Seniors tried on their graduation caps and gowns for size at convocation; other seniors made "gowns" out of garbage bags and hung tassels from baseball caps instead of mortarboards.
Greeted with a standing ovation from a loudly enthusiastic crowd, President Joanne Creighton officially started the 1996-97 academic year with a look at the past semester's planning process and announced a new program encouraging current students to share Mount Holyoke with prospective students. Seniors, decked out in their graduation robes for the first time and sporting mortarboards decorated with everything from tiaras to toy horses, led the audience in cheers and whoops of excitement throughout the September 4 event.
After welcoming "the class of the millennium," Creighton explained the progress of the Educational Priorities Committee's (EPC) work in planning the College's future priorities. The process, she said, "let us think together about what we value and what we aspire to be." Creighton emphasized that "we're discussing ideas at this stage, not policies," adding that the goal is to have a revised plan ratified by the trustees in May 1997. The current working rough draft has been inserted into on-campus copies of this CSJ.
The EPC discovered, Creighton said, that there was "much implicit consensus about our values and priorities." She reaffirmed the group's commitment to having Mount Holyoke remain "an excellent liberal arts college for women," and lauded the "historical resonance and contemporary relevance of [the College's] mission." The College will also continue its emphasis on inclusiveness and diversity, prudent financial management, and investing heavily in financial aid.
President Creighton also announced a new initiative, the Mary Lyon Legacy Program (see accompanying article below for details).
With that, music from the Glee Club, and blessings from campus chaplains, the academic year was off and running.
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