On Aug. 25, 2026, President Eric Boynton hosted the annual senior toast, inviting Beloit College’s graduating class of 2027 to dress up in their Tuesday best and enjoy cookies, champagne (or grape juice for those under 21), and a moment of celebration for all their hard work. Beneath the shady canopy of the President’s House’s backyard, many took the opportunity to relax, take photos, and enjoy an escape from the blistering heat.
It wasn’t long before Boynton himself made an appearance, gradually hushing the crowd before beginning his address. Boynton proclaimed his pride in the class of 2027, congratulated students on their progress so far, and wished them luck in their final year as Beloiters before raising glasses.
The senior toast was a small event, but it acted as a meaningful show of goodwill to a class that has seen a lot of Beloit College’s ups and downs. Many parts of campus life have seen drastic changes from the beginning of Boynton’s tenure as college president, from the location of the dining hall, the library, and even where campus begins and ends. From the buildings and the departments to the events and the culture, Eric Boynton has left an indelible mark on Beloit, a vision that he has been proud to share and bring to life with the class of 2027 beside him.
Boynton said, “I think about my inaugural address, and the future that I laid out … is the future that we’re living in.” Still, Boynton concedes there is still much work to be done. Beloit College, now more than ever, has found itself at the center of a rapidly changing world, one that threatens to unravel the foundations of academia, the social landscape and even the concept of truth itself.
“For the recent instance that happened, [the] graffiti we found … The world is cracked about the head, it’s woven into this place … and it’s up to the people here … to actually activate a different possibility for the future,” Boynton said, in reference to the racist vandalism found in the Podcast Room on Aug. 24. “I doubt we’ll purge this in your lifetime … [but] what I’m hopeful about is all of you.”. Looking back in the past, it’s … damage and despair, but … hope contains, in it, doubt, ‘cause you gotta hope for something different … which means where you are right now is not where you want to be,” said Boynton.
The cCollege as an institution has to adapt to this to survive. Faced with this challenge, Boynton affirms that the kind of people who can bring about that positive change are the exact type he believes Beloit College has made under his watch.
“Beloit College, not perfectly, not all the time, but it is designed to open up different kinds of pictures, to get you all to think about things in many ways, that we can’t yet understand based upon our teaching of the tradition, of our own disciplines, and our own approaches,” Boynton said. “So all of you to open up this new kind of place … that’s what I’m hopeful about.”
And finally, The Round Table asked President Boynton the pressing question we’re all wondering about Beloit College leadership — will the Boynton family be acquiring any new dogs this year?
“No, not if I can help it,” said Boynton, laughing a little to himself. Immediately after Boynton said this, Jetson, the family’s newest dog, bolted out of Boynton’s range of sight. She was located shortly after on the other side of the President’s front lawn, taking an interest in a nearby squirrel.
Featured image: Betty Cavicchia’28
Leave a Reply