NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifePre-K to 8Service
Hicks Sets Stage; Spurs Thought
Sep 6, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
Some years the opening of the new school year is predictable and routine—just "business as usual." The opening of Darlington’s 2000-01 school year was anything but that. The new house system, work on the A.J. Huffman ’67 Memorial Athletic Center, remodeled buildings, and a new process for checking homework and reviewing teachers’ comments greeted returning faculty, students, and parents.
"Last year was an extraordinary achievement by almost every measure, " President David Hicks announced during faculty orientation held the week before classes started. Hicks cited three major achievements: breaking ground on the construction of the athletic center; completion of the Campaign for Darlington, surpassing the goal of $43 million; and alumni giving to the Annual Fund, which achieved the distinction of being the second highest in America last year.
Hicks noted the need for consolidation this year to implement successfully the changes made last year. "I see my role this year as one of supporting those who are committed to implementing the changes; supporting development and admissions in their changes to better market the school, especially our resident program; and supporting the new academic committee and SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) committee," he said. SACS reviews the entire School’s operation every 10 years for accreditation.
Hicks shared his personal academic bias in setting out his expectations for the year. "The theme for this year will be academics. I want to see our students do a lot of writing," he said. "This is not a new emphasis for Darlington. In the old days here it was called the weekly writing theme."
Hicks went on to say that every institution, like every person, has its narratives, spoken or unspoken. Great narratives have sufficient credibility, complexity, and symbolic power to enable one to organize one’s life around them. "Darlington’s narratives are the American creed of cultural pluralism, classical civility, the Protestant ethic, and Judeo-Christianity," Hicks said. "Our narratives are not naturalism in the name of science, economic utility, consumerism, salvation through technology, or multiculturalism."
"Our mission is to love each student with the kind of love that God showed when He loved each of us so much that He became man and died for us," Hicks said. "We are here to tell each student the story of what it means to be an American and to create a happy and industrious, diverse and harmonious community so that we can give each student an idea of how the world can work together. We are here to show what Benedict called "good zeal" by striving to be first in putting the other person first," he concluded.
"Last year was an extraordinary achievement by almost every measure, " President David Hicks announced during faculty orientation held the week before classes started. Hicks cited three major achievements: breaking ground on the construction of the athletic center; completion of the Campaign for Darlington, surpassing the goal of $43 million; and alumni giving to the Annual Fund, which achieved the distinction of being the second highest in America last year.
Hicks noted the need for consolidation this year to implement successfully the changes made last year. "I see my role this year as one of supporting those who are committed to implementing the changes; supporting development and admissions in their changes to better market the school, especially our resident program; and supporting the new academic committee and SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) committee," he said. SACS reviews the entire School’s operation every 10 years for accreditation.
Hicks shared his personal academic bias in setting out his expectations for the year. "The theme for this year will be academics. I want to see our students do a lot of writing," he said. "This is not a new emphasis for Darlington. In the old days here it was called the weekly writing theme."
Hicks went on to say that every institution, like every person, has its narratives, spoken or unspoken. Great narratives have sufficient credibility, complexity, and symbolic power to enable one to organize one’s life around them. "Darlington’s narratives are the American creed of cultural pluralism, classical civility, the Protestant ethic, and Judeo-Christianity," Hicks said. "Our narratives are not naturalism in the name of science, economic utility, consumerism, salvation through technology, or multiculturalism."
"Our mission is to love each student with the kind of love that God showed when He loved each of us so much that He became man and died for us," Hicks said. "We are here to tell each student the story of what it means to be an American and to create a happy and industrious, diverse and harmonious community so that we can give each student an idea of how the world can work together. We are here to show what Benedict called "good zeal" by striving to be first in putting the other person first," he concluded.
