advice became the nationally recognized initiative of Purposeful Work that reflected the obligation of 乐播传媒 to 鈥減repare our students for [lives] of purposeful work,鈥� to encourage students to 鈥渨restle actively and joyously with the world as we encounter it,鈥� and to 鈥渕odel this mindset for our students as they work to construct their own lives.鈥� 

Over the years, this philosophy was nurtured and refined, becoming the driving force behind the Center for Purposeful Work, an initiative that engaged 98 percent of students and has been honored and imitated nationwide.

Following the conferral of degrees, Kevin Moore 鈥�93 of Hanover, Mass., president of the 乐播传媒 College Alumni Association, welcomed the graduating class into the association. 鈥淵ou are joining a community of 24,000 engaged, dynamic, and accomplished Bobcats who are embodying our motto of 鈥榓rdor and devotion鈥� around the world,鈥� Moore said. 

“You are strong navigators. You know how to appreciate challenges and wonder at wonder. You have everything you need when you lean on each other.  You hold onto hope with every step.  Blessings for the next trail that awaits you.” 

The Rev. Brittany Longsdorf

In a new element to the graduation, Jenkins returned to the lectern to offer his charge to the graduates.  鈥淚 leave you with this,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a short phrase that is both my charge to you as your president and also my wish for you as someone who has grown very fond of this class: Please go out into the world and 鈥榙o well and do good.鈥欌��

The ceremony ended with longstanding tradition, the benediction from the Rev. Brittany Longsdorf, multifaith chaplain, who used the metaphor of a determined mountain climber to describe the path the Class of 2024 took through 乐播传媒 to the summit of graduation, closing with these words:

You have found yourself, almost suddenly,
at the same summit reached by thousands of 乐播传媒ies before you.

Though your trail has been markedly different, you, dear graduates, with resilience have blazed something new and wondrous. 

May we breathe in the expansive beauty of this moment 鈥� looking ahead to the majestic horizon before us, where something new awaits, and looking back at the trail magic of good faculty, caring staff, loving families who sustained you along the way. 

You are strong navigators. You know how to appreciate challenges and wonder at wonder. You have everything you need when you lean on each other.  You hold onto hope with every step. 

Blessings for the next trail that awaits you. 

As Garry W. Jenkins, 乐播传媒 College鈥檚 ninth president, received the figurative, and literal, keys to 乐播传媒鈥� future as its new leader today, he did so with gratitude, compassion, and determination. 

Before the roughly 1,200 guests in Merrill Gymnasium, Jenkins promised he would lead 乐播传媒 鈥渨ith humility and transparency, with tenacity and enthusiasm, and, of course, with ardor and devotion.鈥�

Offering four cornerstones that 鈥渨ill guide our work and propel us forward鈥� and asking the 乐播传媒 community to 鈥渆mbrace the challenges that await us,鈥� Jenkins emphasized how now more than ever 乐播传媒 needs to promote teamwork, to remove barriers to students, to become more inclusive, and to cultivate and prepare leaders for tomorrow鈥檚 challenges.

By doing so, he said, 乐播传媒 will become stronger while serving society and democracy. “They rise together.”

Jenkins, who was appointed the college’s first Black president on Feb. 27, 2023, and began his tenure on July 1 of last year, was formally installed in a transformed Merrill Gymnasium adorned in elegant, dark drapery.

The proceedings played out on a brilliantly illuminated stage, greenery along the perimeter and the 乐播传媒 seal above it all. As the academic procession arrived and took its place, the 乐播传媒 College Orchestra performed Festive Overture, composed in 1944 by William Grant Still, a 1954 honorary degree recipient from 乐播传媒.

鈥淚 am moved beyond words by the warm welcome that you have offered me 鈥� here on this stage, on this day, but even from the very first moments that my joining this community became even a remote possibility,鈥� said Jenkins. 鈥淭his place 鈥� our college 鈥� is a place of warmth and welcome, and you have made that abundantly and beautifully clear.鈥� 

Watch the complete inauguration of Garry W. Jenkins as 乐播传媒’ ninth president below. (Note: If the video begins with the inauguration slideshow, please advance the video to minute 29 for the beginning of the processional.)

Before the presentation of the symbols of the college and Jenkins’ own address, several speakers from the 乐播传媒 community and beyond offered traditional welcomes to the new president. Perhaps the most heartfelt one came from two student leaders of the 乐播传媒 Student Government. Dhruv Chandra 鈥�25 of Kolkata, India, and Rebecca Anderson 鈥�24 of Boone, N.C.

鈥淭here was electricity in Alumni Gym on that March afternoon when you were introduced to us. And when you spoke to us that day, we were inspired,鈥� said Chandra. 

鈥淵ou have signaled repeatedly that we all belong here 鈥� all have a place here 鈥� all have a contribution to make and a mark to leave on this college that we all care for so deeply,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淵ou have encouraged us all to be leaders 鈥� to be part of the solution. And your warmth and dedication inspire us to do just that.鈥�

Two speakers who know Jenkins well offered personal insights and praise of the new 乐播传媒 leader.

鈥淵ou could not have made a better choice for an institution so steeped in history so deep in reputation and so vibrant in its momentum,鈥� said Joan Gabel, offering the traditional introduction of the new president. Currently chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Gabel was president of the University of Minnesota when Jenkins was dean of the university鈥檚 law school.

鈥淗e has a unique ability to lead while creating spaces for others to find their best self. I can鈥檛 imagine a better president for an institution whose motto translates to, 鈥榳ith ardor and devotion.鈥欌��

“Congratulations, 乐播传媒 College, on being on the Jenkins journey!鈥�

Wendy Raymond, president and professor of biology at Haverford College

Wendy Raymond is president and professor of biology at Haverford College, Jenkins鈥� undergraduate alma mater. She offered the traditional welcome on behalf of the academy. 

鈥淭hrough 乐播传媒 and all that the 乐播传媒 community represents, Garry鈥檚 ethical and impactful leadership, rooted in the liberal arts and an enduring set of values and humane capacities, will know no limits. Congratulations, 乐播传媒 College, on being on the Jenkins journey!鈥�

Following the welcomes came the presentation of the symbols of the 乐播传媒 presidency. 

Associate Professor of Mathematics Katy Ott and Sabeeh Khan 鈥�24, an economics major from Islamabad, Pakistan, presented the Presidential Medallion, representing the authority vested in the president by the Board of Trustees.

The Record Book, containing the minutes of the Board of Trustees鈥� first meeting on April 5, 1855, and symbolizing the longevity and historical legacy of 乐播传媒 College, was presented by Andrea Bueschel 鈥�90, a 乐播传媒 trustee who as a 乐播传媒 senior in 1990 offered student greetings to President Donald Harward, the college鈥檚 sixth president, at his installation.

The keys of the office, representing the passing down of authority through the college鈥檚 presidential lineage, were presented by Susan Nattress, who manages the 乐播传媒 electronic access system 鈥� 鈥渒eys鈥� of today.

With a winning trifecta of symbols presented, it was time to formally introduce the new president, which Greg Ehret 鈥�91, chair of the Board of Trustees and host of the ceremony, did with a promise of solidarity and support.

鈥淔rom the 乐播传媒 College Board of Trustees, from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and families, and from the many friends and champions of this great college: We offer to you our warm welcome, our dedicated labor, and our enthusiastic support. It is now my great honor to present to you the ninth president of 乐播传媒 College, Garry W. Jenkins.鈥� A 45-second standing ovation full of cheers followed.

The installation took place six months after its originally planned October 2023 date, postponed due to the mass shooting in Lewiston on Oct. 25. As he welcomed the audience, Ehret asked for a moment of silence 鈥渋n honor of the friends and neighbors we lost.鈥� 

Jenkins also spoke about Oct. 25. 鈥淭here was tragedy in the events of late October. But there was also grace and beauty in the response. I know that this community will hold both of these truths as we continue to move forward into the future,鈥� Jenkins said. 

The sentiments resonated with the audience, especially with Lewiston mayor Carl Sheline, who, in offering the city鈥檚 welcome a few minutes before, said, 鈥淲e were grateful for your partnership and outreach to our community during and after the tragic events of October 25. Amidst those dark times, you emphasized the strength of our collective support network, reminding us that our most valuable resource is our connections with each other.鈥�

From there, Jenkins spent a few moments thanking many in attendance: Maine Gov. Janet Mills, the Board of Trustees, especially the search committee co-chairs, Bueschel and Greg Ehret 鈥�91, the delegates who represented more than five dozen institutions, the former 乐播传媒 presidents, his family, and many others. 

He thanked his brother, Chris Jenkins, his husband, Jon Lee 鈥� whom he lovingly dubbed 乐播传媒 鈥渇irst friend,鈥� and his parents, Garry and Leslie Jenkins, who instilled in him 鈥渁 belief in the power of education, the importance of thinking for yourself, and the value of building and supporting community, and community around you.鈥�

鈥淭his wouldn鈥檛 be possible without them,鈥� Jenkins said, his voice breaking.

Jenkins chose 鈥淩ising Together鈥� as the theme for his inaugural address because 鈥淚 believe deeply in the power of collaboration and teamwork; because I believe that when people and/or institutions join forces, opportunities multiply. Because I believe that win-wins are better and more lasting than just wins; and because I believe that we go further and are stronger when we lift one another up,鈥� he said. 

Jenkins first spoke of the 鈥渋mprobable鈥� historic firsts that exemplify 乐播传媒鈥� long-standing commitment to equality.

“I am glad that today, with places like 乐播传媒 in the world, and with people like those who make up this community, no dream is too big.鈥�

President Garry W. Jenkins

乐播传媒, he said, 鈥渨as a radical notion from its very founding in 1855, six years before the Civil War, founded with a distinct vision of higher education: women and men, people of all races, learning together. Steadfast in the idea of what it meant to be fully human. But an outlier.鈥� 

It is a tradition of equity and inclusion that has continued, Jenkins assured. 鈥淚n 乐播传媒 I see the lived commitment to equity, to access, to belonging.鈥�

Jenkins said that he recalled when 鈥渘ot too long ago, asking, would our nation鈥檚 most selective colleges ever be open to a Black president? To an openly gay president? Would that be possible? Was that a dream too big? I am glad that today, with places like 乐播传媒 in the world, and with people like those who make up this community, no dream is too big.鈥� A robust round of applause followed.

Today, Jenkins said, 乐播传媒 remains a place where there is room for everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, political or ideological viewpoint, or background. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all of us at that table 鈥� we thrive, we rise together,鈥� he said.

Then Jenkins indulged in a bit of bragging, listing 乐播传媒鈥� impressive track record for sending students to top graduate programs, leading medical schools and law schools, and its rich history of fellowships, which includes the past 12 years as a Fulbright top producer.

鈥淎m I bragging? If so, I brag for us all!鈥� Jenkins said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 so much to be proud of. But how鈥檚 we do it? We do it together!鈥�

Jenkins then mapped out four key areas where 乐播传媒 can better cultivate tomorrow鈥檚 leaders, areas he called 鈥渢he four cornerstones.鈥�

鈥淭he task before us is to continue to evolve and raise our sights. To bolster the relationships that are at the core of our success as an institution, and to do even more to cultivate and prepare humane leaders of the next generation. To protect and enrich the gift that is 乐播传媒 for the future,鈥� Jenkins said. 

The four areas he said will guide 乐播传媒 in the future are:

Innovation

乐播传媒 needs to draw on the innovation and flexibility that has made it a model in such areas as inclusive excellence in education, environmental stewardship, and in integrating theory and practice into its courses, Jenkins said.

鈥淎s we move into our next chapter, we will need to draw on that innovation and flexibility to fully take advantage of our personal scale, to heighten even further the power of collaboration, meeting changing student interests and enrollment needs,鈥� he explained.

Opportunity

Opportunity means access, Jenkins said, and 乐播传媒 seeks to educate 鈥渢he most promising students from a wide range of backgrounds.鈥�

鈥淲e want 乐播传媒 to be a place of opportunity for all,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd we will continue to open the doors of opportunity wider to highly talented students from all backgrounds, geographies, and family incomes.鈥�

Leadership and Well-being

鈥淲e need to attend to the entire student experience, especially when it comes to leadership development and supporting well-being,鈥� said Jenkins, who, as a law school professor and dean, became a nationally respected authority in leadership development, among other areas.

鈥淚n the years ahead, we must focus on thoughtfully and intentionally preparing our students to lead and serve for the benefit of industry, disciplines, organizations, and communities,鈥� he said.

Civic engagement

鈥淭he work of equipping emerging adults for the responsibilities of citizenship with an understanding and development of the skills of civil discourse, constructive dialogue, active listening, respectful debate, openness to different viewpoints, negotiation, and collective problem solving has never felt more pressing.鈥� 

乐播传媒 students also must model civic engagement, including through the outstanding work of the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, Jenkins said. 鈥淲e shall broaden the college鈥檚 role as an advocate, as a convener, and as a key institutional partner for the development and quality of life for our region,鈥� he said, prompting a round of applause.

Growth in these areas will require further growth of the 乐播传媒 endowment and 鈥渟triving for the financial standing and security that allows us to fulfill our highest aspirations,鈥� but Jenkins promised it would reap results. 

鈥淚n so doing, we will help make it so that 乐播传媒 is even stronger and more distinguished at its 175th anniversary, a mere six years away, and also its 200th, and its 300th,鈥� he said.

Before he closed, Jenkins circled back to the reminder that we live in troubled times: 鈥渢he world is in conflict, in need. Violence, extremism, insularity, and hateful rhetoric are all-to present. Higher education is under attack, vulnerable to government interference.鈥� 

He vowed: 乐播传媒 will address all of these challenges and more 鈥� in one united effort. 鈥淲e know this because of what 乐播传媒 was, what 乐播传媒 is, and what 乐播传媒 promises it can be,鈥� Jenkins said.

鈥淲hat we can do is accept 鈥� or grab 鈥� the baton that is passed to us. Embrace the work and challenges that await us. Run as fast and as hard as we can during our leg of the race.鈥�

President Garry W. Jenkins

Jenkins closed with a charge to the 乐播传媒 community, likening their role to that of a runner in a hotly contested relay race. 鈥淥ur predecessors…have carried us far, but they did not complete the journey. In any perpetual institution like a great college or university, you never do. 

鈥淏ut what we can do is accept, or grab, the baton that is passed to us. Embrace the work, the challenges that await us. Run as fast and as hard as we can during our leg of the race” in order to renew and strengthen 乐播传媒.

“That is our task. That is our privilege.”