Ranney School Convocation Evokes Themes of Leadership & Environment

In a ceremony befitting nearly a half-century of tradition and honor, members of Ranney School’s senior class answered a collective call to leadership Tuesday, proudly “passing the torch” to the school’s youngest generation during the Upper School’s annual Fall Convocation.

Symbolic of the 15-year continuum of learning at Ranney School, seniors processed into the newly-opened Panther Hall hand-in-hand with members of the 3-year-old “Beginners” class, as hundreds of fellow students, teachers, parents, family and friends proudly looked on. During the sometimes emotional ceremony, the 60 members of the senior class “passed the torch” to the 20 Beginner students by presenting each child with a blue sash bearing the official Ranney torch pin. “The passing of the torch represents an embrace – a gathering around the littlest Panthers in a commitment to support them through the sometimes turbulent years of development,” acknowledged Mrs. Patricia Marshall, Head of the Lower School. “In this way, they feel free to grow into individuals who dare to be unique.”

The “passing of the torch” preceded another Ranney tradition – the “vesting” of the senior class, in which seniors were presented with blue vests emblazoned with their names and the Ranney School seal. Mr. John Lewis, Head of the Upper School, cautioned the seniors to wear their vests with care and pride. “In addition to all of the privileges and rights that come with the senior year, so come responsibilities – for leadership, for the care and nurturing of the school’s values and tradition, and for all those other students who see seniors as leaders and role models.”

Head of School, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff echoed the call to leadership, reminding those gathered that Convocation is one of the distinct features of a Ranney education. “In everyone’s educational journey there is that one person who makes all the difference. This convocation is a wonderful compilation of those special people who shape our lives in meaningful ways. It is also a reminder that academic knowledge is about deciding what kind of adult you want to become, and what kind of contribution you wish to make to society… both so essential to the base of personal and professional success.”

This year’s convocation speaker, award-winning New York Times science reporter and author Mr. Andrew Revkin, told the assembly that the ceremony was a microcosm of what is happening in the world today. “We are passing the torch on planet earth in the way we haven’t done before. All of preceding history was essentially our puberty… a period of time where humans flexed our muscle and took every resource that was available to us.”

“Now science is like the grown up in the room,” Mr. Revkin continued, “We will need to take a more sustainable approach to deal with the earth and the people around us. It’s no longer all about the “now” – it’s about the next generation.”

For the next half-hour, Mr. Revkin regaled the students with tales of his adventures in the Arctic and Amazon regions of the globe, imploring students to understand the necessity of combating the very real threat of global warming.

Following his remarks, Upper School students, including members of the Environmental Students Taking Action Now (ESTA) club, presented Mr. Revkin with a check for $1,000 for the New York Times Neediest Cases fund and another $1,000 for Clean Ocean Action.

A Q&A session and VIP lunch with students and faculty followed the ceremony in the Searle Library, where Mr. Revkin answered questions about his career and personal experiences and offered his perspectives on solving some of the problems associated with climate change. Mr. Revkin then spent the afternoon with the Middle School students, and later, signed copies of his books in the Paulus library.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.