Orientation for the Class of 2006, Colby's 185th entering class, included an address by President William D. Adams to the entire class, assembled in Lorimer Chapel. As Adams noted, this is one of only two occasions when the president has the opportunity to address Colby classes in their entirety. For the Class of '06, the next opportunity will come in four years, at baccalaureate. The following is an excerpt from Adams's speech, which explored the notion of civility. For the full address visit http://www.colby.edu/president/articles/firstyr02.html

"The civility I have in mind is really a public and political virtue and capacity, not a private one. It happens in public places and in public exchanges like this community. It's about our individual actions but only in a public place like Colby, in this community. Its key elements seem to me to be this. First of all, to be really civil we have to have a commitment to affection for the community of which we are a part. Otherwise it doesn't make any sense. We have to have, secondly, a respect and tolerance for individuals not simply in the way in which they are like us but most especially in the ways theyre?? are not like us. And third, I think, elemental to civility is the notion that it is basically about communication. That is to say, it happens only in communication, and its effects and nature are demonstrated in the communications we have with others. And finally I think, I hope in a way that will become clear, civility has to do with something like self-control. But what does it look like in action? What do these elements look like when you put them together? I think it involves listening and openness. Listening especially to things that are hard to hear, that we don't like to hear, that challenge us, that make us uncomfortable and nervous and anxious. [And] A kind of openness to that experience which is very hard--an invitation to others who make us uncomfortable in their differences to keep on talking to us about things they're thinking and caring about. . . ."