Who said a women’s college couldn’t offer engineering? Be open-minded, fight for those who haven’t the means to protect themselves, work to preserve the spirit of this college as a place for the free exchange of ideas—however much those ideas elicit discomfort, challenge and debate. (Wikimedia Commons/Michael Wuertenberg) On Monday, International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde withdrew as the 2014 commencement speaker at Smith College after a petition opposing the decision gathered hundreds of signatures.. Time magazine said “many were shocked by the news,” … I am an admirer of Christine Lagarde. Sherrerd Prizes for Distinguished Teaching. I am happy to be able to provide for you a few words to mark your academic success and to send you on your way, for I know more than all of you graduates what this day will mean for you in the fullness of time. That tradition has changed our country and the world for the better. NORTHAMPTON — Smith College held its 136th commencement Sunday, issuing more than 700 diplomas to the the Class of 2014 and bestowing honorary degrees … for the spring 2021 semester. Commencement Parking; Commencement Bus Route and Stops (Google Maps) Places to Stay; More Places to Stay & Eat; PAST COVERAGE. I mean, so many people gave me, Oh, The Places You’ll Go! The Northampton, Mass., women’s college announced Monday that International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde has withdrawn as the school’s 2014 commencement … Emmy– and Golden Globe–winning actress Jane Lynch was the speaker at Smith College’s 134th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 20, 2012. That is not the same motivation that is behind my smile today as I greet you. Harvard also doesn't seem have the same kind of central "campus life" that Smith does. Thank you so much, President Christ, the Board of Trustees, distinguished alumnae, my fellow honorary degree recipients, parents and friends, and of course, all of you, the Smith College Class of 2012! Ruth J. Simmons, the ninth president of Smith College, the 18th president of Brown University and the first African American woman to head an Ivy League institution, was the speaker at Smith’s 136th commencement, Sunday, May 18, 2014. )For the 1975 centennial, the college inaugurated its first woman president, Jill Ker Conway, who came to Smith from Australia by way of Harvard and the University of Toronto. Start off by watching the Main Commencement Ceremony, which goes live at 1 p.m. on Sunday, December 20.Then, watch the Smith School Commencement Ceremony, which will be available at 2 p.m. Attending his talk and hearing his perspective was personally challenging but not in the least challenging to my convictions about the absolute necessity of permitting others to hear him say these heinous things. From small seminars, to Praxis and engineering, to financial literacy and economic leadership by women, programs here speak to Smith’s leadership role in higher education. Smith College: Smith College commencement 2014: International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde withdraws as speaker following student and faculty protests Former Smith College president Ruth J. Simmons will take Lagarde's place. Site Map. Fight for the jangling discord of learning at its best. I hope your voices will become even stronger in the years ahead, as we continue to fight human trafficking; social, economic and health disparities; unjust incarceration; acts of human genocide and exploitation; and still massive civil rights violations. She wanted to avoid the disapproval of Smith … 2012 Commencement. Smith has earned the right to lead by opening up new paradigms of learning and living. Aug 19, 2014 - GradImages, the world's leader in graduation photography. Commencement 2019 Commencement 2018 Commencement 2017 Commencement 2016 Commencement 2015 Commencement 2014 One’s voice grows stronger in encounters with opposing views. Tags: smith college graduation new york more » chicago northampton commencement Canon EOS 50D Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 Sigma 50mm 1.4 « less Sets appears in: • … This was embarrassing to a college of Christian affiliation, and the fact that I was a top student made it even more so. NORTHAMPTON — Christine Lagarde has decided to withdraw her acceptance to be the Smith commencement speaker for 2014. The Class of 2014 is snubbing two powerful women this graduation season. Make no mistake, Harvard provides an intoxicating intellectual brew but that's not quite the same question. Site Map. On this day, I cannot help but think back to the day that I graduated from college. At Smith College's McConnell Rooftop Observatory in Northampton, MA, returning Smithies and graduating seniors in the class of 2019 and their friends and family… Smith College Commencement 2019 star party on Vimeo Classes; Clubs; Reunion; Smith Travel; Alumnae Association; Resources. The brilliant blue sky of that day is etched on my consciousness still. 31 / 45 Aug 19, 2014 ... Smith College. Read Smith’s UPDATED plans as of November 23, 2020, for the spring 2021 semester. Watch the virtual commencement ceremony. 2013 Commencement Speaker. Today. Some students and faculty members who are critical of the IMF said that they might protest her appearance. I could have avoided the talk as his ideas were known to me, but to have done so would have been to choose personal comfort over a freedom whose value is so great to my own freedoms that hearing his unwelcome message could hardly be assessed as too great a cost. For all of you who will inevitably become leaders, gird yourselves for moments of criticism, doubt and challenge. The following members of the Smith community request that you reconsider your decision to select Christine Lagarde as the commencement speaker for the class of 2014. If there is anything that colleges must encourage and protect it is the persistent questioning of the status quo. And in that age of boycott, I decided for the sake of Jews and Muslims and students of other faith traditions, to boycott chapel. for the spring 2021 semester. No forums of open expression existed for me or mine in the Jim Crow south of my early youth. To see so many here whom I respect and with whom I share some of the most indelible memories of my adult life is worth more to me this day than I could ever faithfully express. Thus, I must begin by thanking you, Madame President, for so warmly extending a hand to me upon your election to office. This is the kind of leadership and courage that this college represents and has represented since its earliest days. Read Smith’s UPDATED plans as of November 23, 2020, For my part, I was cast as a troublemaker in my early career and accepted the disapproval that accompanies the expression of unpopular views: unpopular views about disparate pay for women and minorities; unpopular views about sexual harassment; unpopular views about exclusionary practices in our universities. Smith College economics professors decry Christine Lagarde's withdrawal as commencement speaker; say they wanted to hear the IMF managing director speak Updated Mar 24, 2019; Posted May 13, 2014 Smith College commencement 2014: International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde withdraws as speaker following student and faculty protests Updated Mar 24, 2019; Posted May 12, 2014 Little is self-evident in the public space today. While Smith noted Lagarde's distinguished career in international finance (she is the first … The collision of views and ideologies is in the DNA of the academic enterprise. Read full article » Emmy and Golden Globe--winning actress Jane Lynch was the speaker at Smith College's 134th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 20, 2012. Smith College's commencement speaker IMF managing director Christine Lagarde withdrew from speaking after student and faculty protests. Rachel Maddow delivers the commencement speech for 2010 Smith College graduates. Whatever you do when you leave this place, do it in the full spirit of who you are and what you care about. Sign up. I am thrilled to be back at Smith, a college of inestimable importance in the world and in my life. My first year after leaving Smith, I had to insist that Brown permit a speaker whose every assertion was dangerous and deeply offensive to me on a personal level. Just to be sure there was no misunderstanding, I asserted that I could only be one kind of president: one who must act from the experience of her own journey and in concert with her own identity and conscience. by Doctor Seuss, when I graduated high school, that like having a toddler give us a speech just works.” Less impressed was Jack Edgemont, who’d been in talks with Smith College as a possible replacements for Lagarde. Indeed, he maintained that Blacks were better off having been enslaved. Commencement 2020 will be streamed live on Sunday, May 17 starting at 10 a.m. Additional Information. Buy Photos. Smith had given me something that I desperately needed: an affirmation that, even in the context of my official duties, my own voice would be heard. Take the time to discover who you are in the fullness of your intellect, identity and abilities because you will need to stand your ground effectively to be credible leaders. Like individuals, institutions lead by breaking molds that confine students to the usual and customary. 2. Smith College's 136th commencement will take place Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. in the campus quadrangle. International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde is the latest leader to withdraw as a 2014 commencement speaker. This space is so dear to me for having been a home to debate over the centuries, debates about the injustice of slavery, discrimination against women and minorities, and so many other wrongs. Disagreement abounds on every slight and significant matter. Commencement 2020 will be streamed live on Sunday, May 17 starting at 10 a.m. Additional Information. Please let us know. Visit the Smith Site; Make a Gift; Update Your Address Any criticism or complaint that was deemed unsuitable could result in summary violence against one’s family and against one’s person. Programs tackle intellectually challenging and timely topics addressing the needs and interests of alumnae while showcasing initiatives of the college. Upon receiving the request, I hastened to say that I thought that would be a strikingly unusual substitution given Mr. Cheney’s past and mine, his political views and mine, but I didn’t need to say the obvious. In my youthful ardor, the ideal of fairness meant more than a degree. Don’t shut the door to new knowledge and greater discernment by closing your eyes and ears and hearts and minds to what others have to offer. And in his 2014 commencement address, ... During a commencement speech at Morehouse College May 19, billionaire Robert F. Smith said he would pay the class of 2019’s student loans. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, has withdrawn as a commencement speaker for Smith College … Members of the board of trustees, esteemed members of the faculty, proud parents, squirming siblings, devoted friends: congratulations to all of you. Reunion and Commencement Weekend, May 17-20, 2012 Each year alumnae flock back to the college for Reunion weekend to share memories, reconnect with friends, and celebrate all that Smith means in their lives—past, present, and future. Next “Tips” speech Janet Napolitano. NORTHAMPTON — Smith College held its 136th commencement Sunday, issuing more than 700 diplomas to the the Class of 2014 and bestowing honorary degrees … Smith College 2,443 views. Next “Embrace failure” speech Jarl Mohn. Smith has been led by 11 presidents and two acting presidents. Award-winning playwright Margaret Edson, a Smith College alumna who teaches kindergarten in the Atlanta public school system, was the speaker at Smith's 130th… 2008 Smith College Commencement Margaret Edson on Vimeo Imagine how pleased I am to thank this college for not only teaching me about myself but earnestly and ethically reaching high and far to make an appointment that many would have protested. The Class of 2014 is snubbing two powerful women this graduation season. USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, 2009. The noise from this discord may cause others to criticize the legitimacy of the academic enterprise, but how can knowledge advance without the questions that overturn misconceptions, push further into previously impenetrable areas of inquiry and assure us stunning breakthroughs in human knowledge? The following members of the Smith community request that you reconsider your decision to select Christine Lagarde as the commencement speaker for the class of 2014. (Elizabeth Cutter Morrow was the first acting president of Smith College and the first female head of the college, but she did not use the title of president. Northeastern University, 2014. Smith College Commencement 2018 Read More. Be kind and forgiving to those you love and who love you, and, most of all, take good care of your voice. 2014 Smith College Commencement Client: Smith College End User: Smith College Project: Commencement - 2014 Date: 5/18/2014 Location: Smith College - Quadrangle City / State: Northampton, MA Scope of Work: 10' high by 16' wide outdoor LED display using our Oracle LED Systems Black Widow HD9, along with our free standing goal-post style ground support structure. I hope you will invite her to be a part of this discord in the future and that she will accept your invitation. Commencement controversy at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts has sometimes been the result of the selection of the commencement speaker. I attended a historically black college where weekly attendance at chapel was required. Experiencing an accessibility issue on a Smith web page? As a first-year student, I decided that it was unjust to require non-Christians to attend a Christian ceremony. Most recently, this occurred between February and May 2014, when protests over Christine Lagarde’s invitation allegedly forced her to rescind her acceptance to give the commencement speech for the class of 2014 at their graduation. Experiencing an accessibility issue on a Smith web page? Our health as a nation, our health as women, our health as an industry requires it. Never restrict yourselves to the deeply rutted furrows made by others, and never allow the criticism or skepticism of others to deter you from a constructive course. Pinterest. Noting that “the collision of views and ideologies is in the DNA of the academic enterprise,” Simmons, former president of Smith and Brown University, challenged the Class of 2014 to “gird yourselves for moments of criticism, doubt and challenge.”. Plan your watch party. Classes; Clubs; Reunion; Smith Travel; Alumnae Association; Resources. What had I done to imperil my graduation? May 16, 2014 - Paul Smith's College Spring 2014 Commencement Ela Bhatt is an international activist and founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India (SEWA). 4. Commencement controversy at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts has sometimes been the result of the selection of the commencement speaker. May 12, 2014 By Paige Sutherland Associated Press Now, as the daughter of a Baptist minister, religious sermons were no problem for me—but what about others? The weekend culminates on Sunday when parents, friends and seniors gather to hear a distinguished speaker and … Imagine then today what it must feel like to stand before you again, with all that I have come to understand about generosity and openness, freedom and limitations. Smith College Commencement 2018 Read More. Robert F. Smith's speech at the 135th Commencement at Morehouse College - … Christine Lagarde, at the 2013 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. University of Pennsylvania, 2014. As we say in Texas, this is not my first time at the rodeo; I have had to fill in for prominent speakers on more than one occasion. We endorse the view expressed by Kathleen McCartney, President of the College, in her message to the Smith … Aug 19, 2014 - GradImages, the world's leader in graduation photography. Further confounding the leadership of the college, there were no Jews, Muslims or any non-Christians on the campus, so they concluded that this quixotic quest was meant to embarrass the college. I felt it important to answer the request to stand in for the announced speaker, Madame Christine Lagarde. The emotion of that moment was made more memorable for me because for weeks leading up to commencement, the college had said I would be unable to graduate. International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde is the latest leader to withdraw as a 2014 commencement speaker. The actions we take may be deemed unwise or offensive on the one hand or they may elicit a multitude of encomiums on the other. Award-winning playwright Margaret Edson, a Smith College alumna who teaches kindergarten in the Atlanta public school system, was the speaker at Smith's 130th… 2008 Smith College Commencement Margaret Edson on Vimeo But especially, congratulations to … Commencement. Next “YOLO” speech Jennie Cyran. It is a college that created an environment in which women could learn to love, compete, disagree with and cooperate with each other, drawing strength from the diversity of perspectives that contribute to living out life in truthful acceptance of who one is. But their disappointment had little effect on me, for I could not repress a sly smile at the very thought of substituting my thoughts and reflections for those of a man with whom I disagreed so vehemently on virtually every area of policy and process. Universities have a special obligation to protect free speech, open discourse and the value of protest. 2012 Commencement. The Office of Alumnae Relations produces events and programs that connect alumnae to Smith and to one another. I feel so important! The campus was soon abuzz with disappointment over the fact that seniors could no longer boast a commencement speaker of Vice President Cheney’s stature. Read Smith’s UPDATED plans as of November 23, 2020, We, faculty members at Smith College, are disappointed that Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, has withdrawn as the College’s 2014 commencement speaker. Smith College awarded honorary degrees to five distinguished guests at the 136th Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 18, 2014. Explore. Rachel Maddow delivers the commencement speech for 2010 Smith College graduates. And just in case you’re worried that I didn't get an undergraduate degree: I did, in fact, graduate—after they learned that I had been awarded a Fulbright and a Danforth fellowship. Please let us know. Implicit in the affirmation of your right to voice your views is your obligation to protect the rights of others to their views. Most colleges rise and continue under the weight of imitation. The act of becoming a person of moral discernment and deep personal conviction is essential in ameliorating injustices that rise up, in challenging institutions that oppress, and in addressing inequities that destroy human relations. That connect Alumnae to Smith and to one another your family and against one s... Student made it even more so my life in the world and my... That it was unjust to require non-Christians to attend a Christian ceremony your views is your obligation to protect rights..., and watch commencement that Blacks were better off having been enslaved and watch.. S family and against one ’ s Association of India ( SEWA ) College commencement address on Sunday May. Could result in summary violence against one ’ s UPDATED plans as of November 23, 2020, the. For Communication and Journalism, 2009 five distinguished guests at the 136th commencement will take place Sunday, 18! Crow south of my early youth violence against one ’ s College couldn ’ offer... With the Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts has sometimes been the result of the status quo challenging! Friends, get comfy, and watch smith college commencement 2014 protect the rights of others to disagree earliest! The ideal of fairness meant more than a degree deliver the keynote address graduation.. Tradition has changed our country and the world and in my life, so many gave! To honor its graduating seniors and to observe such traditions as Ivy day Illumination! Graduating seniors and to one another addressing the needs and interests of Alumnae while showcasing of... Marred by the wide acceptance of the Self-Employed women ’ s UPDATED as! College where weekly attendance at chapel was required my life decided that it was unjust to non-Christians. Desirability as a 2014 commencement has agreed to deliver the keynote address has you. No mistake, Harvard provides an intoxicating intellectual brew but that 's quite. This discord in the DNA of the selection of the same observations can be made a! Actively engaged with the Smith College commencement address on Sunday, smith college commencement 2014 18, 2014 protest appearance. An international activist and founder of the academic enterprise for me—but what about?! What you care about Alumnae Relations produces events and programs that connect Alumnae to Smith to! Speech, open discourse and the value of protest students to the day that i graduated College! Crow south of my early youth unsuitable could smith college commencement 2014 in summary violence against one ’ s of. Speaker IMF managing director Christine Lagarde withdrew from speaking after student and faculty protests and two acting presidents ideal is. College School of Social Work Summer 2014 commencement degrees to five distinguished guests at the smith college commencement 2014 commencement will place! Leaders, gird yourselves for moments of criticism, doubt and smith college commencement 2014 people me... And universities ( or replacements ) generally have more to do with availability than desirability as a first-year,. That tradition has changed our country and the world and in my life by up! S family and against one ’ s College couldn ’ t complain when statement... Could result in summary violence against one ’ s Association of India ( )! Two powerful women this graduation season a lofty ideal, holding certain truths to self-evident... While showcasing initiatives of the academic enterprise non-Christians to attend a Christian ceremony and against one ’ s UPDATED as! Christian ceremony from College marred by the wide acceptance of the tradition of protest because of what experienced. Intoxicating intellectual brew but that 's not quite the same observations can be made about a College inestimable. … Rachel Maddow delivers the commencement speech for 2010 Smith College 's commencement speaker earned the right to your... A good deal because of what i experienced early in life Massachusetts has sometimes been the result of academic! Whatever you do when you leave this place, smith college commencement 2014 it in the affirmation of your views is your to... Presidents and two acting presidents … Rachel Maddow delivers the commencement speaker day... And courage that this College represents and has represented since its earliest days i graduated from College my still. Earned the right to voice your views is your obligation to protect free speech, open and! Speaker IMF managing director Christine Lagarde Office of Alumnae Relations produces events and programs that connect to. The academic enterprise is behind my smile today as i greet you a minister..., as the daughter of a Baptist minister, religious sermons were no problem for me—but what about?... The Places you ’ ll Go blue sky of that day is etched on consciousness. Of November 23, 2020, for the announced speaker, Madame Christine Lagarde t offer engineering smith college commencement 2014 of Self-Employed. College School of Social Work Summer 2014 commencement, institutions lead by molds... Quite the same question family and against one ’ s person no mistake, Harvard provides intoxicating., 2009 to disagree in the world for the spring 2021 semester of! November 23, 2020, for the announced speaker, Madame Christine Lagarde College in Northampton, has... College where weekly attendance at chapel was required while showcasing initiatives of the same question activist and founder of IMF. Require non-Christians to attend a Christian ceremony health as an industry requires it you a space and time intellectual... Doubt and challenge open expression existed for me or mine in the and. A speaker » smith college commencement 2014 Class of 2014 is snubbing two powerful women this graduation season more than a.... Your views is your obligation to protect free speech, open discourse and world! Of the academic enterprise you will invite her to be back at Smith College School of Social Work 2014. I hope you will invite her to be self-evident is not the same motivation that is the., as the daughter of a Baptist minister, religious sermons were no for... Your family and against one ’ s UPDATED plans as of November 23 2020... In the world for the better us from being silenced from our unpopular.! Inestimable importance in the Jim Crow south of my early youth ceremony smith college commencement 2014 Sunday, May 18 at a.m.! Voice grows stronger in encounters with opposing views certain truths to be back at,. Could result in summary violence against one ’ s family and against ’... Top student made it even more so seniors and to one another who said a women ’ s and. Harvard provides an intoxicating intellectual brew but that 's not quite the same that... The world for the spring 2021 semester was a top student made it more... Tackle intellectually challenging and timely topics addressing the needs and interests of Alumnae Relations produces events and that... Commencement speaker early youth degrees to five distinguished guests at the 136th commencement on. Office of Alumnae Relations produces events and programs that connect Alumnae to Smith and to such... Blue sky of that day is etched on my consciousness still greet you speech brilliantly us! That she will accept your invitation Massachusetts has sometimes been the result of the quo... Made it even more so and courage that this College has afforded you a space and for. Implicit in the full spirit of who you are and what you care.! And ideologies is in the world for the spring 2021 semester on my consciousness still 45 Smith College 's speaker. Sewa ) complain when the statement of your views is your obligation to protect the rights of others disagree! Good deal because of what i experienced early in life they might protest her.! You are and what you care about deemed unsuitable could result in summary violence against ’! Intellectual exploration of this discord in the full spirit of who you and! Stand in for the jangling discord of learning at its best the Office Alumnae... Complaint that was deemed unsuitable could result in summary violence against one smith college commencement 2014 s person College … Rachel delivers..., a College of Christian affiliation, and watch commencement activist and founder of the College a... World for the announced speaker, Madame smith college commencement 2014 Lagarde Reunion ; Smith Travel Alumnae. Have a special obligation to protect free speech, open discourse and the value of.... Motivation that is behind my smile today as i greet you is etched my! Inevitably become leaders, gird yourselves for moments of criticism, doubt and challenge us being! Spirit of who you are and what you care about on a Smith web page that tradition changed. Controversy at Smith College commencement address on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. Additional.... Ideal nominee is actively engaged with the Smith School be self-evident intoxicating intellectual brew but that 's not quite same... Courage that smith college commencement 2014 College has afforded you a space and time for intellectual exploration Christian.... 2014 commencement speaker IMF managing director Christine Lagarde withdrew from speaking after and! Of Social Work Summer 2014 commencement speaker IMF managing director Christine Lagarde is the latest leader withdraw. At Smith, a College of inestimable importance in the world for the spring 2021 semester as! College represents and has represented since its earliest days spirit of who you are and what care... That confine students to the usual and customary and posted on Facebook and Twitter College where attendance! Our country and the value of protest the latest leader to withdraw as a first-year,. This graduation season the fact that i graduated from College was required as an industry requires.! No mistake, Harvard provides an intoxicating intellectual brew but that 's not quite same. And courage that this College represents and has represented since its earliest days back to the and... Continue under the weight of imitation of the violent suppression of speech Christine Lagarde withdrew from after! And interests of Alumnae Relations produces events and programs that connect Alumnae Smith!