AMHERST — Clouds mixed with sunshine would accurately describe both the weather at and mood of Sunday’s graduation ceremony at Amherst College.
Although the threat of rain caused the order of the ceremony to be rearranged, pushing President Carolyn “Biddy” Martin’s speech to the end of the program, the heavens declined to open up, with only a few tiny specks of precipitation falling as Martin concluded her remarks.
The student speaker for the Class of 2018 was Noor Qasim, an English major who freely admitted her penchant for emotion.
“If you know me well, you may be wondering why I’m not crying yet,” she said, adding that she had entertained doing a 10-minute-long cry as a performance art piece.
“But I know that’s not really what we’re going for,” Qasim said.
She noted the excitement of graduation, but also a crucial lesson from a “difficult semester.”
“Sadness and joy are next-door neighbors,” she said, “and there’s no way getting around that.”
Qasim noted that a month ago, classmates had gathered to share their memories of Andrew Dorogi, an Amherst senior who died in Mexico this year. A moment of silence was later called for Dorogi, when he was awarded his degree posthumously.
This occurred during a joyous and festive degree-awarding ceremony, with friends and family clapping and cheering as the names of their newly minted Amherst graduates were read out. However, during the moment of silence, not a sound was made.
Qasim also noted the sit-in at Frost Library two years ago that drew attention to issues brought by students of color.
“But now we are here on this quad,” said Qasim. “Now, we are graduating.”
In addition to recounting some of her crying episodes, for both serious and humorous effect, Qasim also emphasized the camaraderie at Amherst, and the value of figuring things out together.
A bit of levity began Martin’s speech, when she discovered that she did not have a copy of it in her binder. She also noted that one of her students had told her in the degree-awarding ceremony that she’d “already given the best speech I’d ever given.”
As the search for the speech was on, the Amherst Choral Society was deployed with seniors dashing to join their underclassman compatriots in formation to sing. Fortunately, only one song was required before a copy was produced.
“Thank you to the staff of Amherst College, who always come through,” said Martin, before beginning her official remarks.
Martin’s speech hinged on President John F. Kennedy’s speech at the groundbreaking for Frost Library in 1963, his last major speech prior to his assassination in Dallas.
“When power corrupts, poetry cleanses,” said Martin, quoting the fallen president.
She talked about the relationship between poetry and power, as well as the importance of engaging in the political process.
“Without the poetic, the political kills,” said Martin, quoting Hélène Cixous, while saying that the opposite can be true as well.
Martin also noted the loss and tragedy that had manifested on Amherst’s campus.
“We survived,” said Martin. “We turned to each other. We made common cause.”
She also noted Christopher Collins, an Amherst sophomore who died on the campus in March.
Martin urged Amherst students not to become cynical.
“Give up your perfectionism,” she said. “Don’t give up your hopes and your dreams.”
“Let the poetic be your guide, as you pursue good ends as a citizen,” she continued. “Truth matters, language matters, you matter.”
The 485 seniors eligible to receive their degrees from Amherst in the class of 2018 hailed from around the country, and the world.
Warren Thimothe, a philosophy major from Brooklyn, praised the value of an Amherst education.
“It’s cool to know how much possibility my Amherst College experience and degree is going to open up for me in the future,” he said.
Thimothe said that he is looking to go to philosophy graduate school in the next two years, and would return home to New York to do odd jobs in the meantime.
Angelica Alvarado, a psychology major from New Jersey who emigrated from Ecuador when she was 10, described graduating as “surreal.”
“I thought it was beautiful,” said Alvarado, of the ceremony.
She will be working in New York in the health care field.
Nina Shallman, an English major from Los Angeles, said that she was a little worried about rain at the ceremony.
“Ultimately, it cleared up,” she said.
She said that she will be returning home to pursue music, which she said she loves.
“It’s been great,” said Shallman, speaking of Amherst.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.
