Best-selling author Michael Lewis delivered an engaging, witty, and ultimately uplifting message to a crowd of Colgate students and parents on Saturday, Nov. 1. Hosted at the Colgate Memorial Chapel, Lewis’ visit was part of the Kerschner Family Series Global Leaders at Colgate, a featured event during Colgate’s annual Family Weekend, held Oct. 31–Nov. 2.
Moderator Dan Bouk, professor of history, introduced Lewis with comments that stressed the power of ideas, storytelling, and clear, engaging writing. “Michael Lewis has wielded his own big idea across his career,” Bouk said, “And the idea is this: even the most abstruse topic can become accessible and even alluring when it’s approached with a spirit of genuine delight.”
Lewis has achieved fame for works such as Moneyball, a deep dive into the Oakland A’s and the effects of analytics on professional baseball; The Blind Side, an exploration of the evolution of the NFL interwoven with offensive tackle Michael Oher’s personal journey to the league; and The Big Short, a chronicle of the 2008 financial crisis. All three have been adapted as Oscar-nominated feature films. His most recent release, Who is Government?, explores the complex system of governance carried out by mostly unrecognized individuals doing vital work for the public.
Sharing anecdotes from his life and writing career, Lewis emphasized the value of surprise. He warned against the pressure to determine one’s path too soon. “What a shame it is in a way that life has gotten so front-end loaded and that you’re expected to figure out who you are and what you’re meant to do on this earth so soon,” Lewis said. “Nobody I grew up with would have imagined I would end up doing what I’m doing.”
Lewis encouraged students to embrace their curiosity before specializing. “You still might not know what you have inside of you,” he said. “You still might not know who you are, so don’t overdetermine it.”
Lewis offered advice on authenticity for aspiring writers, noting that finding your voice is a matter of “letting yourself become who you are and just going with it as opposed to trying to hide it.” He distilled his philosophy of narrative by explaining that the best books “create a hole for the reader to walk into, and then they make it their book. They make it whatever they need.”
The evening concluded with a dose of Lewis’ signature wry humor. When asked if his book Moneyball, with its stress on analytically driven strategy, had ruined baseball by making it less action-packed, he acknowledged the recurring accusation and offered a bold solution for making the sport more interesting: “Put a live lion on the field.”
In addition to Michael Lewis’ visit, Family Weekend 2025 brought a dynamic mix of gatherings, events, food, and fun, activating every corner of campus.
On Friday, professors opened their classes, giving parents and family members a taste of their students’ everyday academic experience at Colgate. Friday evening festivities began with a dinner catered by Ray Brothers’ Barbeque in a heated tent along Oak Drive. Elsewhere, Colgate’s a cappella groups performed at Memorial Chapel, and guests were given the chance to enjoy the diversity of cultures and styles on campus at the annual ALANA Multicultural Fashion Show.
Throughout the weekend, Colgate fans turned out in force to cheer on dedicated Division I performances across multiple sports, including volleyball, men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s soccer, and field hockey. The First@Colgate tailgate party and food trucks surrounding Andy Kerr Stadium set the stage for a thrilling football victory, with the Raiders defeating Merrimack 23-20 in overtime.
Saturday was filled with departmental receptions and open houses, ensemble performances, and club-sponsored gatherings. After sunset, fire pits illuminated the Academic Quad, providing an intimate opportunity for socializing throughout the chilly autumn evening.
The sun finally broke through the stormy skies on Sunday, bringing a picturesque finale to Family Weekend 2025. All through the afternoon, students and families were seen together strolling along campus paths, Hamilton streets, and nearby trails — a fitting end to a weekend filled with reunion, renewal, and real insight.