He had to wear the pinstripes again

Students and faculty filed into  Casella Theater on Jan. 23 for what would prove to be an engaging Convocation to kick off the spring 2014 semester.
It started with opening remarks from President Dave Wolk about Dec. 17, when Castleton students helped shatter the existing record for pints of blood donated within a 24-hour period, contributing to the astronomical 2,400 pints of blood collected in the last ever Gift of Life Marathon.
To put it in perspective, that’s enough blood to conduct approximately 250 complete adult blood transfusions.
Wolk, in what has become a semi-annual defection, stoically sported a New York Yankee’s jersey as a treat for all of those who participated in the Red Cross event. This was met by both cheers and some amount of heckling, with one student exclaiming “No, don’t do it!” as he changed outfits.
The atmosphere then shifted as Wolk acknowledged the marked improvement in the behavior of the student body in the last year, compared to the rocky fall semester of 2012. He credited the improvement to strong student leadership.
Before passing the microphone to Dr. Michael Keirnan, Wolk concluded with a quip about the frigid temperature and by announcing that the new ice skating rink located in the pavilion is once again open for business. The commuter student of the year was also announced, the honor going to Student Government Association President Timothy Mackintosh.
Keirnan, from Porter Medical Center in Middlebury, offered a tribute to the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that included some powerful parallels drawn between the non-violent methods of both Dr. King and Mahatma Ghandi, as well as a number of soulful musical accompaniments.
Music Education student Christy Papandrea then presented a fascinating breakdown of the source genres of what would contribute to the rock & roll explosion of the mid-sixties. The event was brought to a close with a group of students performing a full recitation of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech Martin Luther King Jr. presented at the 1963 March on Washington.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous post Moffat moves men’s ice hockey program forward
Next post Pink brings in the green