Category Archives: Faculty Speaker

Convocation Welcome by Robert W. Hill III

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Welcome to students, faculty, parents, trustees, and honored guests.  It’s not as cold as it was at graduation the last time we were all gathered together here.

It is great seeing all of Williston here this afternoon and thank you Mrs. Fulcher for bringing the classes of 2018 and 2019 over.

As Swanee urged us, tonight’s Convocation allows us to consider this time as one of transitions and a time to embrace possibilities and change.  For me, as I’ve said during opening assembly, the fall is my favorite time of the year since we are all adjusting to new surroundings, friends, classes, teams, dormitories, and new goals, whether internally or externally motivated. As the poet Ezra Pound said in one of my favorite quotes, “Make it new, day by day.”

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Reflections for Convocation 2013 by Glenn Swanson ’64

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As the Williston Northampton School gathers together for this opening of the school year, we have an opportunity to have a few moments of reflection. Although this is obviously not the real beginning, it is the formal beginning as we convoke to celebrate the start of school. I ask that we reflect on where we are, where we have come from, and where we expect to be metaphysically at the end of the school year. We would like all of us to be here physically.

We all had some experiences this summer that offered a new perspective on life. In the next nine months—until the closing ceremony of Commencement for you seniors, followed by assessments for the rest of the students—I ask that we prepare ourselves for transitions that will come during the year.

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Posted in: Convocation Address, Faculty Speaker

Baccalaureate Remarks by Glenn Swanson

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So what is this event called Baccalaureate, this evening with the members of the senior class, their mentors, and their parents? It is historically a religious celebration dating from the Middle Ages when universities were first established.

The first Baccalaureate service was likely held at Oxford University in Oxford, England in 1432, and in some cases graduating students receiving their Bachelor’s Degree—the bacca part—had to give a speech in Latin before they received their laurels—the laureate piece. Because the universities were connected to the Christian Church and because the Renaissance was the rebirth of classical learning, the Baccalaureate appropriately combined the power of the church with the traditional search for wisdom through learning.

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Commencement Address by Robert W. Hill III

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Editor’s note: The following speech was presented by Head of School Robert W. Hill III during the 172nd Commencement Exercises at the Williston Northampton School on May 26, 2013.

Good morning and welcome parents, families, guests, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, and especially the Class of 2013.

On Tuesday, this grand canopy that we are gathered under transformed our quad so that we could experience Commencement as one upper school for the first time in anyone’s memory (I even asked Mr. Teller). It seems right to me as well that we are all under one big tent, because as all of you students know better than anyone else, the essence of our school is found in community.

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Baccalaureate Speech by Robert W. Hill III

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Editor’s Note: The following Baccalaureate remarks were presented by Head of School Robert W. Hill III on May 25, 2013 in Stephens Chapel.

Good evening seniors, parents, colleagues and welcome to our Baccalaureate Ceremony for the Class of 2013. I wanted to share a few remarks before we begin this traditional ceremony which dates from Medieval times signifying the attainment of learning and knowledge.

Preparing for this weekend, I face an annual recognition which all speakers at this time of year realize—if they are honest. It’s a dilemma which comes from trying to think of something interesting or, even harder, something memorable to say to seniors who are about to graduate and who have had their fill of advice, nostalgia, and predictions. It’s times like this that I wish I could go to Mrs. Sawyer’s writing center, or better yet, just ask her to come redeliver the message to you guys from a couple of weeks ago: Remember that lesson? “Be kinder than necessary and work with love.”

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Posted in: Commencement Address, Faculty Speaker