President Maxey's remarks from the Conferral of Degrees ceremony

Welcome Members of the Class of 2020.

Welcome to your historic virtual conferral of degrees.

It is not often we can claim that, “We are part of history in the making.” But this degree conferral is history in the making.  Its virtual format is historic.  The last months are historic. The lack of your presence over the past months is historic. Moving to remote learning is historic. For all of those reasons and many more, you made history. You are creators of history in this moment. 

Welcome to our virtual world. A tyrannical, heartless, mindless virus brought us together in this way.  It slows and inconveniences us, but it cannot stop us. The virus will not win. In due time, we will hold your full commencement ceremony on the Turbyfill quad, with events leading up to the ceremony. As large and ominous as the virus now looms, it will shrink and fade as part of our future lives. We must remember that.   

The campus is stunningly beautiful. If I were a painter of our campus, I would need 25 shades of green to paint the budding foliage on the mountains around us. I would need reds, yellows, blues, pinks, purples, and whites to capture the blooming trees, flowers, and shrubs.  While it is beautiful on our wonderful campus, the beauty is empty. Empty because you are not here to add your own colors and vibrancy. Any painting of our campus canvas is incomplete without your presence.

While our campus is emptied and barren in its beauty because of a virus, your achievements are not virus-dependent or virally-diminished. No virus can take away what you accomplished.  We can and do celebrate your accomplishments this morning. 

It is, however, an incomplete celebration. We will not finish your celebration this morning. Today we confer degrees. We do not call your names and hand you diplomas-just yet. We do not have you sign your names into the bookcase at the Presidents’ Home- just yet. You do not walk through the faculty gauntlet to receive their applause and hugs- just yet. We do not have you back on the Turbyfill Quad- just yet. 

Those days will come and I hope you look forward to them as much as I. We want to see you. We want to see your smiles and pride about the special significance of your graduation from Roanoke College. We miss you, but your professors, staff members, mentors, coaches, and classmates will celebrate and rejoice when you return to officially commemorate your graduation. I relish in the thought of how uplifting that day will be.    

Our College motto is rarely noticed, but it is especially fitting today. Our motto in Latin is Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat. The motto means “Let the person who earned the palm wear it”. Said another way, the motto says that hard work and results deserve to be lifted up, acknowledged, and recognized. You earned your palm. It is yours to wear. We lift you up, acknowledge you, and recognize you this morning. You are about to receive your palm. Wear it with satisfaction of jobs well done and with a commitment to do good things for the world.     

Four years ago, we welcomed you to Roanoke College in Bast Gym. The class year of 2020 felt special.  We talked about it metaphorically- speaking of your 2020 vision of your future, in fact. What we imagined as your potential then, we see with clear 2020 vision today. There was something special about you then and definitely we feel that way today.  You have been through a senior year that no one else has ever experienced. You see and understand life more clearly than ever. History makers are like that. 

At the orientation four years ago, we also spoke of 4 values of Roanoke College. Those values were for you to “Always do your best”, “Commit to your community”’ “Serve others”, and “Pursue truth in all that you do”. Hold fast to those values. 

This virus has disrupted our lives but it cannot steal our values or dismantle our spirits. I look forward to your return for graduation and close with the words of Martin Luther.    

“The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right.”

Today is a wonderful gift. Tomorrow will be as well. Congratulations on your many gifts. 

We will see you at graduation. Go Maroon Makers of History! 

MCM

May 2, 2020