Selections from Commencement Forums 2001

Actor Laura Linney, Oscar-winning special effects wizard Scott Anderson and famed attorney Barry Scheck were among the speakers headlining Brown's 31st annual Commencement Forums Saturday, May 26. An outgrowth of the campus teach-ins of the early 1970s, the forums offered a window on the intellectual world of Brown. This year's speakers shared lessons learned in the arenas of law, medicine, technology, history and entertainment. Here are selections from their comments.

"Who knows what the impact might have been if socially conscious scientists in the United States and beyond had spoken out in indignation over the misuse of their field."

— Harvard geneticist Jon Beckwith discussing the link between the science of genetics and Nazism; Commencement forum "DNA as Destiny: Debunking the Myth"

"HIV will affect the social and demographic composition of the globe as much as the bubonic plague did in the 1300s."

— Lawrence Corey, M.D., head of the Virology Division at the University of Washington and the program in infectious diseases at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Commencement forum, "The Road to an HIV Vaccine: The Intersection of Science, Policy, Frustration and Hope"

"Anybody who calls himself an environmentalist and votes Republican is shooting himself in the foot."

— Professor John Thomas, quoting author Bernard Devoto; Commencement forum "National Parks: Whose Land?"

"Thou shalt not tempt. Much of what goes on in unethical behavior is because we allow it."

— Economist Paul Nadler ’51; Commencement forum "A Culture of Corruption: The Future of Values in America"

"Morality by necessity must change over time to reflect what real people are doing in real time. … I have high hopes for the future."

— Businessman Neil Donovan ’51; Commencement forum "A Culture of Corruption: The Future of Values in America"

"By looking for life outside of Earth, we may someday be able to define life on Earth. … Our type of solar system is neither rare nor typical. We are one of a whole variety of possibilities. But we are going to know, in the next decade or so, about the whole suite, the catalogues of systems"

— Christopher Chyba, the Carl Sagan Chair for the Study of Life in the Universe at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute; Commencement forum "Extraterrestrial Life: Just Around the Corner?

Museums "must help visitors understand what history is and that it is OK to have multiple views or perspectives, some of which you may disagree with. … History changes. It has to be revised with the acquisition of new information. This would be considered a scientific approach elsewhere."

—Spencer Crew ’71, director of the National Museum of American History; Commencement forum "The Authorized Exhibit: History and Culture in the American Museum"

"It’s a miracle that any [independent films] made it to the Academy Awards this year. For every one like "You Can Count on Me," there’s 200 more behind it.… It was made for $1.2 million — and we each made about $6,000 — in 21 days. That’s the rough and tumble world of independent filmmaking. These are the experiences that stick as close to working in the theater as I’ve found."

— Laura Linney, actress, speaking about her Academy Award-nominated role in "You Can Count on Me." Commencement forum "The Business of Show Business"

"I wanted the secret to her vitality. … She told me it was discipline; that was the hallmark of her generation. Then she dropped to the floor and did 40 perfect leg lifts. She was then 87 years old."

— Marie Brenner, writer-at-large for Vanity Fair, relating her first encounter with New York City social doyenne Kitty Carlisle Hart, one of the women she profiled in her recent book, "Great Dames: What I Learned from Older Women." Commencement forum, "Great Dames"

"Massachusetts was no different [in establishing its independent judiciary] than South Africa was in dealing with the abolition of apartheid. There are those who lead a revolution and those who think about what we should have afterward … John Adams was committed to the future."

— Margaret H. Marshall, chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court and a native of South Africa, discussing the key role of President John Adams in creating that state’s Constitution; Commencement forum, "Judicial Independence: A Mighty Invention"

"You have decisions to make if you want to stay sane. Choose a corner of the world you want to change."

— Laurie Sherman ’84, advisor to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino on health, education and human services, relating the advice given to her by a friend’s mother upon her graduation from Brown; Commencement forum, "How Can We Do Right When the Climate is ‘Right’? Standing Up for Social Justice in a Conservative Administration"

"Redistricting is the wildest political ride you can ever go on. [Politicians] fight for their lives and to [do in] their enemies — and there’s blood everywhere. It’s very exciting."

— Nina Perales ’87, attorney for the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Political Access Program, discussing her work on voting rights and campaign issues in Texas, where redistricting efforts may or may not give Latino voters more clout; Commencement forum, "How Can We Do Right When the Climate is ‘Right’? Standing Up for Social Justice in a Conservative Administration"

"It was an epiphany for me: My interests and her interests were allied. … That’s the miracle of advocacy. My stake in the outcome will never be as great as hers, but it’s enough."

— Eve Stotland ’95, attorney for the National Center for Youth Law in Oakland, Calif., speaking about her first client, a single mother of three whose children were taken from her after losing her spot in a homeless shelter; Commencement forum, "How Can We Do Right When the Climate is ‘Right’? Standing Up for Social Justice in a Conservative Administration"