By Allison Davis
Elm Staff Writer
Just like a kick of the ball starts off a football game, the fall Convocation kicks off our semester. While some see it as a simple ceremony, Convocation is a significant time for all of us to come together around our central goals of the academic nature. Convocation set the tone for the rest of the semester by inspiring us to achieve more, study harder, and be the best we can be.
This year’s fall convocation was held on Sept. 6 in the Decker Theatre of the Daniel Z. Gibson Center for the Arts. It kicked off the start to what will be a great semester.
Grace Eun Hae Kim of the Music Department started the ceremony by performing “Washington’s March,” while Richard C. Gillin, professor of English and Marshal, led the academic procession.
The Rev. Sara A. Holben of the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown then continued on with the invocation and WACappella performed the always-enjoyable Alma Mater, “Old Washington.”
President Mitchell Reiss then welcomed everyone in the audience, particularly the Class of 2016. He was eager to “salute the students… who excelled in their own pursuits.”
SGA President Zac Pandl also extended a hearty welcome to all who were present. He reminded us to “reaffirm our dedication to higher learning” and to “always look back on our days with reverence, pride, and warmth.”
Ed Nordberg, chair of the Board of Visitors and Governors, instilled a sense of freedom into the audience during his greetings. He explained that “college is a time to explore uncharted territories.” Mr. Nordberg encouraged everyone to get involved because “your education should not be a passive one.”
After such encouraging words, President Reiss presented the Alumni Participation Awards.
The Golden Goose award went to the Class of 2003 for the highest participation rate of the last decade. The Class of 2003 also won the Victory Bell award for the largest total gift of the past decade.
The William Smith Trophy presented to the class with the highest participation rating was presented to the Class of 1963.
Finally, the Class of 1969 was awarded the George Washington Trophy. This award goes to the class that gives the largest total gift. The class gift was more than $97,000.
Class of 1986 and Chair of the Alumni Board, Valerie A. Sheppard, presented the Alumni Horizon Ribbon Award. This award went to two recipients, Karen DiLossi’98 and Tim Tawney’98.
Karen Dilossi from the Class of 1998 was recognized for her efforts to “better the community through the arts.” Tim Tawney, 1998, was lauded for his work at NASA, where he used his International Studies major to negotiate international partnerships with many other countries.
Provost Emily Chamlee-Wright then presented the academic awards to the students that, as she described, had “seized the liberal education with both hands.”
The First Year Scholarship Medal was awarded to Lisa Anderson, Adele Bovis, Emily Illar, Sean Kraus, Kendall Rich, and Jenna Rogge.
The Alumni Medal, given to the sophomore with the highest academic average, was awarded to Jeffery Sullivan.
Ryan Bankert was presented the Visitors and Governors Medal, given to the junior with the highest academic average.
Zeta Tau Alpha and Kappa Sigma were awarded the Interfraternity-Panhellenic Council Awards for achieving the highest scholastic average.
The Middendorf Scholars, which are rising seniors that show exemplary leadership and academic qualities, are Ryan Bankert, Timothy Larson, Katherine Thornton, and Heather Black.
Following the academic awards presentation, President Reiss conferred the honorary degrees to Carla Diane Hayden and Nabeel Abboud Ashkar. He explained that it is custom to honor the most accomplished individuals.
Hayden received a Doctor of Letters for her work within the Baltimore public library system. She began by exclaiming her “library envy,” from her tour of the $8 million renovations of our Miller Library. Hayden was a staunch opponent of the United States Patriot Act, where she transformed the image of librarians into “feisty fighters of freedom.” She explained that people definitely understood that the Patriot Act was a big deal when librarians became so concerned about it. She ended by thanking the audience for honoring libraries, like Miller Library, here at Washington College and everywhere.
Nabeel Abboud Ashkar was awarded a Doctor of Arts for his use of music to remove the barriers between Arab and Israeli cultures. He described the start of his work by allowing himself to imagine a different reality, a different world. He had to courage to dream, and he remarked that Washington College recognizing these efforts gave him a great push to continue on. He then performed a breathtakingly beautiful rendition of a Mozart piece, accompanied by Grace Eun Hae Kim, of the Music Department, as part of his response.
Convocation left the audience with the inspiration to begin their fall semester in a positive direction. All who were present earned a newfound appreciation for one another’s interests and accomplishments, whether those are academic achievements, musical recitals, or even transforming a run-down library system. Fall Convocation reminded us of the potential we have as liberal-arts students here at WC.