By Rhea Kapur ’21
On September 7th, Upper and Middle School students and faculty came together in Hauser Auditorium to commemorate the beginning of the new school year with the annual Convocation ceremony. A traditional, deeply-valued event in the community, Convocation allows all students and faculty to formally recognize the Honor Code and set the tone for the upcoming school year with a number of speeches.
The ceremony was led by senior faculty member Mr. Miller Bugliari ‘52 with the Invocation where he encouraged students and faculty to have “the ability to see the big picture” and to “anticipate outcomes so you are able to make good decisions” this year. He was followed by Student Body President Andrew Cowen (VI) who emphasized his strong belief in the collective community and his desire to contribute, as well as his driving motivations to be a student leader. Acknowledging the many amazing figures who have addressed the community on Hauser’s stage before and recognizing his own relative standing, Cowen shared his reasons for and thoughts on his place on stage. He spoke to how every one of us “want[s] to be a part of something bigger than ourselves,” namely, the Pingry community. He also encouraged students and faculty to “think about what we can accomplish” during this upcoming school year.
Next, Honor Board Chairperson Drew Beckmen (VI) spoke to the immeasurable support, comfort, and guidance a strong community can offer. He used a story about how a group of complete strangers had remained by his side when his bike broke down during a 24-kilometer bike tour, emphasizing the value of a supportive community. He encouraged students to “have the courage to ask questions” and remember that “the Honor Code represents a promise to support those around you. By lifting each other up, we realize our own potential.”
Board of Trustees Chairperson Mr. Jeffrey Edwards ‘78, P ‘12, P ‘14, P ‘18 began his speech by asking the audience about whether our large variety of perspectives on a plastic water bottle shed light onto our personalities. He spoke to how there will be many different viewpoints for students to consider this academic year, but he advised that “when interacting with people, and in your academics, consider possibilities, perspectives, and nuance.”
Lastly, Headmaster Mr. Nathaniel Conard P ‘09, P ‘11 spoke about and connected the lives of John McCain and Aretha Franklin, two unforgettable icons that had different views on the world and recently passed away. Mr. Conard spoke to our own tendency to surround ourselves with those whose opinions are similar to ours. He encouraged the community to “walk out of any echo chamber in which you find yourself, to engage with each other and with each other’s ideas in a respectful manner, to entertain the possibility that you might be wrong, and to assume good intentions on the part of others.”
New student Zoe Wang (III) offered her take on the event, saying it was “a memorable start to the school year and a wonderful tradition that I’ll look forward to for the next three years.” The ceremony closed with a rendition of “Old John Pingry” to establish a thoughtful and energetic start to this school year.