Assembly Opens PEA’s 233rd Year

The melody of “The Splendor of Creation” rang through the Assembly Hall, sung by all of Exeter’s students, faculty and staff who gathered at the opening assembly to start the school’s 233rd year on Friday.Principal Tom Hassan, building his student address upon an excerpt from John Phillips’ Deed of Gift to the school, selected this year a part of the deed’s first sentence: “When we reflect upon the grand design of the great Parent of the Universe in the creation of mankind, and the improvements of which the mind is capable, both in knowledge and virtue…”

Hassan chose this passage to remind students of the original and relevant mission of the Academy.“Academics and academic excellence have always been at our core – in 1781, and still today,” Hassan said. “I wanted to remind students that we expect them to be doing the very most that they are capable of, and to challenge themselves in ways they might not have before.”Beyond the speech, the assembly included a school prayer and song, led by the Academy’s Reverend Robert Thompson, as well as faculty introductions, all of which was live-streamed and live-tweeted by the Communications Department.Dean of Faculty Ron Kim introduced new faculty members individually. “We are excited to have a group of such talented and diverse new instructors who have so much to contribute to the faculty, staff, and students,” Kim said. “It's a privilege to be able to share a glimpse of the each faculty member's accomplishments and interests.  I think it gives everyone an idea of how fortunate we are to have them join our school.”Following the introductions, Kim gave the emeriti faculty an opportunity to stand and announced their individual achievements at the Academy. Kim thought that the juxtaposition of the two groups would emphasize the Academy’s history.“Pairing new faculty introductions with the emeriti is a tangible way in which we show our appreciation for the history of this school, of the continuity of past, present, and future, and to remind us that each of us is the fortunate beneficiary of a great legacy,” Kim said.Hassan also recognized his predecessor, Ty Tingley, and the most senior faculty member, Richard Aaronian, who began his 43rd year at the Academy, both of whom attended the assembly.While the entire Exeter community gathered together on Friday morning, anyone with an Internet connection could also join the students and faculty in the ceremony by watching the assembly live streaming on the school’s website. Communications expanded to Twitter as well.“We’ve been live streaming this event for the last 3 years,” Robin Giampa, Director of Communications, said. “This year we gave it a little more emphasis by letting more people know it was available, and by Tweeting throughout the assembly. I think for parents in particular, many of whom have just left their child in our care for the first time, it’s probably pretty important to hear and see how we’re setting the tone for the year.  We’ve had some good feedback.”The live stream has had more than one thousand unique visitors, live and recorded, since the event.“We heard from several parents and alumni that they were grateful for the opportunity to be part of it from a distance and I think that’s the real indication of success,” Giampa added.This was another step in Exeter’s continual adoption of social media and social networking.“I think Exeter is already doing a good job of sharing information with diverse groups of people through a lot of channels, including social media,” Giampa said. “I think you’ll see us getting more creative about when we can use Twitter and Instagram (and whatever comes next), because those are usually good ways to reach students.  Social media also allows us to have some fun like we did with #PEAmovein last week, which can balance some of the more formal news you might see in other places.”