In her opening remark at the College’s convocation on Sept. 3, President Paula Johnson urged Wellesley students to vote in the 2024 election and declared her commitment to increase understanding in conversations about conflicts in the Middle East.
Johnson opened her speech with praise for Simone Biles for how she overcame obstacles and succeeded in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Johnson proceeded to highlight Vice President Kamala Harris as another “soaring” woman, celebrating the importance of a woman of color taking on a significant role in the nation.
“Whatever your political leanings, it’s impossible not to delight in another soaring woman, the unprecedented presidential candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris, a Black and South Asian woman, a daughter of immigrants, as the nominee of a major party. It is something to celebrate,” Johnson said.
At the onset of the 2024 election, Johnson urged the College community to exercise the right to vote, especially in light of the Jan. 6 Capitol violence. Notably, she announced that Wellesley joined 76 other colleges and universities in an effort sponsored by the Institute for Citizens and Scholars to connect classroom education with societal challenges.
“It’s more important than ever that we exercise our right to vote in order to allow for the peaceful transfer of power,” Johnson said. “In such a politically polarized time, young people can sway the course of the future.”
At that moment, an individual in the lower area of the theater interrupted her speech and shouted, “Free Palestine.” Johnson continued her speech after a single cheer and a brief pause.
“Voting is an expression of hope, and there’s no progress without the hope that things can be better, that life can be freer and fairer in the future,” she said.
As convocation marks the commencement of a new academic year, Johnson noted this time as a fresh opportunity to hold conversations “characterized by mutual respect” on the “devastating and fraught” situation in the Middle East.
This comes as the Israel-Gaza conflict spurred protests and encampments across U.S. universities and colleges. Although students never erected an encampment at Wellesley, they have organized protests against the newly created Hillary Rodham Clinton Center, aimed at “bringing the Wellesley community together with scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to advance democracy.”
On Sept. 2, Johnson, alongside Provost Courtney Coile and Dean Sheilah Horton, sent an email to the College community titled “Supporting free expression while maintaining a safe and inclusive campus” which detailed the policies on freedom of expression and non-discrimination.
“ …Think deeply about how we can sustain a culture of mutual regard, particularly in times of disagreement and discord as we witness the tragic ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and so many other places, and amid a very divisive U.S. election campaign,” Johnson said in the email.
In her convocation speech, Johnson further posed questions that prompted individuals to consider how to avoid “targeting and excluding individuals due to their ideas or beliefs or backgrounds.” She discussed the significance of a community open to new ideas that can be contradictory.
She ultimately addressed students directly and pledged the College’s commitment to increasing understanding.
“The commitment that I make to you, our students, at this moment of renewal is that as a community, we will work very hard to increase understanding all the way around. Of course, community is at its essence a collaborative effort,” Johnson said.
Image Credit: Sazma Sarwar
Contact the editors responsible for this story: Valida Pau and Sazma Sarwar
Updated with a correct spelling of Dean Sheilah Horton’s name.
