Affirmation; Never up, Never in; Create Tradition
Baccalaureate remarks by Craig Gunsul, Professor of Physics

	"Know what you are in favor of." -Craig Gunsul

This event reminds me of a story Abraham Lincoln used to tell about an encounter he had with a man who had been tarred, feathered, and carried out of town on a rail. Abe inquired, "Well how was it?" The man responded, "If it hadn't been for the honor of it all I would've just as soon walked."

It's an honor to speak to you today, though a somewhat daunting task to follow professors Ball, Henry and Hanna. But, appropriately, I do precede "Anything Goes."

You soon-to-be-graduates really don't need any more advice from me, but I'm going to offer it anyway. My advice is trite, but I remind you that things have to be true before they can become trite.

A few years ago I was a member of the committee that evaluates candidates for the Whitman-in-China program. One interviewee had a particularly hostile view of his own country, finding the USA to be cynical and corrupt in every feature. I was troubled since he wanted to represent Whitman College in an environment where he would very often be called upon to comment on the United States. My turn came last and when it did I asked him to say something positive about the USA. He looked at me as if I had hit him with a 2-by-4. He paused ­ stunned. Finally he forced out, "Welllll..., We do have freedom of speech. You can say pretty much whatever you want. That's a good thing, I guess." But this proved to be just too much for him and after a short reflective pause he continued, "But that doesn't mean anybody will pay any attention to you unless you own a newspaper or a TV station," and he was off again. We didn't send him to China.

Professor emeritus Stanley Plummer: Fifty years in a row of Commencement weekend concerts.

At Whitman there is virtually no subject that is out-of-bounds. We permit, even encourage, harsh analysis of all positions and often take contrary positions with the purpose of encouraging critical thinking. George Ball once stated that it was his job to complicate students' lives. I wonder though if we take the next crucial step of encouraging affirmation. I find that students are sometimes sharply brought up when I ask them what they are in favor of. We academics are quite able at examining all sides of an issue. It is but a short step then to a view which holds all positions to be morally equivalent and it is this view I find objectionable.

So the first item of my advice to you is to know what you are in favor of. What do you affirm? Life is affirmation.

Secondly, as a young lad I used to work as a caddy for golfers. The people I caddied for were bettors who played with partners. On the back nine these partners would often "press" the bet. "Pressing" was a procedure that allowed those losing the option of doubling the sum of the bet on succeeding holes. The effect was to create a double-or-nothing bet. Sometimes they did get even, but they often just lost more money. With the bet "pressed" the situation could arise where a person would have a makable putt for a par and his partner would have a long putt for a birdie (one under par, a better score). At this point I would hear, "Never up, never in" which meant that you could not make the putt unless you stroked it hard enough to get to the hole. The biggest sin was leaving your putt short of the hole.

My second advice then is to go for the hole. Never up, never in. Life involves risk. Of course, donšt be foolish but I am reminded of Bob Skotheim's dictum, "Problems are opportunities."

	One independent-minded graduate.

Third, I remind you of what I learned from a whacked-out psychology student some twenty-five years ago. Some background. I was hired in 1969 for a tenure track position in physics. After a couple of years I was asked to create an environmental studies program for the College. So I did. I set out to acquaint myself in subject areas where I was deficient. I attended many seminars and workshops. At one of these I heard various highly polished and professional speakers on topics with titles such as "An Anthropologist looks at the Environment," "Politics and the Environment," "Environmental Law."... These rather slick presentations were followed by "A Psychologist Looks at the Environment." The speaker was an unkempt, youngish graduate student ­ tunic, long hair, sandals ­ who looked radically out-of-place. This strange fellow said some things, though, I've never forgotten.

He said, "If you want to diminish violence in the world you have to diminish it in your own life." One of his examples was the spanking of children. "Spanking just teaches them that big people can hit little people," he said. "Children do need correction but rather than hitting them, punish with boredom, have them sit in a corner." But to get to my point today, he said that one way to make your children feel that they belong is to create tradition. Create special things that your family does ­ in my family we used to have Swedish pancakes on Christmas Eve. I made them right at the table. My boys objected one year when I suggested baking a ham. Your children will groan and protest about the traditions you create, but they will do them anyway. They will come to value them and they will repeat them with their own children. It creates connection.

So this is my advice ­ affirmation; never up, never in; create tradition.

And one final thing ­ thank your parents. Look them right in the eye and say, "I really appreciate what you've done for me. Thank you for making these four years at this good place possible. Thank you."