糖心动漫vlog

Sept. 4, 2019

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. � Interim President Georgia Nugent addressed the complexities of 淔act or Fiction� 摀 the 2019-20 intellectual theme 摀 during 糖心动漫vlog檚 President檚 Convocation on Wednesday, Sept. 4 in Presser Hall檚 Westbrook Auditorium.

Nugent quoted late Harvard President James Bryant Conant who, more than a hundred years ago, said, 淗e who enters a university walks on hallowed ground.�

淚n what sense is a university 榟allowed ground?潤 Nugent asked.

淚 think it檚 because of the purpose that brings us together,� Nugent continued. 淲e might describe that purpose as the pursuit of knowledge or the quest for truth. Even if we think of our purpose here as growing personally and becoming more complete and fulfilled selves, that, too, is a kind of striving after knowledge and truth.�

Nugent shared four stories to illustrate the difficulty and danger of pursuing truth. These tales included: Sir Isaac Newton檚 discovery of gravity (finding truth isn檛 usually as easy as the apocryphal apple), Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (human life becomes accursed because of the search for knowledge of good and evil), The Apple of Discord (the search for answers results in disputes, discord and The Trojan War), and the execution of Socrates (due to Athenians becoming annoyed by his pesky truth-seeking).

淚f I claim that the purpose of a university 摀 of our University 摀 is to seek truth, why would I tell these tales where that檚 a dangerous thing to do?� Nugent said. 淭he point is, truth doesn檛 land on your head like Isaac Newton檚 apple. Unfortunately, most of the time it doesn檛 hit you over the head. It檚 not self-evident. It檚 contested. It檚 elusive.�

Nugent continued, 淚n some ways, the search itself is what檚 valuable, even if certainty may never be attainable.�

Equipping students with a set of tools for gathering information, weighing evidence, making judgments and life choices is part of Illinois Wesleyan檚 educational mission, Nugent told the audience.

淭o move forward together effectively, to face challenges that confront us, to chart an exciting course for the future, I believe it will be critical to return to (late U.S. senator Daniel Patrick) Moynihan檚 principle: 榊ou are entitled to your own opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts.櫇

Nugent concluded by inviting the University to consider a message of renewal delivered by her friend and former Yale provost Richard Brodhead to the Yale incoming class of 1995.

淵ou檝e come to one of the great fresh starts in your life, one of the few chances your life will offer to step away from the person you檝e been taken for and decide anew what you would like to become. Far be it from me to say what exemplary life you should propose for yourself, but I implore you not to miss this opportunity to chart one.�

By John Twork