LEWISTON – Bates College will not have one keynote speaker at this year’s graduation. It will have four.
The college has decided to scrap its traditional program in which one dignitary delivers the keynote address and other guests receive honorary degrees. Instead, each honorary degree recipient will speak.
“The main reason for the change is that in the past we have brought four or more incredibly accomplished, interesting people to Lewiston and Bates, and only one of them has spoken publicly,” said Bates President Elaine Tuttle Hansen in a recent statement.
The format will offer the community an opportunity to benefit from each honoree’s wisdom and experience, Hansen said.
The speakers will include former National Science Foundation Director Rita Colwell, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis, Bates Dean Emeritus of Admissions Milton Lindholm and former diplomat and bank executive John Whitehead. The four speeches are expected to be brief, sharing the time normally reserved for one keynote speaker.
“At an emotional time like commencement, I believe we all learn more from and listen better to short presentations,” Hansen said. “A single speech, no matter how wonderful, can be hard to absorb after the first few minutes.”
Commencement will begin at 10 a.m. Monday, May 31. It will be held on the quad in front of Coram Library.
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