Convocation Speech
Joanne Tuck

     Thank you, Provost Balich. I always get excited and a little nervous at the beginning of a new term even though I’ve been teaching for many years. Greeting my new students, new course content and new books give my heart a flutter. For you freshmen, you’re embarking on a whole new part of your lives as college students- now that is exciting and scary. Being away from home, many of you for the first time, giving up privacy and having to share space with a roommate, adjusting to a whole new environment are just a few of your early challenges. Even though you may have been very cool in high school, it has to be disarming not to know the difference between Wentworth Hall and Watson Hall, not having mom wake you up in the morning, and having to do your laundry.
     Now, I want to get to the more profound issues and skip over the more mundane facets of college life. We know that life is not a dress rehearsal and this is your only shot at being 18 or 19 years old. It’s a good time to start thinking about your choices. You know that after 4 or 5 years here at Wentworth you will end up somewhere so now is a good time to start thinking of where you’ll want to be.
     This new beginning is close to the first year commemoration of one of America’s worst tragedies. September 11, 2001 was an awesome and terrible day that left indelible marks of sadness, bravery and loss that will stay with us forever. Most of us were horribly shaken up and started what seemed to be a reassessment of American values and ideals. Now we’re in the midst of a war against terrorism and know there is uncertainty around us. People worry about the economy and are outraged by the greed of Enron and other corporate wrongdoings.
     We can’t take things for granted and really have to ask ourselves what do we want from life.
      I am optimistic and have faith that most of us will find our way. I’ve put together some ideas of my own and from others that I hope you’ll find interesting and helpful.
     Dr. Wayne Dyer has some interesting thoughts about what we want out of life. Here is a small sampling:

1. Keep an open mind. Be open to all the possibilities and get rid of stuck ideas that don’t work for you anymore. College is a time to explore aspects of the universe that were not available to you before. I remember when Father Robert Bullock came into my Facing History class and strongly advised the students “always question authority”. Some of the students couldn’t believe a priest had this as part of his remarks. Father Bullock is a scholar of anti-Semitism and the history of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust so he knows what happens when there is blind obedience.
     Freshman translation: You won’t agree with every perspective you encounter- be it religious, political, social or even sexual—but you can develop a tolerance and respect for ideas that are not your own.
 
2. Don’t die with your music still in you. Now this may seem weird to you as you’re just at the beginning of this new journey. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out the tune or even to hear it. Try new things to see what’s inside of you waiting to come out. It may not be in the same key or have the same beat as those around you, but remember it’s your music and it can fill your heart and soul with joy.
     Freshman translation: Try new things, be adventurous, explore the city, meet new people.
 
3. Treasure your diversity. Don’t be terrified to be yourself. Other people don’t have all the answers to life’s big questions so choose wisely who you pick as friends. Your friendships will mean a lot to you so be sure there’s a foundation of mutual respect, kindness, understanding, and honesty.
Speaking of diversity, I’ve added richness to my life by sustaining friendships with people who are a lot different from me- younger, older, international, all ethnicities and colors. I’m so glad I don’t limit my life to a narrow little box with people who only resemble me and my background.
     Freshman translation: Reach out to someone who is very different from you. You might be surprised by what you have in common and what a good time you’ll have.

     2500 years ago Socrates said “know thyself” and “the unexamined life is not worth living”. It’s better to start that examination now rather than when you’re 40. At Wentworth’s Commencement Aug 17 Edson R. McCord was awarded an honorary degree and delivered the commencement address. He had a wonderful mixture of wit and wisdom that really engaged the graduates. Some of his remarks are applicable for you students today.

1. Law of holes—if in a hole—stop digging. We all make mistakes. Recognize them and learn from them. Use pen, not pencil. You can’t erase your mistakes. Let them go and don’t beat a dead horse. If you’re riding a dead horse, dismount and abandon it. Move on with your head up.
 
2. Go with your guts. How much information do you have? Does it feel right? Listen to yourself—you’ll usually be right.
 
3. Two negatives don’t make a positive. Two losers don’t make a winner. You can’t rectify a wrong with another wrong. Always tell the truth—then you don’t have to worry about what you said and remember it.

     Please do remember that teachers are not necessarily slow learners and are skilled at picking up suspicious stories and tales of woe.

     I want to interject with two stories of different students from my course this summer term.
     Student A missed both the last class at which her major paper was to be handed in and the final exam. I was so concerned that I called her mother who took my home phone number and told me her daughter would be home in the evening. Not hearing anything for 4 days, I submitted my grades and gave her an F. A week later I received an email from the student stating that she had sent me all her work and that she was in the hospital for 3 days with dehydration.
     I responded that I had received nothing from her and that the F would stand until I received documentation from the hospital that she was a patient for three days. Two days ago she sent me the missing work. I do not intend to read it or change the grade without the verification from the hospital.
     Student B experienced terrible anguish all summer because her mother was dying of cancer. As she sat in the hospital at her mother’s bedside, she did research and wrote her paper. Her mother encouraged her to meet all her responsibilities. I marveled at this young woman’s strength and courage she displayed at the loss of her beloved mother. She commented that all her professors were so compassionate and understanding. Sometimes it’s more important to be a human being than a professor. She showed up for the final exam the day after her mother’s funeral. When I saw her get her degree at graduation I was moved to tears of joy and admiration.
    
4. Have balance in your life. Yes, you are here to study and learn how to think critically, acquire new skills and become competent in your chosen field. It’s also a time to develop friendships, think about your family and the values they have given you as a foundation in life, dreams of a future career and also have fun. My thoughts are on what kind of human beings you are going to be. Students in my Facing History class keep journals about their responses, feelings and experiences as they relate to the difficult material of the course. The course focuses on how we treat other people, racism, prejudice, discrimination and the Holocaust. A student of mine from the class who graduated Aug. 17 with high honors is launching a career as an engineer in California. I am sure he will be an expert professional but most of all I am confident that he will be a kind, compassionate person; a concerned citizen.

     At the beginning of the semester he wrote: “…..I never really paid much attention to the issues outside my life. Overall hopefully I will learn to care a little more about other things in life besides myself.”
He was filled up with vitamin I.

     At the end of the term he wrote: “I definitely notice things that I never noticed before. I see things differently now, more specifically rather than just observing the physical features of individuals I tend to observe and ask myself who they really are and where they’ve been, and what they have done. Just the other night I was leaving a nightclub. As I was walking to my car I noticed a guy walking in front of me. As we were passing this homeless person holding a cup up in the air asking politely for change, the guy in front of me acted as though he was going to throw change in the cup, but instead he smacked the cup out of the homeless person's hand causing change to go everywhere. Without even thinking I grabbed the guy and confronted him, we had a few select words and actions….and eventually he was persuaded into giving the homeless person all of the money that was in his wallet ($14). I was outraged by this person's actions towards the homeless person. To see someone do something so awful to an innocent person asking for change really got to me. Later that night I realized what I had done, confronting someone because I was so outraged by his inappropriate actions isn’t something that I would normally do. I usually turn my head and look the other way if it doesn’t involve me. Who really knows what caused me to act that way? I think the course taught me to care a little more and to stand up for what I believe in and to act in a time of uncertainty rather than to ignore it and let it go on. It’s not until now that I realize this all ties into becoming the person I want to be.”

     I usually end my classes with 4 questions for the students to think about. One student came up to me and said “Ms. Tuck—do you really expect us to have answers to these questions?” I replied “of course not—but I’d like you to start thinking about them.”

     What do you want to do?
     What do you want to be?
     What do you want to have?
     What do you want to give?

Thank you very much and loads of good luck.