Approximately) Six Words of Advice For Graduates

By Ben Fagell

The Dartmouth Staff

The Dartmouth asked professors to provide the Class of 2021 their best life advice in just six short words. Providing a quote is simple enough, but condensing one’s sentiments into a succinct blurb proved to be a challenge — and some professors broke the rules. Nonetheless, The Dartmouth presents — approximately — six words of advice.

SOPHIE BAILEY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Spanish and comparative literature professor Rebecca Biron: Question everything, laugh and be kind.

Religion professor Randall Balmer: Don’t play it safe. Take chances. Earth sciences professor Bob Hawley: Luck is where YOU fnd it.

Women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and history professor Leslie Butler: History has its eyes on you. (borrowed)

Film and media studies professor Jefrey Ruof: “Everything changes and nothing stands still.” — Heraclitus Film and media and African and African American studies professor Iyabo Kwayana: Let

your passion contribute to humanity!

Film and media studies professor Mary Flanagan: Do not be afraid of no!

Film and media studies professor Jefrey Ruof (again): “Perfect is the enemy of good.” — Voltaire African and African American studies professor Marvin Chochotte: Enjoy life while

pursuing your endeavors.

Women’s, gender, and sexuality studies professor Eng-Beng Lim: Always profess queer love and care.

Classics professor Margaret Graver: Find what you do well & do that.

Theater professor Dan Kotlowitz: Compassion and kindness, the rest will follow. African and African Americans studies, religion and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies professor Robert Baum: Speak truth to power.

German studies professor Petra McGillen: Read, travel, eat, laugh, rest. Repeat.

Computer science professor Thomas Cormen: Live your life with meaning.

Mathematics professor Peter Doyle: Watch the doughnut, not the hole. Geography and earth sciences professor Justin Mankin: Be civic-minded —

acknowledge your agency.

Classics, cognitive science and linguistics professor Lindsay Whaley: It’s good to innovatively split infnitives.

Government and quantitative social science professor Charles Crabtree: Don’t select on

the dependent variable.

Psychological and brain sciences and cognitive science professor Alireza Soltani: Make the world a wilder place.

Anthropology and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies professor Sienna Craig: Reciprocate. Practice compassion. Cultivate equanimity. Laugh.

Studio art professor Brenda Garand: There are no rules in art. Jewish studies professor Marc Caplan: Judaism is BIG, like everything else.

African and African American studies and sociology professor Trica Keaton: You are the light you seek!

Sociology professor John Campbell: Life is short … have fun!

Classics professor Håkan Tell: Life is short; live well now.

French professor Scott Sanders: “What is Enlightenment? Using your own understanding.” — Kant

Art history and women’, gender, and sexuality studies professor Ada Cohen: Always keep art in your life.

Chemistry professor Jane Lipson: Absorb photons. Radiate generosity. Conserve heartbeats.

Spanish and Portuguese professor José del Pino: Experiment your life as a permanent discovery.

Anthropology and Russian professor Sergei Kan: Always be true to yourself.

Mathematics professor Anne Gelb: Be robust and avoid ill-conditioning. Environmental studies professor Michael E. Cox: Don’t optimize for just one

thing.

Geography postdoctoral fellow Sujin Eom: Be strangers to yourselves, not others.

Cognitive science, philosophy and psychological and brain sciences professor Jonathan Phillips: The deed is everything; the glory, nothing.

Psychological and brain sciences professor Jeremy Manning: Do good, have fun, seek happiness.

Women’s, gender, and sexuality studies professor Mingwei Huang: Think systemically, act collectively. Rest!

Government and quantitative social science professor Yusaku Horiuchi: Be global, be fexible, stay healthy!

Earth sciences professor Erich Osterberg: Let batter rest for delicious pancakes.

Government professor James Murphy: Write your eulogy, then live it.