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Connecticut College graduates urged to lead with ´passion, purpose and principle´

May 18, 2008

For immediate release - May 18, 2008 Contact: Amy Sullivan (860) 439-2526; amy.sullivan@conncoll.edu

Connecticut College graduates urged to lead with 'passion, purpose and principle'

NEW LONDON, Conn. - Public radio and television host, author, philanthropist and advocate Tavis Smiley urged the 450 graduates at Connecticut College's 90th Commencement Sunday to focus on issues of humanity, to contest injustice and to have the courage to lead.

"Today, we are sending you out into the world to be leaders - if we are ever going to live in a world that is as good as its promise, you are going to have to lead," Smiley said. "I hope whatever you do, you do it with passion, purpose and principle."

Smiley was at Connecticut College in 2006 for the college's symposium on Cornel West's "Democracy Matters," the inaugural event celebrating the establishment of the college's Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity.

"I have visited this campus before, and I know from my interactions with students here that this is a class that understands what we mean when we say justice for all," Smiley said.

Prior to his address, the college honored Smiley with an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

The Commencement ceremony took place on the newly named Jean C. Tempel '65 Green. Formerly known as "college green," it was named to honor Jean C. Tempel, a 1965 Connecticut College graduate who has played a critical role in all aspects of the college. Tempel, who retired from the college's board of trustees this weekend after 13 years of service, was awarded the Connecticut College Medal in 2004.

During the ceremony, the prestigious Oakes and Louise Ames Prize was awarded to Scott Kingsland Borchert, a double major in English and history from Midland Park, N.J., for his honors thesis, "Against Accumulation: Moby-Dick, Mason & Dixon, and Atlantic Capitalism." The prize, named for a previous president of the college and his wife, is given to a graduating senior who has completed this year's most outstanding honors study.

The equally prestigious Anna Lord Strauss Medal was awarded to Sandro Aguilar, a psychology-based human relations major from Houston, Texas, for his outstanding record of community and public service work throughout his four years at Connecticut College. Through the Connecticut College Office of Volunteers for Community Service, Aguilar worked as a mentor and a tutor for a wide range of children and youth in the New London community; this year, he developed and implemented a new program focused specifically on Latino boys at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School. The medal, named for a former member of the college's board of trustees, is presented to a graduating senior who has done outstanding work in public or community service.

The college awarded the Connecticut College Medal to Virginia Slaughter, a 1948 graduate, emeritus trustee and parent of a 1977 Connecticut College graduate. Slaughter was recognized for her longstanding commitment to the college and her persuasive advocacy for diversity and scholarship programs. The Connecticut College Medal is the highest honor the college can confer on those whose accomplishments and service have enhanced its reputation and nourished its growth.

Connecticut College President Leo I. Higdon Jr. spoke about the accomplishments of the senior class, including their record participation in the college's annual fund.

"This class has excelled in many venues: classrooms, athletic fields, arts exhibitions, theater productions … I've seen this excellence in your dedication to environmental sustainability and stewardship of our planet and I've seen it with your passion around equity, diversity and inclusiveness and how we define this community," Higdon said.

Higdon also encouraged students to stay connected to t

For more information contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu