Bryant begins academic year with pageantry of Convocation

University President Ronald K. Machtley encourages members of the Class of 2013 to imagine the possibilities.

On a sun-splashed late summer afternoon, Bryant welcomed the Class of 2013 to the campus community with the time-honored tradition of Convocation. To the sounds of trumpeters, Bryant’s newest students processed from their residence halls, around the Archway, and into a tent on the Campus Green.

Greeting them, Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley asked the University’s newest students to take a moment to reflect upon the hopes and aspirations that their parents and the Bryant community have for them.

“What is the possibility that this could be the greatest year of your life?” asked Machtley, who delivered the Convocation address. “What is the possibility that someone in one of your classes, because of an idea that has been nurtured and shared, changes the course of history? What is the possibility that as a result of your four years of education at Bryant, you can make a significant contribution to society?”

“What is the possibility that you can make a difference?” Machtley continued. “And don’t tell me it’s impossible because possibilities are endless. They come from your heart, your mind, and your education.”

‘A life worth living a career worth pursuing’

Machtley described Convocation as a time to say good-bye to the past and focus on the future. In four short years, the Class of 2013 – marking the 150th anniversary of Bryant – will be part of similar procession. Instead of walking around the Archway, they will walk through, for the first time, into a tent filled with 5,000 cheering family, friends, and faculty members.

“During your time at Bryant, we hope you will all discover new opportunities and acquire new abilities, as you confront new and intellectually-challenging material, and as you learn new insights,” said Machtley.

The University, said Machtley, strives to provide students with an engaging educational atmosphere inside and outside the classroom.

The traditional Convocation ceremony welcomed the Class of 2013 to the Bryant community.

“You will learn to write more concisely, speak more clearly, respond more thoughtfully in times of conflict, to collaborate, and to lead,” Machtley said. “And as you mature, you will begin to fully understand the possibilities of a life worth living and a career worth pursuing.”

With Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” playing in the background, Machtley shared the story of the renowned composer, who despite losing his hearing at the height of his career, is considered one of the most acclaimed and influential maestros of his time.

“What is the possibility that a deaf man could create such beauty?” asked Machtley. “What if one of you could do something in the future to change a company, a country, the world? Possibilities don’t just happen, and it will take hard work starting this year. Today you can begin on that journey of discovering your possibility … the possibility that your life could help mankind.”

‘Look within yourself’

Robert Harvey ’10 (Mount Laurel, NJ), president of Bryant’s Student Senate, encouraged the Class of 2013 to embrace diversity, prepare for leadership and success, and uphold the Bryant mystique.

“Look around you, but more importantly, look within yourself for it is here you will find doctors who will save the world from ills, executives who will restore ethics to leadership, lawyers who will defend justice and equality, politicians who will legislate for all persons, philanthropists who will give back, and educators who will teach our children.”

Harvey, a sociology and social research major who, in May, will graduate a year earlier than originally anticipated, encouraged the first-year students to take advantage of the limitless opportunities before them.

“This is not a dress rehearsal, it is a live performance,” Harvey implored. “You need to learn your lines, establish a stage position, hit your marks, and amaze your audience to the point of encore.”

“Today, Class of 2013, I challenge you to make your images, define yourself, redefine the world, but more importantly, redefine what is Bryant University,” said Harvey. “Make it new for yourself with your own traditions, your own dreams, your own prayers, your own people, your own pledge, and your own possibility.”