Sitting amidst a sea of eager members of the Class of 2013, listening to College President Jim Yong Kim's speech, I thought back to my own convocation and utilized my newfound ability to reminisce on freshman year. I remember hearing Tommy Clark of Grassroots Soccer speak on many of the same issues finding your passion, changing the world and taking responsibility for the flaws of mankind. And I remember feeling what I imagine many of the '13s felt anxious as hell. Although the call to action and aspiration to greatness are necessities for all young people, Dartmouth students need to be reminded that, while we are a canvas of potential, we need to enjoy a lot of aimless doodling first.
"What is the purpose of a Dartmouth education?" Kim asked to the assembled crowd. He believes, rightly I think, that while we must "learn for the pure love of learning," we must also step up to the challenges our future faces, and overcome them. While I understand Kim's sense of urgency with this matter, I believe he would agree that it is of the utmost importance that we also take our precious time. We must take the time to realize that the world will never really change unless our generation focuses as much inwardly as it does outwardly.
Too often at Dartmouth, we arrive pronouncing our intentions to double major in government and economics with a minor in public policy, or to major in engineering modified with environmental studies. From there, we are shuffled to first-year advisers, deans and major advisers who tell us how to best capitalize on our interests and succeed in life. My worry is that while working to achieve external accomplishments, and setting our goals so lofty so soon, we lose sight of another, more nebulous goal of a Dartmouth education figuring out how to be happy in this world.
Maybe some will call me a hippie, or too new-agey, but I firmly believe that the only way we will truly change the world is by first figuring out who we are as people what we truly enjoy, who we love enjoying it with and, eventually, how we should go about finding it. This is a daunting task, one that cannot be solved with mere inspiration and the right resources. It will take encouragement, and maybe at times even a lack thereof.
The facts are that very few of us will ever make such illustrious contributions to humanity as Kim or Clark have made. While this should never dissuade us from trying, it should highlight the importance of taking our time, trying different options and, most of all, constantly searching.
I never want to see Dartmouth students stop trying to change the world, nor do I wish that our administrators, advisers and faculty members would refrain from encouraging us to aspire to greatness. What I would like to see is recognition by students that, for most, greatness will come in a simpler, less grand form. We will marry, or not have kids or adopt. We will continue to meet people and learn and impart our collective experience. We will get jobs and spend our free time and resources trying to make the world around us a better place. Dartmouth students should never consider any of the above as evidence of failing in some way, nor should they end up depressed or overwhelmed if they find that they're not dramatically changing the world in 10 years.
Although we all have the potential to be the next Jim Yong Kim, chances are we won't be. More likely, we'll be one of the thousands upon thousands of doctors, researchers, teachers or managers who are essential to making the projects of men like Kim possible. While at Dartmouth, we need to look to the problems of the world and figure out our place among them. We need to strive to find our passion and help change the world of course but we must not forget in the process to continue to develop a far more important passion: a passion for life. Without it, and without the goodwill, empathy and compassion it inspires, no amount of policy making will change this world. Change must first come from within.
