Middlebury College 2022 Baccalaureate program

middlebu ry college baccalaureate middlebury chapel middlebury, vermont may 28, 2022

Guests who wish to use the services of an ASL interpreter may be seated in the reserved ASL area in the front of Middlebury Chapel.

ORDER OF PROCESSION

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

Jeff Cason Provost and Executive Vice President

Sujata Moorti Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty

Smita Ruzicka Vice President for Student Affairs

Saifa Hussain Associate Chaplain and Muslim Advisor

Jesse Bowman Bruchac Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation

Mark R. Orten Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life and Director of the Scott Center

Danielle A. Stillman Associate Chaplain and Jewish Advisor

Laurie L. Patton President

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE CHOIR

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BAC CA L AU R E AT E S E RV I C E

Founded in 1800 with Protestant roots, Middlebury College has always been a nonsectarian institution. This Baccalaureate service pays honor to the full history of the College and its many traditions. One of these is an address to the senior class by the president at the time of Commencement.

The Baccalaureate service intends to welcome people of all faiths and no faith in the spirit of the College’s intellectual heritage. We extend warm greetings to all those in attendance, affirming the importance of shared human values that are central to religious traditions and beliefs. We recognize our rich past and celebrate the diversity of beliefs and worldviews represented among the members of this senior class and those in attendance. _______________________________________________________________________________

George Matthew Jr., College Carillonneur Jeffrey G. Buettner, Director of Choral Activities, Organist

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THE CEREMONY

George Matthew Jr.

THE CARILLON

College Carillonneur

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Toccata in F Major

PRELUDE

J. S. Bach

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Processional Leo Sowerby

PROCESSIONAL*

_______________________________________________________________________________ LAND Saifa Hussain ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND INVOCATION* _________________________________________________________________________________________ OPENING PRAYER IN THE ABENAKI LANGUAGE

Jesse Bowman Bruchac

WELCOME

President Laurie L. Patton

WORDS ON WISDOM**

The Hebrew Bible, Proverbs 3:13–20 The Bhagavad Gita 4.38–39

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Improvisation for Native Flute

MUSIC

Jesse Bowman Bruchac

_______________________________________________________________________________ WORDS ON WISDOM**

The New Testament, James 3:13–18 The Qur’an 2:267–269

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* Congregation stands

**Translation of readings on pages 11–16 4

_______________________________________________________________________________ MUSIC

In Silence Thomas Lavoy Middlebury College Choir

_______________________________________________________________________________ WORDS ON WISDOM**

Zen Teaching of Master Linji (d. 867)

Toni Morrison Sarah Lawrence Commencement Address, 1989 _______________________________________________________________________________ MUSIC

No Hidin’ Place Moses Hogan Middlebury College Choir

_______________________________________________________________________________ THE BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS

President Laurie L. Patton

MUSIC

The Lord Bless You and Keep You

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Peter C. Lutkin Middlebury College Choir

_______________________________________________________________________________ CLOSING PRAYER IN THE ABENAKI LANGUAGE

Jesse Bowman Bruchac

_______________________________________________________________________________ POSTLUDE

Litanies Jehan Alain

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Guests are kindly requested to silence audible electronic devices.

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IN SILENCE Text by Rabindranath Tagore from The Gardener Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.

Let it not be a death but completeness.

Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.

Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.

Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.

I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.

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N O H I D I N ’ P L AC E African American Spiritual Dere’s no hidin’ place down here.

Oh, I went to the rock to hide my face, The rock cried out, “No hidin’ place”; Dere’s no hidin’ place down here.

Oh, de rock cried out, “I’m burnin’ too, An’ I wanna go to Hebben as well as you.”

Dere’s no hidin’ place down here.

Oh, de sinner-man he gambled an’ fell, An’ he wanted to go to Hebben, but he had to go to [gasp!].

Dere’s no hidin’ place down here.

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T H E L O R D B L E S S YO U A N D K E E P YO U The Book of Numbers, 6:24–26 The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Amen.

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T R A D I T I O N A L P R AY E R S I N T H E A B E N A K I L A N G UAG E

Abenaki prayers are offered by Jesse Bowman Bruchac, traditional storyteller, musician, and Abenaki language teacher. Abenaki was one of hundreds of languages spoken in North America before the arrival of settlers. In the words of Jesse’s father, Dr. Joseph Bruchac, Nulhegan elder, traditional storyteller, and author: “Our language is more than just a tool to communicate, it is also a repository of our history and our culture. It holds unique concepts and terms whose meanings deepen our relationship with and our understanding of the world around us, reminding us that everything is alive and imbued with spirit.”

O P E N I N G P R AY E R

Akwôbi ôhônkawidbihlôk ngôniaikok Pial Pol Wzôkhilain, Sozap Lolô ta kdagik kimgwezoak alnôbak, chowitbak kwilawatôzô tôni lalokan waji kizi sôgnawôzimek ta kinawakamigzimuk. waji kzaldiakw ta wli wijokadiakw. Cha tbaskozikw ali tbaskodiganikahômek ta k’wawaldamnôji. Mikwaldamogw mziwi awani wdachwaldamen wlôwzin kwani talôwzit kik. Mikwalmogw nikônkôngoagik ta sôkhigwezijik, waji k’gizkomal kwennak iodali ahkik aliwitamak Ndakinna.

According to the traditions of the Abenaki and college-educated Abenaki scholars like Peter Paul Wzôkhilain, Joseph Laurent, and many others, it is necessary to search for knowledge in order to live a peaceful and honest life and to love each other and to help one another; to learn the lessons life will offer.

Remember that all living things want to live well while on the earth and also remember those who have walked on, and those yet to come, so that your days will be long here upon this beautiful land we call our homeland—Ndakinna.

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C L O S I N G P R AY E R

Klozwôgan Abenaki idamoo “Dawn Land” ni tôni adoji wanaskamakw azitta waskigek kizokw, alamizikw wji wlitbeskawihlawôganal milgoakwil; ni taôlawi Kizos pajitbihlakw wskitkamigwi wasakwhlaniganak - k’wasakwhlaniganowô waji namitohodit, k’wlalokawôganowôl nalawiwi! Wlipamkannikw ta wlinanawalmezikw!

The word Abenaki means “Dawn Land” and as you greet each new day, be thankful for the opportunities it offers; and like the sun, become new light in the world. Let your light shine before others so that they will be inspired by your good deeds everywhere! Travel well and take good care of yourselves!

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T H E H E B R E W B I B L E , P R OV E R B S 3:13 – 2 0 Translation: Jewish Publication Society (adapted) Happy is the one who finds wisdom, the one who attains understanding.

Wisdom’s value in trade is better than silver, her yield, greater than gold.

She is more precious than rubies; all of your goods cannot equal her.

In her right hand is length of days; in her left, riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths, peaceful.

She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and whoever holds on to her is happy.

The LORD founded the earth by wisdom; the LORD established the heavens by understanding; By the LORD’s knowledge the depths burst apart, and the skies distilled dew.

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T H E B H AG AVA D G I TA 4 . 3 8 – 3 9 Translation: Laurie L. Patton In this world, there is no purifier like wisdom; in time, one who is oneself perfected by yoga finds that wisdom in the self.

With wisdom as the highest goal, controlling the senses, and filled with trust one reaches wisdom.

There, with wisdom reached, one goes quickly to the highest place.

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T H E N E W T E S TA M E N T, JA M E S 3:13 –18 Translation: Luke Timothy Johnson (adapted) Who among you are wise and understanding? By their good manner of life let them demonstrate their deeds in wisdom’s meekness. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but one that is earthbound, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every kind of mean practice. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then it is peaceable, gentle, open to persuasion.

It is filled with mercy and with good fruits. It is not divided. It is not insincere.

But the fruit that is righteousness is sown in peace by the makers of peace.

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T H E Q U R ’A N 2: 267– 26 9 Translation: Abdel Haleem You who believe, give charitably from the good things you have acquired and that We have produced for you from the earth. Do not give away the bad things that you yourself would only accept with your eyes closed: remember that God is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise. Satan threatens you with the prospect of poverty and commands you to do foul deeds; God promises you His forgiveness and His abundance: God is limitless and all knowing, and He gives wisdom to whomever He will. Whoever is given wisdom has truly been given much good, but only those with insight bear this in mind.

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Z E N T E AC H I N G O F M AS T E R L I N J I (D. 8 67) Translation: Burton Watson When students today fail to make progress, where’s the fault? The fault lies in the fact that they don’t have faith in themselves! If you don’t have faith in yourself, then you’ll be forever in a hurry trying to keep up with everything around you, you’ll be twisted and turned by whatever environment you’re in and you can never move freely. But if you can just stop this mind that goes rushing around moment by moment looking for something, you’ll be no different from the patriarchs and buddhas.

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TONI MORRISON Sarah Lawrence College Commencement Address, 1989 I want to talk about dreaming. Not the activity of the sleeping brain, but rather the activity of an awake and alert one. Not idle, wishful speculation, but engaged, directed daytime vision. About entrance into another space. Someone else’s situation, sphere, projection, if you like. By dreaming, the self permits intimacy with the other without the risk of being the other. And this intimacy that comes from pointed imagining should precede all of our decision making, all of our cause mongering and our action. We are in a mess, you know, and we have to get out. . . . We should visualize, imagine, dream up, and enter the other before we presume to solve their problems or ours. We might as well dream the world as it ought to be.

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