For the first time since 2019, Williston Northampton commemorated the start of the academic year with its annual in-person Convocation ceremony.
Throughout Williston’s history, Convocation has kicked off the school year. It includes addresses from the Senior Class President and an invited guest, as well as the honoring of notable faculty members. Corinne Fogg, the new Dean of Faculty, was this year’s featured speaker.
Not only was Convocation the first major event to take place on campus, but it was also a time for the Williston community to congregate together as the new year starts.
Sarah Markey, Senior Class President, took the spotlight behind the podium for this year’s event.
“I really think convocation honors our history and that’s one of the things I was trying to touch on in my speech,” Sarah said. “I just think that there is something really amazing about all of that Williston pride in one hour of time and, as a member of our community, it makes me feel excited about the year and proud of Williston.”
“When it actually happened and when we were all sitting there in the quad together, it was even more exciting and more amazing than I had anticipated,” she added.
Sarah Drucker, a three-year boarding senior from Great Barrington, Mass., attended Convocation alongside her fellow Wildcats, and was happy about the annual event’s in-person return.
“I didn’t really know it was a reoccurring tradition just because it didn’t happen last year, so I kind of feel like this is only my second year at Williston,” she said. “I thought it was very good for the school’s morale.”
Along with the students, Greg Tuleja, Academic Dean, was one of the many faculty members excited to return to a normal year with Convocation as the starting ceremony.
“We missed being together as a group and that’s a really important part of who we are as a school,” Tuleja said. “To have these big ceremonies with the whole school together in the beginning and end of the year, it’s really important for us and it felt good.”
Kathryn Noble, Dean of Students, was happy to reinstitute Convocation and its traditions.
“It felt terrific to begin the year with a time-honored tradition with faculty and students being in person and enthusiastic about this new school year,” Noble said. “Sarah Markey’s and Ms. Fogg’s speeches were insightful, authentic, and so well done. Of course, the unveiling of the senior banner is also a high point of the event.”