President Melvin L. Oliver, Charge to the Class of 2019

President Melvin L. Oliver’s Charge to the Class of 2019

Transcript

Pitzer tradition says that it’s now time for me to give you your charge. As Pitzer College students who possess immense confidence, unabashed individuality, ideas on practically every social issue and boundless enthusiasm, providing a charge for you is probably pointless. But tradition cannot be overlooked; let me give it a try.

I just finished reading the Walter Isaacson biography of Leonard da Vinci. I was struck by the fact that as an artist, da Vinci only completed a few paintings and sculptures. However, they were masterpieces, ahead of their time, classics that we know well and appreciate, from the Mona Lisa to his famous painting of the Last Supper. We all have a limited time on this earth, and I want to challenge you to produce a masterpiece in whatever way you can; through your hands such as a work of art, your mind such as creative writing, scholarship, a feat of engineering, or your heart, through acting, through relationships, social ties or passionate societal engagement. These are the kind of masterpieces that embody a commitment to intellectual curiosity, intense observation, critical appreciation, perseverance, human sympathy, discipline and diligence. And they add to the richness of our lives and lives that come after.

I charge you to make the commitment to produce a masterpiece that lives beyond your time and leaves a legacy for all of humanity.

My friends, I present to you the Pitzer College Class of two thousand and nineteen!

About Pitzer College

Pitzer College is a nationally top-ranked undergraduate liberal arts and sciences institution. A member of The Claremont Colleges, Pitzer offers a distinctive approach to a liberal arts education by linking intellectual inquiry with interdisciplinary studies, cultural immersion, social responsibility, and community involvement. For more information, please visit www.pitzer.edu.