“Listening is the companion verb to caring. When I listen, I connect, I understand, I affirm the dignity of another. Doesn’t mean we agree, or don’t argue, quite the contrary, to truly disagree, I need first to listen. Through listening, we uphold our common humanity and our commitment to democracy that is at the heart of our human enterprise, of what is most hopeful in our human enterprise, for we stand by the principle that the fundamental freedoms must apply to all, if they only apply to some, they aren’t freedoms at all, and they can be taken away from any of us.”
See more from the 2025 Skidmore College Commencement.
Skidmore College Commencement was one of seventy campuses participating in From Campus to Community a new national campaign to champion civil discourse and democratic engagement in this year’s commencement season. More from President Marc Conner.
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