Returning students, staff, and faculty joined members of CMC’s newest class to mark the beginning of the academic year at the College’s 80th Annual Convocation.
In addition to its celebration of the mission and values that define CMC, this fall’s ceremony at Roberts Pavilion also ushered in a new chapter for the College, as President Will Dudley—an “honorary member” of the Class of 2030—delivered his first Convocation address.
Throughout the morning, a common message emerged: Curiosity is essential to making the most of a CMC education and building a meaningful life.
Reverend Fr. Vitus Mbamalu, Chaplain and Director of Catholic Life at The Claremont Colleges, invited the audience to pause and reflect on the privilege and responsibility of learning together during his invocation. In a culture that so often rewards certainty, Rev. Fr. Mbamalu emphasized that “higher education calls us to something deeper: the courage to ask questions, to remain curious.”
“Let us leave this gathering with a sheer commitment to be curious rather than settled; to seek understanding rather than victory; to build bridges rather than barriers, and to use the privilege of our education not only for our own success but for the provision of others,” he added.
Taking the podium, Heather Antecol P’29, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty and James G. Boswell Professor of Economics, reflected on her similar hope for CMC students: “I keep coming back to one word: curiosity.”
Responsible leadership in every field and every profession requires it, she said, while reassuring students they need not know exactly who they are or where they’re going, because “the beauty of a liberal arts education is that it gives us the freedom to stumble, to explore, and to discover new skills and interests we didn’t even know we had.”
“My advice is simple,” Antecol said. “Stay curious, be open to unexpected paths, take chances on ideas, people, and experiences that may be outside your comfort zone, because some of the most meaningful parts of your CMC experience may be the ones you never planned.”
Student Body President Amrit Dhaliwal ’27 compared curiosity to a muscle that will atrophy if not used, lamenting that “we’re all living through something that’s (working) against that muscle every single day.” Curiosity’s adversary, per Dhaliwal, is an economy and culture that promote viewership rather than authorship and would “rather you keep you looking at a screen for 10 more minutes than let you sit with a hard question.”
“It’s never been easier to let something or someone else do your thinking for you,” she said.
Abandoning inquisitiveness, outsourcing the summation of a tough text, relinquishing the challenge of drawing one’s own conclusions is, Dhaliwal said, “incompatible with the constant effort that’s required from real learning.”
“Thinking cannot be passive; it’s a muscle that only grows if you’re the one doing the work,” Dhaliwal said. “So, my challenge for myself this year, which I ask you all to take on, too, is to pull on that muscle of curiosity. We’re not shy of ways to exercise it here at CMC.”
Following an introduction of CMC’s new faculty, President Dudley offered his remarks, focusing on the “rarely simple and straightforward” journey of finding one’s calling; of turning avocation—who we are, into a vocation—what we do. It is through forging deep connections between our sense of self and our work that we become our best selves and know our purpose, he said, citing his own path as a philosopher and educator.
“Our lives will be more fulfilling if the work we do is meaningful, in virtue of being connected to things that matter to us—to our passions, our dreams, our values,” President Dudley said.
He encouraged students to be relentlessly inquisitive and ask themselves not only “What kind of job do I want?” but also “Who am I?” and “What truly matters to me?”
“You have a precious opportunity here to explore those questions, with each other and with your teachers, in classrooms, dorms, and dining halls, through coursework, research projects, and internships. Approach it all with a curious mind. Be attentive, be discerning, be adventurous.
“You will find your calling at the intersection of your dispositions—what you like to do; your talents—what you are good at doing; your education—what you are prepared to do; and your values—what matters to you. May you use your time at CMC to discover and develop all of those aspects of yourself, and to link them up to the educational and professional paths you choose.”
View President Dudley's full Convocation remarks on our YouTube page.