Hillsdale College Celebrates Fall Convocation in Newly Completed Christ Chapel
Michael Ward provides remarks; faculty and students honored for teaching and academic excellence
Hillsdale, Mich. – On Thursday, November 14, Hillsdale College hosted its annual fall convocation in its newly completed Christ Chapel. The traditional ceremony brought together the College’s community to celebrate the educational excellence of students and faculty.
The featured speaker was Michael Ward, senior research fellow of Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford and professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University. Ward’s speech, “The Sword and the Cloak,” explored the history of Saint Martin of Tours, whose legendary act of generosity left a lasting impact on the Christian faith and serves as a basis for the modern word “chapel.” Ward previously spoke at Hillsdale College’s spring 2017 convocation and gave the 2015 commencement speech, where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters.
“We all have swords and cloaks of various kinds: powers and needs, abilities and deficiencies,” Ward said. “This Martinmas, in this marvelous Martial chapel, I propose that we both celebrate the sword and acknowledge the cloak, and, above all, hallow the intersection of the two where, in weakness, strength is made perfect.”
College Provost Christopher VanOrman announced Pi Beta Phi as the winner of the Sorority Scholarship Cup with an overall GPA of 3.520. Alpha Tau Omega received the Fraternity Scholarship Cup with an overall GPA of 3.302. The College’s overall GPA for spring 2019 was 3.399.
In addition to student achievement, College convocations recognize outstanding Hillsdale College faculty for their dedication in the classroom. College President Larry P. Arnn presented the Fall 2019 Emily Daugherty Award for Teaching Excellence to Stephen Naumann, assistant professor of German.