Having been at the College for 30 years, Commencement rituals are not anything new for James Wright. After participating in past Commencements in many different capacities, Wright brings his experience to the podium this year, where for the first time ever he will deliver his speech as president of the College.
Wright said the ceremony's speakers, ritualistic exercises and symbolism make it one his favorite times of the year.
"It's a wonderful occasion for individual students, and a terribly important ritual for the entire institution," Wright told The Dartmouth.
While serving in his first Commencement as the 16th President of the College, the rituals are not foreign to Wright, who was the Acting President in 1995 and has served as the Dean of the Faculty and as Provost. Wright also served as a professor of history.
"I've been to a lot of graduations and seen a lot of classes off, and I'm quite comfortable and enthusiastic about having this role, and I look forward to having this responsibility," he said.
Wright also discussed the larger implications of emotions behind Commencement from the perspectives of graduating students and the College.
"It's a terribly important time because it brings to closure an academic year, and gives us an opportunity to salute and send off a class. It's also a bittersweet occasion because the seniors are often departing with some reluctance because they know their lives are going to change, but they are also caught up in the celebration of the moment with their families."
Although Wright quipped about a common sentiment of Commencement not being an occasion where people are looking for a memorable speech, he said he will use his pedagogical background to talk to a class about various lessons they have learned before they enter the global working community.
"It's the gathering itself rather than the words that are important, but I think the president has a wonderful opportunity to charge the class as they step away from Dartmouth," he said.
Wright said he feels a special bond with the Class of 1999 not only because he has worked closely with some of those students who lead campus organizations, but also because he assumed the presidency as they were entering their senior year.
As for a message to graduates that might not fit into the theme or tone of his address today, Wright had some off-the-cuff advice not to be overlooked.
"Graduates should always remember they've always started a process rather than they have concluded one, and they will continue to learn and unlearn, and [graduation] is not the end of anything," he said.
As a teacher, Wright will come to the podium on commencement with a wealth of public speaking experience.
"[Commencement] is a bigger classroom," Wright joked.
Wright said he does not try to emulate any particular public speaker he admires, but since he has learned the art of oration from standing in front of a classroom, his style reflects one of a pedant and historian.
"I don't get very far away from history lessons. The subject matter of my public speeches is informed by the role of my life as historian, and my style has been influenced by being a teacher here for 30 years, so I don't become a different person on the platform," he said.
In preparation for his delivery, Wright said he peruses the text of his speech and shares it with his wife Susan, his closest editor and critic. While Wright refrains from standing in front of a mirror to practice, he said he reads his speech out loud to check the flow and rhythm.
The weather is a common concern for Wright, graduating students and their guests. With successive years of overcast and rain, and last year's downpour remaining a recent memory, he said some good weather should be due for today's ceremony.
"Rain dampens the ceremony in every way, including literally," he said.
Wright recalls President Clinton's commencement address for the Class of 1995 as particularly memorable. Security issues predominated, and the ceremony was held in the football stadium on a rainy day, factors that contributed to a unique atmosphere.
While keynote speakers differ annually, graduations throughout time share a distinct mood.
"[Commencement] is a time when students' own sense of the ceremony and the ritual take over, where personal feelings about moving away from patterns and friends of Dartmouth they enjoy set the tone of the ceremony," Wright said.
