AMHERST — In a political climate where intolerance and simplistic ideas seem to be in the ascendant, Amherst College President Biddy Martin urged graduating students Sunday to use their education as a bulwark against anti-rational forces.
Giving the commencement address to the 456 members of the class of 2016, Martin warned of political discourse characterized by “demonization, xenophobia … the cult of personality, (and) the cynical dismissal of all forms of respect and restraint as weakness.” She referenced Nazi Germany as well as the legacy of slavery, forced segregation and discrimination as products of “forces that sometimes intensify and coalesce to bring out the worst in people, forces that drive us away from our principles and drive us away from one another.”
Martin also spoke of the “brutal history” left by ideologies that idolized homogeneity as being more peaceful and satisfying than a “complex and mingled population,” referencing the writer Marilynne Robinson as telling us that “to an alarming extent, we in the U.S. have internalized (a) prejudice against ourselves.”
The take-away for the graduates assembled before her in their black robes and tasseled hats was that “a great liberal arts education should be a leading source of resistance to anti-rational forces of manipulated fear and hatred, and I hope you will choose to use your education in that way.”
The message, delivered on the campus quad filled with graduating seniors, their families and well wishers, came after Martin enumerated some of the characteristics and accomplishments of the students about to depart. They came from 40 states and territories and 20 countries; 39 percent had more than one major; 45 percent studied abroad; 69 percent studied a language; and, a statistic Martin was especially proud of, 39 percent had taken a poetry course during their college career.
“That makes me very happy,” she said, noting that several students were raising their hands to identify themselves as among those.
Also receiving recognition was retiring Hampshire County Sheriff Robert Garvey, who called the commencement ceremony to order for possibly the last time. In her tribute, Martin said she hoped he would continue his ceremonial role even after he retires.
Martin also said that, historically, more than 80 percent of Amherst alumni go on to further studies, earning graduate and professional degrees.
Among those in this year’s class is Gina Faldetta, who will start Harvard Law School in the fall where she will study intellectual property law. “It’s a growing field” that will give her the chance to be part of “creative industries,” she said.
A native of Austin, Texas, Faldetta majored in economics, French, and SWAGS, an acronym for sexuality, women’s and gender studies. A highlight of her college career, besides studying in Paris as a junior, was writing an article for a campus publication advocating for gender-neutral bathrooms. The article became the object of much “vitriol,” she said. After that, “people knew me as ‘that bathroom article girl.”
Faldetta saw it as an important opportunity to “support the trans community,” as well as to advocate for ways to make it easier for women to travel in public spaces. The campus, she learned through writing a research paper on the subject, has more toilets for men than it does for women.
Sam Caldwell, a geology major from North Carolina, spoke glowingly of his college experience. “It’s hard to single out any highlights,” he said. Two that immediately came to mind were playing as a defensive lineman on a football team that lost only three games in the four years he was on the squad. He had special praise for his coach, E.J. Mills, whose lessons about life and character were even more meaningful to him than the two undefeated seasons he experienced as a junior and senior.
Caldwell will also remember the many field trips he got to take, most within an hour of campus. “The Pioneer Valley is an extraordinary place to study geology,” he said. “You don’t have to drive very far to see almost any kind of structure.” He will pursue a master’s degree in earth sciences at Syracuse University next year.
Daniel Diner, a philosophy major who has been working in New Jersey for the last two years, came back to campus to claim his degree, having finished up the few credits he was short of when he left. He now works for a company that does online tutoring for professional athletes studying for academic degrees. He also has his own business selling items on eBay that he collects from people cleaning out homes. He started that business at Amherst College when he had a campus job cleaning out dorms at the end of each school year and realized how much money he could make selling items students left behind. He rented a storage locker in Hadley and was able to make $4,000 in just a few weeks one year. “It’s horribly wasteful,” he said of the things people discard. “Some people abandoned entire wardrobes.” He once found $125 worth of Taiwanese currency.
Kira Skaggs, a psychology major from Los Angeles, will be going to San Francisco next year to work for a healthcare tech startup that specializes in finding doctors to give second opinions, while she applies to medical school. A highlight of her college career was competing with her show horse at a national equestrian competition during her sophomore year.
The student speaker at the college’s 195th commencement ceremony was history major Darienne Masishi Madlala, who is from South Africa. She reflected on the fact that this marks the 40th anniversary of women graduating from the college, noting that there were nine female members of the class of 1976.
Madlala also spoke about the process of writing her speech and turning to a friend to help her avoid clichés. It’s a commencement address, “no matter what you say, it’s going to be a cliché,” was the answer she got back.
Among those in the audience arrayed on white plastic folding chairs on the lush lawn was Sandra Mbeche, who had come from Houston to support her cousin Quincy Ogutu, who was graduating with degrees in economics and computer science. She was one of 30 family members in attendance and it was the fifth graduation they had been to since December. They had come in from Texas, Oklahoma, Baltimore and Nairobi.
Others in the graduating class included political science major Sam Seham, who is going to law school at New York University next year. He has his sights set on becoming a litigator. “I want to be in the courtroom, making arguments and pointing fingers,” he said. The thing he will miss most about college are what he called “the party dorms” where he lived for three years and which are slated for demolition. “It was really gross, but we had a lot of fun,” he said. “They will be missed.”
Christa Kerr, who studied law, jurisprudence and social thought, is looking for a job in the nonprofit sector working with women or children while she applies to law school. The highlight of her college experience was participating in a protest called “Amherst rising,” against racism on campus. “It was enlightening,” she said.
Eric Goldscheider can be reached at eric.goldscheider@gmail.com