荣誉集会庆祝成就，费伦在“了解他人和自己”上的特色

十大菠菜台子庆祝学生的成就, faculty, and staff at the annual Honors Convocation Friday afternoon.

毕业典礼在周四晚上的荣誉颁奖典礼和招待会之后举行, where 144 students, two student organizations, 五名教职员工获得了跨越整个大学经历的奖项:从文理学院和十大菠菜台子的学术荣誉到学生生活和体育运动的领导. See full list of honorees here.

The Honors Convocation, the third and final convocation of the academic year, 强调了这些成就，并庆祝了今年的学院毕业典礼奖获得者, Mark Phelan, professor of philosophy.

Phelan, 2011年起成为劳伦斯学院的一员，他教授哲学课程, linguistics, 和认知科学为荣誉大会做了演讲, “Knowing Others and Ourselves.他探索了两个基本问题:我们如何更好地理解他人的思想和欲望，以及我们如何理解自己的思想和欲望.

他说，他这么做是因为他知道，这两种情况的答案都是难以捉摸的.

“对于这两个问题，我都不会给出明确的答案，”费伦一开始就说. “作为一个哲学家，我有义务提出比回答更多的问题.”

Humor aside, there is value in the pursuit of those answers, he said, if for no other reason than to make us more empathetic humans, imperfect as we are. It is what’s at the foundation of a liberal arts education, why we should strive to be critical thinkers.

“I realize that we are all, in some sense, 致力于通过更好的解释来了解他人和自己,” Phelan said. “毕竟，我们聚集在这里是为了庆祝文科教育取得的成就. 文科提供的知识基础是广泛的. 它要求你调查人文学科的方法和思想, the sciences, and the arts. 这种高等教育模式的一些创始人认为，通过这种方式培养的一般知识和思维习惯是成为“优秀的……见多识广的人类和公民”的必要基础，它们应该先于对职业技能的关注, which can be ‘easily acquired later on.’ I don’t know if I would go that far, 但我常常对常识的生产力和自由的思维习惯印象深刻. 一个领域的思想不断地为另一个领域的发展提供信息，理论学习可以使人们对一个民族有更准确的了解, a place, a time, ourselves, and others.”

他要求学生们不要回避那些不容易回答的大问题.

“As we celebrate your achievements today, 让我们记住你在十大菠菜台子期间我们一起探讨过的深刻问题,” Phelan said. “我们了解他人和自己的旅程可能不会得到明确的答案, 而是通过接受文科推荐的复杂性和持续的探究, 我们将能够更好地探索自己和他人思想中隐藏的深处. Use the tools of empathy, critical thinking, 以及你们在这里获得的求知欲来驾驭你们自己的信仰和欲望. 用它们来连接和理解你周围人的思想. In a world built on complex and frail inferences, let your knowledge be a beacon of clarity and compassion.”

荣誉毕业典礼上的音乐由萨克斯管四重奏提供，由学生埃文·奈(Evan Ney)演奏, Gabe Reyes, John Stecher, and Luke Kovscek.

“我们学生的才能继续让人惊叹和喜悦，”校长劳瑞·A. 卡特说，荣誉大会是“十大菠菜台子最伟大的传统之一”.”

In addition to Phelan, other honored faculty and staff were recognized, 包括:巴布科克学生杰出服务奖(由学生投票选出)授予凯特·佐罗姆斯基, associate dean of academic success; the Mortar Board Honorary Award also went to Zoromski; the University Award for Excellence in Advising was awarded to Jason Brozek; and the First-Year Studies Teaching Award went to Helen Boyd Kramer.

“对于我们校园社区的所有成员，感谢你们每天鼓励我们，”卡特说. “From creativity to perseverance to intellectual investment, your collective contributions allow Lawrence to shine bright.”

Allison Fleshman, associate professor of chemistry, was announced as the 2025 Faculty Convocation Award recipient.