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Alison Bechdel ’81 was named this morning as one of 21 MacArthur Fellows for 2014. She is an amazing, inspirational person and a great supporter of ���سԹ�. Congratulations, Alison, from all of us at ���سԹ�!

I am looking forward to what will be an exciting and historic Homecoming Weekend celebration beginning this Friday. We have a terrific slate of events including celebrations relating to Latinx Heritage Month, the annual President’s Lecture, with Paula Richman ’74, and a Convocation with “Radiolab” cohosts Jad Abumrad ’95 and Robert Krulwich ’69. We will also celebrate the opening of the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex by playing the first home night game in ���سԹ�’s football history.

The beginning of the academic year in American higher education invariably seems to be accompanied these days by a growing wave of rankings and stories in the media attempting to judge the quality and value of a college education. As ���سԹ�’s president, I have written and spoken a lot about the relevance, cost, and value of college education. I have benefited from and believe in studying the distinctive blend of the humanities, sciences, and the arts that is the essence of liberal arts education. And I know ���سԹ� prepares students to lead meaningful, considered lives, to flourish in multiple careers, and to be informed, engaged citizens of their communities and the world. Simply put, I believe liberal arts education is the best preparation a young person can have for success in life.

New students, returning students, new and returning faculty and staff members, I hope your summer breaks were safe, fulfilling and fun. The beginning of the academic year is always an exciting time in ���سԹ�. The pace of life quickens. A fresh blend of purpose, promise, and possibilities fills the air as the campus repopulates, and classes, extracurricular activities, and athletics begin anew.

Commencement weekend was fantastic! After a long, harsh winter and a cold, damp spring, the weather was perfect from the first event on Friday to the graduation ceremony in sun-splashed Tappan Square on Memorial Day. The campus looked beautiful. The atmosphere and the events were great. And fabulous music, music, music filled the air and our concert venues.

To our graduating seniors, for enriching our lives and inspiring us…

To our faculty, for your continued dedication to teaching, learning, scholarship, research, and community…

To our staff, for your devotion and service above and beyond the call….

To all who work here, for making the College, the Conservatory, and the City of ���سԹ� great.

Finals are upon us, and Senior Week and Commencement are just days away. I wish everyone the best of luck with their final exams, papers, and projects. Be sure to take care of your mental and physical health and remember to take breaks, even if they’re brief.

���سԹ�’s standing as one of the world’s great academic institutions relies on the hard work of hundreds of people doing all kinds of jobs. Many thanks to everyone who works at ���سԹ� for the time, effort, and thought you put in to support our students and our community.

The dazzling depth, breadth, and serious silliness of Bill Irwin’s lecture/performance/master class in Finney Chapel this past Sunday evening was great fun. It was also a vivid display of ���سԹ�’s unique creative energy.

Student-faculty collaboration combined with our high level of scientific, artistic, and scholarly rigor is what sets research at ���سԹ� apart from research at many other colleges and universities.

Spring in ���سԹ� features the usual wonders of flowers blooming, grass growing, and birds singing. But ���سԹ�’s springtime awakening is accompanied by something you won’t find or hear at other colleges—the sounds of music being practiced, played, and performed all over campus.