Greg Mortenson, coauthor of the bestseller
Three Cups of Tea, and senior class speaker
Qiamuddin Amiry of Kabul, Afghanistan, cofounder of the Afghan Scholars Initiative, emphasized the role of education in solving global problems when they spoke at Colby's 188th commencement Sunday, May 24. Colby's Class of 2009, 509 strong, received diplomas from President
William D. Adams as thousands watched on the Miller
Library lawn. Amiry’s speech went from humorous (“I’m very succinct in Urdu, but I’m guessing that five minutes of speech in Urdu would be even less welcomed than ten minutes in English”) to poignant (what separates him from young suicide bombers in Afghanistan).
More about commencement plus audio and
video are online.
Qiamuddin Amiry '09, who was Colby's senior class speaker May 24, was featured on NPR's Morning Edition
Monday, May 25: "Only a few years ago, he was weaving carpets in Kabul to
help his family. He later worked as a translator with the British military, and it led to opportunities that earned him a scholarship and brought him to the United States. Now he helps bring more Afghan students to America, like Sikandar Ahmadi." Listen online.
Vice President Dick Cheney’s assertion that President Obama’s counterterrorism policies put America at greater risk were wrong, said Jack Goldsmith III, a Harvard law professor who received an honorary
doctor of laws degree at commencement and addressed a faculty and trustee
dinner the night before. “I think he was wrong because, in fact, President Obama has not rejected the Bush administration counterterrorism policies,” Goldsmith said. A transcript and audio of Goldsmith’s remarks are online, along with recordings of astronomer Margaret Geller, Tom’s of Maine founders Kate and Tom Chappell, and Board of Trustees Chair Joe Boulos ’68. Speaker Greg Mortenson also received an honorary degree.
The Class of 2009 leaves Colby during a recession that's been called the worst since the Great Depression. "I won’t insult your considerable intelligence by telling you not to worry about these circumstances, and that everything will be all right," said President William D. Adams in his baccalaureate address to seniors May 23. But, he added, he is optimistic because graduates have the critical thinking skills and the specialized study they need to succeed. More about baccalaureate and a transcript of Bro's speech are online.
CAN (Colby Alumni Network)
Colby Fund
Colby College Museum of Art
Gift Planning
Reunion Weekend 2009
