Reunion was a peak experience, even without summiting Moosilauke. The beauty of the Baker River valley; the camaraderie at the lodge and back on campus; the Parkhurst docudrama; conversations at the receptions and meals; commencement itself and walks around campus and down to the boathouse; all combined for a memorable time. Thanks to all the leaders who worked long hours to make the event a success.
Thanks to David Agan for organizing the teal armband expression of support for The Campus Climate and Culture Initiative (C3I) "...to create a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable learning environment for all Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff particularly with respect to gender-based power disparities.” It was a fitting bookend to the white armband expression of anti-war sentiment in 1969.
The highlight for me was Yo-Yo Ma’s speech about the power that we all possess and the importance of using it for good. He said, “Promise yourself that when you find your power, you will use it thoughtfully, with restraint, and with good intention.” He went on to say that failure to use your power to combat evil is just as much an abuse of power as outright harmful acts. Here’s a link to the full speech.
One of my “takeaways” from reunion was the alma mater. It’s stuck in my head. It provided the tempo for my morning walk today. I’m trying to remember the “new” words and banish the old ones from memory. That’s a difficult task. This experience helps me understand why it is so hard to change implicit biases.
Peace,
Bill Howell