SGA President Rosalie Toupin speaks at virtual commencement. 
Senior Class President Toula Sierros speaks at virtual commencement 
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi speaks at Smith’s virtual commencement ceremony. 
Smith College President Kathleen McCartney speaks at virtual commencement. 
Director of Center for Religious and Spiritual Life Matilda Cantwell speaks at virtual commencement.
On Sunday, May 17, Smith College held its first ever virtual commencement ceremony. Over 3,900 tuned into the program on Facebook Live, which started at noon and lasted just over an hour.
The college conferred 721 degrees: 671 undergraduate and 50 advanced.
The ceremony began with a call to order from Joseph McVeigh, the Head Marshal and Professor of German Studies. Matilda Cantwell, Director of Religious & Spiritual Life, gave the Invocation. She acknowledged the difficulties of a long distance celebration amid a historical pandemic, along with the lessons to learn from it.
“[Today] is a day of revolution,” she said. “For we cannot afford to go back to normal. We can and must go forward to the creation of a new, more just world. So may the spirit of revolution blow through this imperfect format into your minds and hearts and connect us over the miles, seniors.”
In her welcoming remarks, President Kathleen McCartney highlighted the importance of community when preparing to enter a rapidly changing society. “You can count on your fellow alums to guide and sustain you in the years ahead as you make your mark on the world…and I’m excited to see what comes next.”
Rosalie Toupin ’20, President of the Student Government Association, also emphasized the importance of staying connected and moving forward. “Think about the seniors we share this day with today, the engineers, the activists, the artists, scientists, historians, teachers and leaders, each and every one of us a part of not only our legacy of the class of 2020, but the Smithies of the past, present and future.”
Senior Class President Toula Sierros ’20 paused for a moment of silence for loved ones lost to coronavirus, and for the recent passing of Smith student Kristy Shi ’22.
Reflecting on her time at Smith, Sierros said “Throughout these four years, I’ve been exposed to the most resilient, motivated and inspiring community I could have ever dreamed to be part of…Smithies have never failed to demonstrate perseverance even in times of such tribulation…and I am so proud to call myself a member of this community.”
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives gave the commencement speech. She celebrated the legacy of trailblazing alums such as Otelia Cromwell, the first African-American graduate of Smith, her niece Adelaide Cromwell, Smith’s first African-American instructor, and U.S. House members Jane Harman, Niki Tsongas and Tammy Baldwin. Speaker Pelosi also noted the achievements of the current student body:
“When [President Donald Trump] launched his attack on Dreamers, you organized and mobilized to protect privacy, expand job opportunities and secure access to legal counsel for Dreamers on campus. When you saw bias in policing on campus last year, you demanded and achieved an overhaul of racially insensitive campus policing practices. And when you decided that your campus wasn’t doing enough to fight the climate crisis, Smithies fought eight long years to convince your trustees to fully divest from fossil fuels and succeeding—and after succeeding, got to work the very next day to reinvest in socially and environmentally responsible companies.”
She encouraged students to maintain their activism and “make progress for our new America.”
For the virtual conferring of degrees, each student had a slide with a personally chosen photo. Names were announced in alphabetical order by senior house.
In the closing remarks, President McCarthy mentioned two gifts mailed to each member of the senior class: a medallion coin with the Grecourt Gates and a “Class of 2020” baseball cap.
The ceremony ended with recorded performances of three acapella groups: Groove A Capella sang “The Parting Glass,” Blackappella performed “Wade in the Water,” and The Smithereens finished with “Mercy.”
Smith College plans on holding a second, in-person event on campus next year to honor the class of 2020.
