Public Statements

Hamilton’s Tradition of Open and Respectful Dialogue

August 24, 2017

Tags Public Statements

Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

Welcome to our new students, faculty and staff, and welcome back to those of you who are returning to College Hill for your second, third and fourth years or, in the case of some faculty and staff, your second, third or fourth decades. With the exception of move-in day last Tuesday, when an enthusiastic band of colorfully costumed Continentals greeted our new students by dancing, cheering and holding up cardboard signs, the campus was quiet this summer.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for much of the rest of the world. News from Washington, Charlottesville, Venezuela, North Korea, Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere affects us all. In keeping with Hamilton's tradition of open and respectful dialogue, we will have multiple opportunities this year to consider the implications and significance of the kinds of events that have dominated the news recently and, unfortunately, likely will recur in the days ahead. A variety of programs will address these issues, including lectures, panel discussions and community conversations.

In particular, I hope you will attend a new program, Common Ground, which will bring together on October 18 two leading political strategists with very different perspectives for a moderated conversation on a variety of "hot button" issues. Our speakers for that program, David Axelrod and Karl Rove, will model for our audience one of the goals of a liberal education: engaging respectfully with views and perspectives that are different from one's own.

As I said yesterday in my Convocation remarks, part of a student's education here lies precisely in exploring new ideas and new ways of thinking and in getting to know people with different identities, backgrounds, and perspectives, even when doing so proves uncomfortable.

Best wishes for a wonderful, enlightening and sometimes uncomfortable academic year.

David