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Convocation Address by Emmett O’Malley ’15

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Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh
Photo by Matthew Cavanaugh

Welcome to convocation. This speech is divided into three sections—the three S’s if you will—Socrates, “Success,” and Summing Up.

Part One: Socrates

Since it’s the start of another academic year, it’s probably appropriate that we engage with the big Socratic question right off the bat. That is: What course of life is best? A question that Socrates directed toward Calacles, a sophist – a person not in pursuit of virtue — in Plato’s masterpiece, “The Republic.”

From my humble perspective, the answer to that existential question — What course of life is best? — is that we acknowledge the convergence between our own personal pursuits and the moral obligations that we owe to others for our privileged positions as members of the Williston community. That convergence between our personal and moral obligations is, at least for me, where the answer to the question – What course of life is best? — lies. In addition, our answer to the essential Socratic question inculcates us with — as Mr. Hill likes to remind us — purpose, passion, and integrity.

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Posted in: Convocation Address, Student Speaker

Hagedorn Chair Presentation by Peter Valine

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Photo by Matt Cavanaugh
Photo by Matt Cavanaugh

Editor’s note: Dean of Faculty Peter Valine presented the Hagedorn Chair to Sue Michalski during Convocation on September 12, 2014. The Hagedorn Chair was established in 2006 by Robert Hagedorn ’76, and his wife, Meladi, who are the parents of Gregory Hagedorn ’06.

Good afternoon. It is my privilege today to award the Hagedorn Chair to a member of the Williston faculty.

This year’s recipient of the Hagedorn Chair is a passionate teacher whose dynamic and effective teaching style has been consistently on display since her arrival on campus in 1999. Her approach to teaching is characterized by her commitment to a philosophy of language acquisition that emphasizes the use of relevant, real-life situations encountered fully in the target language. Her classroom is always a hive of energy as her students are immersed in rapid-paced, imaginative, and purposeful activities.

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Posted in: Convocation Address, Faculty Speaker

Senior Dinner Speech by Emmett O’Malley ’15

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Hey! It’s dinner time!

Firstly, a huge shout out to the best Class Dean and Cross Country coach in the land—Ms. Talbot a.k.a Mrs. Talbot-Syfu.  a.k.a Ms. Talfu.  a.k.a Sybot

Frankly, it’s surreal to be chatting at a dinner without my mouth full of food, but I guess my mom finally got her way in terms of my learning something about etiquette. Anyway, I feel as if my convocation speech was a tad on the Darth Vader side of the force —Socrates, Success, Summing Up, etc. That’s why I now feel this neurotic compulsion to venture away from my dark side in an attempt to bring some balance to the universe. Fortunately, I didn’t actually sound like old, wheezy Darth earlier today, which, by the way, sounds a lot like Sameer’s snoring.

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Posted in: Convocation Address, Student Speaker

Senior Dinner Speech 2014: Opportunity

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Editor’s note: The following speech was presented by Ezra Barnehama ’03 during the fall Senior Dinner on Friday, September 12, 2014.

Good evening and thank you for having me.

I’m honored to be here tonight, in front of all of you bright young students.

When I received the invitation to speak to you tonight during your senior dinner, many questions raced through my head

Will I have to be in dress code?

What should I wear?

Can I negotiate for a speaker’s fee? Maybe a small statue?

And exactly how many people turned down the invitation before they asked me?

In reality, it was a simple decision to come back to Williston, to give back to this place that gave me so much, this place that will always remain a significant part of who I am.

To speak in front of the class of 2015 is not unlike the honor bestowed upon the speakers I sat before, just 12 years ago. And with this amazing opportunity comes responsibility. Responsibility to engage and empower. To motivate and to entertain.

So let’s get started…

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Posted in: Alumni Speaker, Convocation Address, Visiting Speaker

Yearbook Dedication Acceptance by Peter Gunn

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Editor’s note: At the end of the year, The Log staff dedicated the yearbook to former faculty member Brian Crockett and History and Global Studies teacher Peter Gunn. The following was Mr. Gunn’s response at assembly.

This is incredible.  This has been a year of incredible challenges for our community and I think we’ve been brought through it because of the leadership of the Class of 2014, an incredible, exceptional, and dynamic group.

Let me first say that it is a humbling to be recognized and share recognition in this book with Brian Crockett, an outstanding teacher, who I think we all know had he not been taken from us so soon, would be recognized in this way again and again in the future. When Mr. McKillop spoke of his affection for Brian, and what it felt like in losing him, he said it was like losing a brother, and I think that’s something that I know many of us understand and I certainly understand it deeply. And I want to say to you that the compassion and the generosity the Class of 2014 has manifest for me, for my family, for Mr. Crockett’s family and for all the people in this community this year stands above all the other extraordinary accomplishments—artistic, athletic, personal—it’s just extraordinary what you have done and I guess I would like to leave you with a thought.

My brother would stay to me, when I’d be frustrated that I wasn’t teaching well enough or coaching well enough or I wasn’t doing something the way I wanted to do it here, he would say to me, “Just be good at who you are.” And I think I would say to the Class of 2014, that your success has come from being good at who you are.

You are good. And you are special to me. And I thank you very much.

Posted in: 2013-14 Assemblies, Faculty Speaker