By Izzy Becker ‘24, Editor-in-Chief

Image of Jamie Shen ‘24 delivering her speech (@joyyagidphoto)

Each year, on the second day of school, khakis replace blue jeans and skirts substitute leggings as the Newark Academy community comes together for Convocation. This year marks NA’s 250th Convocation ceremony, a tradition that officially recognizes the start of a new school year. Besides wearing dressier clothing, students and faculty gather in the Coraci Auditorium to hear exciting updates and speeches and to recognize faculty, new and old. 

This year, Convocation began with a surprise: Mr. Austin revealed a video in honor of Newark Academy’s sestercentennial anniversary. The video showcased documents from and images of Newark Academy’s old locations, discussed some of the school’s impressive history, and featured clips of current students from previous years. “It was wonderful to see,” Mr. Erlandson says, “the timeline of Newark Academy, from its inception to today.” What better way to celebrate NA’s lastingness than featuring the students and faculty who supported NA from its early days alongside the diverse group of individuals who keep it thriving today.

Staying with the theme of continuity, Convocation then proceeded with Ms. Osterhagen Brock recognizing the service of faculty and staff with longevity awards. This year’s leaders were beloved science teachers Mrs. Celente and Ms. Tavares, both of whom have taught at NA for 30 years. 

Next, student council president Jamie Shen ’24 delivered one of the best speeches in years. She opened with a memory of her sixth-grade self, recalling her once-strange haircut and dreaded school picture. She then went on to describe the thousands of school pictures that she passes each day, a symbol of the many that have come before her. “To some people, they are merely wall decor, a relic of the past,” she said, “but, as I’ve approached my final year at this school, those pictures have started to feel more and more like the present.” She hopes that as new generations of students and presidents fill the school, they will take the time to “find [her] square on the wall,” and remember that, although separated by years, we are all still together up on the wall. 

Following Jamie’s heartening speech was a similarly inspirational keynote address from alumna Dr. Salamishah Tillet ‘92. Dr. Tillet primarily spoke about history, more specifically the importance of appreciating our roots while also acknowledging areas of improvement. This love of history and learning, she highlighted, is one that Newark Academy teachers like Mr. Rollenhagen fostered in her when she was a student here. After NA, Tillet went on to become a critic for The New York Times, as well as a professor at Rutgers University-Newark. She also currently serves as the Director of Express Newark, a center for socially engaged art that honors the city’s historical legacy and advocates for issues of social justice. 

To finish off the event, Academy Voices presented and sang our very own alma mater, newly composed by Mr. Bender. The anthem featured many references to core values of the school, including a section about going “to the light,” which represents Newark Academy’s famous motto “Ad Lumen.” The phrase stands for “toward enlightenment,” meaning that at Newark Academy, students are encouraged to seek out knowledge.  

At each annual Convocation ceremony, Newark Academy can come together in a way that time does not usually permit. This Convocation particularly emphasized the importance of connecting to those around us emotionally and intellectually. We can do this by recognizing the years of passion and service from teachers and staff, appreciating the familiar faces of students in pictures on the wall, and listening to joyful songs sung by our own community.