Celebrating the Class of 2016 at the 79th Congregation Graduation Luncheon

At last Thursday’s graduation luncheon, Morningside celebrated its fourth graduating class of 65 students!  After welcome remarks by Prof. Sir James Mirrlees, the ceremony featured an address by Morningside College’s Chairman of the Committee Overseers, Dr. Gerald Chan, who spoke about the importance of striking a balance between utility, liberty, and community. He began by highlighting to strength of the Morningside community, “meant for you to get to know your peers who come from different backgrounds, have different life experiences and sensibilities, who hold different views, have different strengths, and are faced with different challenges.” He advised that building community, while maximizing our individual abilities and freedoms, is what allows us all to lead good lives. While we live in divisive times, Dr. Chan spoke about being encouraged by millennials who have rallied against cultural conformity, celebrated individual particularities, and demonstrated a “gush of creativity.” Dr. Chan ended his address by encouraging students to action with the Morningside motto as guide: “While we are seeing a lot of tearing down all around us, we should seek to build up. [..]Be a lifelong leader, and continue to pursue scholarship, live a virtuous life, and serve your communities.”

The importance of community was echoed by the Class of 2016’s two student speakers: Olivia Chau, and Ivan Cheung. Both spoke about finding community at Morningside, and coming back to it time again during their college career. In her address, Ms. Chau thanked Morningside for “providing [graduates] a place to learn and socialize, a sanctuary for [graduates] to meet like-minded people and learn more about [their] fields with mentors that could guide [them] through our studies.”

Congratulations to the Class of 2016!