On November 17th, SUNY Old Westbury held its first in-person convocation since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
First-year, second-year, and transfer students alike gathered into the Student Union building to listen to speeches from Senior Vice President Duncan Quarless, President Timothy E. Sams, PEL Professor Dr. Thomas Delgiudice, and Old Westbury alumna Delmy Lendof.
Dr. Quarless opened the proceedings by giving a speech in which he expressed that the convocation was an opportunity for second-year students to have an in-person experience that they didn’t have the last school year because of COVID-19-related shutdowns. He also said about Old Westbury, “We endeavor to stimulate a passion for learning.”
Quarless also referred to the university as a “vein of excellence,” and how SUNY was recognized by Money Magazinefor its “quality education at an affordable price,” as well as by other institutions for its diversity. He also thanked the students in attendance, saying, “You are why we are here,” and iterating that he is looking forward to the class of 2025, when the students could take a “step forward” and “go…out there” with a “unique educational experience.”
President Timothy E. Sams stepped to the podium and spoke to the group of students, bringing up a story of when he went to Africa years ago, he saw as a “confirmation of all the things he knew about himself to be true,” as a way to inspire the students to remember all SUNY. OW will teach them, because “everyone here has something to teach.” He ended his speech by thanking the students for choosing the college, and the staff for making it possible for students to receive a “world-class education.”
Dr. Thomas Delgiudice, who, much like President Sams, also educated the students with a story, of when he visited his brother, a wildlife biologist, far away from SUNY Old Westbury, and witnessed the birth of a cub, something that he said was completely different from when he saw the birth of his own son.
He used this specific story to stress that “evolution has brought about a species where the big head [it is born with] is key to its survival,” and that this can have a huge influence on decisions people make in life, particularly in college. He concluded his speech by telling the students to “be honest with (themselves),” “take small steps,” “do [their] work every week,” “build (themselves) up.” He urged “critical thinking” as the key to success and “camaraderie,” not only for those at SUNY Old Westbury, but also the “people on our planet.”
Dr. Lendof congratulated the audience on their hard work. She called the convocation a “celebration of the perseverance and resilience that got (them) here,” and noting the students’ dedication, hard work, and ability to adapt, despite the circumstances of the pandemic and the challenges that some of them may be facing.
She assured fthe audience that not doing well in an academic environment isn’t “a sign of failure,” but rather, a sign that one may need help from their professor. She backed this up by sharing her own academic experience, one in which she was able to graduate high school in just three years, despite not having a high likelihood to go onto college, with the help of a professor who believed in her more than she believed in herself.
Finally, Dr.Quarless concluded the proceedings by having the students in attendance take part in an exercise in which he had them look at the person they were sitting next to, introduce themselves, and say what interests them.
