JSC Welcomes Students Back With Fanfare
A celebration of the new academic year began for students at Johnson State College Monday, August 27.
Led by bagpipers from the St. Andrew's Pipe Band of Vermont, new students processed to JSC's Dibden Center for the Arts where faculty and staff formed a welcome cordon.
President Barbara E. Murphy welcomed everyone, and thanked college band members for their musical accompaniment, and faculty, staff and administrators for their roles in preparing for the current semester.
"It's an absolute thrill to be among you....to welcome a new class, to welcome returning students back, and to welcome new faculty members among us," said Murphy.
"First-year students, a heartfelt welcome to Johnson State," she continued. "We're proud that you've chosen to study with us, to learn and live with us in the community. We're confident that we can teach you, learn from you, and that we can challenge and listen to you. You've arrived with lots of interest, experience and intentions, and these will serve you well."
Murphy drew laughter when she spoke of one student who asked what convocation was, with the robes, pomp and ceremony, adding: "He said he felt like he had just landed in Hogwarts," a reference to the Harry Potter books.
Academic Dean Daniel Regan introduced faculty speaker, Elizabeth Dolci, professor of environmental and health sciences, who was returning after a year's sabbatical. Dolci said she learned important lessons during her absence, including three "Cs:" "community," "change," and "challenge."
A sense of community came during the 2006 election. "I lived in Franklin County for six years and never felt a part of the community until I became active in a process that engaged a group of people working together on a common goal," said Dolci, recounting her role as a vote counter in the run-off election for State Auditor.
She learned the value of change when she realized she was not cut out to be the administrator of the Vermont Science Initiative, a program she launched seven years ago to teach teachers about teaching science. "I changed my mind," she said, opting to return to her beloved academia. "Change can be healthy. It stimulates curiosity, inspires creativity and gets us to experience more of what life has to offer."
Faced with the challenge of having to reconsider her third career change - she has previously worked 15 years as a research scientist and 15 years teaching biology at JSC - Dolci remains uncertain, but added: "I'll continue to pursue the challenge of finding the elusive third career, but in the interim, there's this wonderful ride in life here in northern Vermont (to JSC)."
She ended by issuing a call to students to seek their own challenges; she suggested visiting a foreign country, participating in the political process, earning an A-grade in her Genetics class, or helping to end human rights abuses abroad.
At a barbeque afterwards, new students were excited about their first semester on-campus.
"This was the only college that appealed to me," said a new student from Rhode Island. "I like how it seems to nurture creativity, and seems to value social commitment and community."
Music student Ashley Sager, 17, of East Hardwick, praised the College's location and affordability.
Convocation Day ended with a performance by the "Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars," one of three signature events on campus for first-year students this semester. The band formed in Guinea after being driven into exile during civil war in their home country. A film of the same name will be shown at the college in September. The third event in the series is an appearance by celebrated Sierra Leone author Ishmael Beah, whose book, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, is a New York Times bestseller. Beah will speak at JSC's Dibden Center for the Arts October 22, at 7 p.m.
There is no admission charge; limited public seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis: call 802-635-1476 for tickets.
College officials report that just under 400 students began studies on campus this Fall, making the total number of undergraduate students this year over 1100. An additional 512 students are enrolled in the College's External Degree Program, pursuing their Bachelor's degrees in all 12 counties of Vermont. Graduate students round out the enrollment picture, bringing the Johnson State College total enrollment to more than 1900 students.