On Thursday, Oct. 5, Macalester students, staff and faculty welcomed the class of 2028 during the annual Opening Convocation in the Leonard Center Fieldhouse to mark the beginning of the academic year.
To kick off the event, President Suzanne Rivera announced that she had secured a second term of her presidency and will continue in her role until 2030.
After giving her opening speech, Rivera introduced the first speaker, the president of the Minnesota Senate and Grammy-nominated musician Bobby Joe Champion ’87. Champion shared his story of coming to Macalester as a first-generation college student from north Minneapolis to now possibly being on track to become the state’s new lieutenant governor (if Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz win their presidential race this November). He concluded his speech by welcoming all the new students who chose to attend a school in Minnesota.
“You’re a member of the community now, so I am encouraging you to embrace it,” Champion said. “Learn from it. And make your mark upon it.”
In discussing the unrest happening at college campuses across the country, Rivera then spoke on the importance of empathy and care while engaging in student dialogue on campus. She urged students to practice active listening during these unprecedented times of wars and civil rights movements. The president concluded her speech with a reminder that students’ right to speak does not permit them to bully or harass each other.
“The right to speak is not also a right to harass or intimidate or threaten,” Rivera said. “Just because you have the right to say something doesn’t provide license to be cruel or to hurt someone on purpose.”
In her speech, Provost Lisa Anderson-Levy thanked members of faculty, staff and the student body that have contributed to Macalester’s strategic plan and the summer’s Campus Center renovations.
The new Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) President Joel Sadofsky ’25 reminded the student body that he and all members of MCSG are available for anything they might need. He also encouraged students to run for MCSG, with the elections taking place the following week.
“I want to offer myself as a resource in navigating the institution,” Sadofsky said. “My goal is to help students find what they need to be the best they can … and I want students to see MCSG as a pathway to getting what they need from Macalester and making this place represent you.”
Sadofky then invited the Macalester Pep Band on stage. A group of students performed cover versions of the hit songs “Timber” by Pitbull and “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. Their performance was accompanied by a singing crowd and cheers, followed by applause.
Rivera then invited this event’s keynote speaker, the Honorable Andrew Gordon ’05, on stage to award him an honorary degree. Appointed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in 2021, Gordon serves as a judge for the 2nd Judicial District Court of Minnesota. Originally from Jamaica, he moved to the United States to begin his academic journey at Macalester College.
After gaining his bachelor’s degree in international studies, he continued his education at the University of Minnesota Law School. Gordon went on to become the deputy director and lead attorney at the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, a non-profit group with a mission of fostering racial equity in the criminal justice system. In 2016, he received a National Lawyers Guild with a Social Justice Award. Currently, Gordon serves as a Ramsey County district judge in St. Paul.
“Today, we recognize your many professional accomplishments, and your dedication to public service, advancing civil rights and removing barriers to equity,” Rivera said.
Gordon shared how some of his experiences as a student at Mac shaped him. He recalled, for instance, that when he first came to the United States, he was convinced that he was going to study medicine and take over his family’s practice in Jamaica. Instead, he went on to dedicate his life to helping oppressed and marginalized communities within the U.S. His most recent project is providing legal assistance for protestors and organizers involved in the demonstrations following George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
“Don’t be too upset when you end up being wrong,” Gordon said. “There is no shame in learning and adjusting your goals and dreams to reflect your actual reality.”
At the end of the First Thursday, three students read Macalester’s peace prayer, and Rivera then thanked everyone for participating and celebrating the start of the fall semester. She invited everyone to come together on Shaw Field to enjoy the lunch prepared by Bon Appétit and wished everyone a good academic year.
