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August 17, 2017

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Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,

On Tuesday, we welcomed the class of 2021 and our new transfer students. One of the joys of working at a place like Hamilton is witnessing the warmth and enthusiasm of the newest members of our community as they get to know each other, the College, and the community.

The arrival of our new students has encouraged me to reflect on what I should say at Convocation and in my second welcome message to the broader campus community as we start the academic year. In both cases, I will reiterate the importance of being open to new ideas and getting to know people with different identities, backgrounds and perspectives. I hope you will join us at Convocation on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at 4:30 p.m. in Wellin Hall.

I had intended to wait until Convocation to write to all of you. But I feel compelled by recent events, in particular those in Charlottesville, Virginia, to reaffirm this College's values and expectations. What took place in Charlottesville last weekend affects all of us and should alarm all of us, whatever our backgrounds or politics. The white supremacist, anti-Semitic views on display in Charlottesville are abhorrent on their own, but the willingness to use violence and intimidation to advance those views is a direct challenge to our values as a society and an academic community.

At Hamilton, we believe firmly in the principles of free speech and free association. But those same principles allow us to condemn racism, anti-Semitism, bigotry or any other form of discrimination, as well as any form of political violence or intimidation. It is incumbent on all of us to foster an environment in which every student can thrive. Doing so makes Hamilton stronger and better prepares all of us to help solve the problems we see around us.

I look forward to working with you to address these issues.

Sincerely,

David