continued from page 31 I hope that as you get into your rocket ship you will always remember
Second, you won’t be diminished by changing your opinions. “It
the lesson I have shared with you – that you have two hands, one for
takes courage to rethink your opinion and to come to a different
serving yourself and one serving others.”
conclusion,” Sullivan said.
DISAGREE WELL
Third, assume good faith in others and don’t attack an individual’s
Commencement speakers Maggie Goodlander and Jake Sullivan, who
character. “Walk a mile in their shoes, understand them, and be good
have served as advisors on foreign policy and national security issues
listeners,” Goodlander advised.
to senators and legislators from both sides of the political aisle, talked about the importance of learning to disagree well.
Fourth, be prepared to come to a disagreement with answers not just
Before getting serious, they began with a back and forth on the type of information a commencement speaker might typically dispense
criticisms. “To make a difference you need a can-do attitude. … at the end of the day if you are going to disagree well, don’t be a jerk, show people respect. Lift people up,” Sullivan said, and Goodlander offered a
and then offered the translation:
lighthearted translation: “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.” Be good listeners. Translation: please stop Instagramming and pay attention.
Finally, “Learning to disagree well is a life long project.”
Expand your horizons. Translation: to the 40 lifers, it’s time to get out
While Goodlander has spent much of her time advising republicans
of Wolfeboro.
and Sullivan his time advising democrats, their upcoming wedding served as a good indicator that the two have mastered the art of
The Class of 2015 did not have a single disciplinary infraction.
disagreeing well.
Translation: Really? That sounds boring. Then they got a little more serious. In a time when social media offers an all too easy forum to broadcast dissenting opinions without much thought to how those opinions might impact recipients, Goodlander and Sullivan offered graduates five guidelines on disagreeing well: First, have the courage to disagree. “We were blown away reading
Following their remarks, the HOWL chorus performed “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth with solos by seniors Bryce Shipman (Wilmington, North Carolina), Andrew Larocque, (Pembroke, Massachusetts) and Leona Giron (Orlando, Florida). Finally, the Class of 2015 enthusiastically accepted their diplomas and
your dorm charters,” commented Goodlander about the charters that
Mike Cooper congratulated graduates in their native languages. HOWL
the members of each dorm write regarding the environment they want
led all those in attendance in singing “Emblem’s Divine,” a school song.
to foster in their dorms. She offered a shout out to the boys of Kimball
The Rev. Gino Finocchiaro delivered the benediction; caps were tossed,
Dorm “who had the wisdom and good sense” to include ‘keep it chill’ in
and a bagpiper led Brewster’s newest alumni out of the Smith Center
their charter.
and into the congratulatory arms of faculty, family, and friends.
15 MUST DOs
F R O M T H E C L A S S O F ’15 We asked members of the Class of 2015 to share their Top 15 list of things a Brewster student must do before graduating. Here’s what we got back, and in case you are curious, #15 was the most popular submission.
1
Watch the sun set on Lake Winnipesaukee
6
Hike in the White Mountains
11
Step on the Senior Seal (but not until you are a senior!)
2
Do the Marina run
7
Watch a boys’ prep basketball game with friends
12
Play Frisbee or soccer on the turf
3
Go to Bailey’s Bubble the day it opens
8
Meet Mr. Anderson’s dog Ellie
13
Make a meaningful connection with teachers and coaches
4
Eat a buffalo chicken wrap from Three Sisters
9
Go to Blacks with a group of friends and find your inner child
14
Join a club
5
15
Pull an all-nighter
Take the Polar Plunge! (“It’s a must” ~ Grace Cawley says so)
34
BrewsterConnections – Fall 2015 2013
10
Eat a crepe at Seven Suns