From the President
Remarks as delivered
By the authority vested in me by the Charter of Brown University and the Board of Fellows of the Corporation, I hereby declare the 257th Commencement of Brown University convened.
Welcome to this beautiful place, on this glorious day!
You are part of a centuries-old tradition of Brown students receiving their degrees at this First Baptist Meetinghouse. In just a few minutes I will formally grant you your degrees. When you walk back up the hill, you will no longer be Brown students. You will be Brown alumni – members of the great Brown Class of 2025!
Before I go any further, I’d like to recognize the Brown Band, which did a fantastic job of leading today’s procession. They are celebrating their 100th year this year! And, I do have to give a shoutout to the softball team, too.
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Every year, I have the privilege of speaking to our graduating class. In the past I’ve spoken about problems in the world, or what makes Brown unique, or how you will go on to lead lives of usefulness and reputation (which I know you will). This year, I wanted to hear from you. I asked you to tell what you loved most about your time at Brown. Thanks to those of you who filled out that brief survey. I learned a lot!
One thing I learned is that you care a lot about food! Blue Room double chocolate muffins. They’re up there. There’s a debate about whether burrito bowls or yogurt bowls are better. And the sundried tomato cream cheese at Bagel Gourmet is apparently awesome.
Your love of food intersects with your love of the local community. One of you told me I had to give a shoutout to a friend who has made Instagram reels to support local merchants, including “In the Pink—Acai & Smoothies.”
Not surprisingly, many of you talked about the people you’ve met who have made Brown feel like home. Your friends, especially. Your professors. The Brown staff members who support you every day. One of you said that one of your favorite thing about Brown is Bill Cain, the custodian at the Engineering Resources Center Café.
And many of you said you love our beautiful campus where you’ve built community. The Main Green. The Quiet Green. The Nelson Pool. Many other places.
You talked about the student organizations—from club sports to cultural music and dance groups that have helped you to form connections across all kinds of boundaries.
You reflected on your deep appreciation to participate in Brown’s research efforts and to see how your skills can be used to advance knowledge in your fields. You said you were grateful for the Open Curriculum and the diversity of thought on campus.
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Thank you for telling me why you love Brown. I’m just going to take a few minutes to tell you why I, and everyone else on this campus, loves you. Why we’re going to miss you. And why we are so excited for all that’s ahead for you.
We love you because you achieve the highest standards of excellence in all you do, and you support your peers so they can do the same.
Whether you concentrated in Classics, Economics, Computer Science or Neuroscience, your professors (and I hear from them all the time) loved teaching you because you bring intelligence, curiosity and persistence to your classes. You challenge them. They love it. So, thank you from your professors to all of you.
You support each other’s success, too. This is really special. You’ve served as Meiklejohns, and peer tutors, and Residential Peer Leaders. I’ve never seen students who put their classmates so above their own learning and advancement. So, thank you for that.
We love you because you care deeply about the Brown community.
You show up for each other. You support each other in classrooms and labs. You cheer each other on athletic fields and on stage.
Maybe you’ve spent your Friday night going to hear your friend play in the orchestra and you don’t even care about classical music. Maybe you’ve found yourself on the sidelines of a sports game cheering “Go Bruno” and you don’t even know the rules.
I’ve witnessed this so many times. This year, I loved seeing what looked like the entire football team out there cheering at basketball games.
We love you because you have endless energy and passion to use your knowledge to improve the world in which you live.
As Brown students, you’ve demonstrated—time and time again—the value of applying your knowledge to the betterment of society.
My ask of you is that when you leave this place, you carry your ideas, your passion and your love for community and humanity to your new homes, your workplaces and your schools.
Now, would you like to get your degrees?