Students, their parents, faculty and other members of the Hamilton community gathered in the Chapel on Saturday, Sept. 21 to listen to President Tepper’s mid-semester update on what he described as a “whirlwind of activity” so far on the Hill.

President Tepper recognized the fact that he too is new to Hamilton, along with its class of first-years. Jokingly, he asked the audience to lean forward and catch a whiff of the “new-car smell” permeating off of him from the podium. He went on to explain what he felt made the Hamilton community unique compared to institutions that he had previously had the privilege to work at.

He described Hamilton students and faculty as people that approached teaching, learning and discovery like “every day is day one” — people that were “motivated by questions, not by answers.” He recognized that many students view learning merely as a way to achieve exceptional grades. However, he feels that once students arrive at Hamilton, they start developing an “exploratory mindset” that allows them to see problems as opportunities to learn, not just steps to getting an A+.

He went on to describe the community as one that “holds the door for one another,” both literally and figuratively. He has found that people always seem to smile at one another while they walk by each other on campus, whether they know each other or not. And while students may come to Hamilton from various states, provinces, territories, countries and nationalities, once they arrive on the Hill, they are simply another member of a welcoming, tight-knit community.

He feels that this sense of community has continued to foster healthy political discussion between students. He mentioned a recent community conversation held by the administration to discuss campus discourse. During the event, President Tepper witnessed a conversation between two students — one that was in support of Palestine and another that he assumed was in support of Israel. He said that the two students demonstrated tremendous maturity and respect for each other, despite holding vastly different opinions regarding the ongoing conflict. The two students recognized that it is okay for them to disagree and continued to engage in healthy political discourse.

He overheard one of the students say that while they may disagree, maybe they can still “build something beautiful together.” Impressed by their conversation, President Tepper told the audience that this interaction demonstrated Hamilton students’ abilities to “disagree without being disagreeable,” and that such conversations are made possible by the unique sense of community that is enjoyed by members of Hamilton College. He feels people within the community abide by a people-first principle, which requires active listening, respect, trust and care for each other.

While President Tepper has continued to spend time on campus, connect with the community and engage in meaningful discussions, it has become apparent that the welcoming and caring community is willing to give a helping hand to any newcomer, regardless of their background or values.