OPENING CONVOCATION 2021

The sun shone brightly on the lower turf as students and faculty across all divisions came together for Opening Convocation.  It was the first time in eighteen months that our entire community was gathered in one place, and the excitement in the air was electric.

In keeping with the longstanding BL tradition, kindergartners and seniors entered together, hands entwined, to represent the beginning and the ending of the BL experience. The event, which usually takes place in the Iglehart Center, was held outdoors this year, which allowed for student body president Liam McClure to take pictures using his drone.

“In the old days, we’d hire a crane and it would take us a couple of hours,” Headmaster Chris Post remarked, just moments before Liam launched the drone high into the air, “But now, we have a technologically savvy student body president.”

After Liam read the school mission statement, Mr. Post delivered his address, the theme of which was New Beginnings.  Noting that this year’s opening convocation ceremony coincided with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, he offered the community a “l’shana tova,” a Hebrew new year’s greeting. He also acknowledged Dyson Ehrhardt ’59, who was beginning his unprecedented sixtieth year at Boys’ Latin.

“Mr. Dyson Ehrhardt has done it all here at Boys’ Latin,” said Mr. Post, “He’s taught, he’s coached, he’s served in a variety of administrative roles, he’s even driven the school bus.”

Mr. Post closed by invoking the idea of the Jubilee Year, which Medieval rulers would declare to mark the end of a difficult period in the kingdom. He declared, “This jubilee year will be the Year of the Laker.”