Soft murmurs filled the stale air as students shuffled into Dana Auditorium on Sept. 5 for the opening academic convocation of Guilford College’s 171st academic year. Most of the audience, being first-years, had little idea of what to expect. “I think that if it’s going to be required, it should be required for everyone,” said first-year Amy Cutler.
Students were immersed in the voices of several speakers, including President and Professor of Political Science Kent Chabotar, Community Senate President Vital Akimana and author of “Big Fish” Daniel Wallace.
“We try to put our money where our mouth is; our business is education,” Chabotar said.
He informed students of what Guilford has achieved in previous years and what it plans to do in the upcoming ones. Chabotar told the students with pride about the school’s passing of every single one of the 70 core requirements in the recent reaccredidation review conducted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. (SACS). SACS made no recommendations for improvement.
“They said we have a culture of openness and respect,” Chabotar said.
The next speaker, Akimana, shared his passion for his past in Rwanda and present life here at Guilford.
“I thought he had a very important message to give us,” said first-year David Thomson.
“Who am I?” Akimana said. “I am a collection of my family. I am a result of my experiences and the experiences of my culture.”
Akimana spoke of the biases we all possess and the necessity of seeing through them in order to learn from the people around us. He finished by giving the students some experiential advice.
“This is a path we have to take together,” Akimana said. “You have a community that can be bettered through you, and you better through it.”
The room echoed with laughter as Wallace took the podium. He connected with the audience by relating to them and apologizing for “writing a book that became an assignment.”
Wallace reflected on his father’s words that inspired “Big Fish”: “I never wanted to be a big fish in a small pond.”
He told students to be aware of little things that may seem insignificant at the time.
“It’s about the power the smallest things contain,” Wallace said.