"Go big or go home": Fall 2008 Convocation

Vassar College officially kicked off its academic year on Wednesday, Sept. 3 with the Fall 2008 Convocation. The ceremony, which lasted about one and a half hours, began with the procession of the Class of 2009 into the Chapel.

Convocation is an especially significant event for the more than 650 members of the Class of 2009; it is one of three occasions that the class will gather together during this academic year. They will do so again on April 29 for Spring Convocation, and once more on May 24 for Commencement.

The ceremony featured three speakers: College President Catharine Bond Hill, Vassar Student Association President Jimmy Kelly '09 and Shirley Ecker Boskey Professor of History and International Relations Robert Brigham.

President Catharine Bond Hill

Hill began her remarks by addressing the audience's attention to the literal meaning of convocation, "called together," and to the shared belief of both faculty and students in the value of education. After recalling the anticipation felt at the beginning of every academic year and the special meanings of that anticipation for seniors and freshmen, Hill returned to her thoughts on how the foundation laid by education directly correlates with human welfare. Referring first to the history of educational advancement and accessibility, such as the major increase of American students brought about by the G.I. Bill, she then looked toward current and future progress in education. Hill cited her experiences in the Republic of Zambia and the improvement that she has seen there, albeit limited, as an example of the sort of progress necessary in the United States, particularly with respect to public education and voter turnout.

VSA President Jimmy Kelly

Speaking to the senior class, Kelly suggested to his peers that this is the year to "go big or go home." Citing Vassar's longstanding tradition of "breaking the mold" and Matthew Vassar's own words regarding the future of liberal education, Kelly was adamant that Vassar, both the institution and the student body, not grow lax on such progressive ideals that historically put Vassar first. Instead of asking, "What are our competitors doing?" he suggested that Vassar should return to questioning what was best for Vassar. This year, Kelly hopes that the College can address serious issues concerning Vassar and the greater community, such as need-blind admission policies for international students, Vassar's carbon footprint, the approval of gender-neutral housing and a student bill of rights for security. 

Professor Robert Brigham

Although Brigham did not give the Convocation address he had originally planned, which concluded that "with enough pluck and enough luck all your dreams will come true," his address did hinge its conclusion on the hope that Vassar students will take their dreams into the world to effect positive change. He offered his own story, describing how he ran with the naïve dream of a college student to change the world and found a meaningful and fulfilling course of study. After summarizing his childhood and his lifelong desire to learn about the Vietnam War, Brigham explained how he learned from his mentor what it meant to find a "useable past" and how to "do good by doing history." He then devoted himself to learning about Vietnam so that he might prevent a similar conflict from recurring. Brigham expanded on his current life and his project studying international efforts to save the oceans from environmental ruin, arguing that "we humans place too many limitations on ourselves on land." Finally, returning to the themes of his hopeful near conclusion, Brigham suggested that the "world's most pressing problems…will only be settled by international cooperation," and that when those problems are faced, there will be "Vassar students in the room" with solutions.


The tradition of Convocation can be traced back to Fall 1865, with College President John Raymond's sermon marking the first year of instruction at Vassar. Since the 1920s, the ceremony has become more formal, including a procession by the College faculty as well as a rendition of "Gaudeamus Igitur" led by the choir. Following Spring Convocation, freshmen become sophomores, sophomores become juniors, juniors become seniors, and the seniors are officially welcomed as alumnae/i.