Dr. Palmer’s Update: November 2009

After a busy, productive start to the academic year, we are looking forward to relaunching Principia’s Coast-to-Coast events this weekend. Head of School Marilyn Wallace and I held 12 events around the country last year, traveling 16,000 miles to reconnect with more than 1,000 friends and alumni. We enjoyed telling Principia’s success stories, sharing our vision for the School and College, listening, and making new friends.

The new Coast-to-Coast season kicks off with a visit to Washington DC on November 7. I look forward to talking with as many Principians as possible and hearing your ideas, questions, and suggestions. We’ve scheduled upcoming events in Phoenix and Tucson in January, Houston and Dallas in February, Toronto in March, and Boston in May. (Visit www.principia.edu/coasttocoast for more details.)

As you will see elsewhere in this month’s Principia Wire, our College solar car team has returned from Australia after a successful seventh-place finish in the World Solar Challenge. The Principia team was accompanied by a film crew that will produce a professional documentary directed by Nick Molle Productions and narrated by actor and Principia alum Robert Duvall.

The team certainly fulfilled their goal of “glorifying God,” displaying the same selfless spirit that has characterized Principia solar car teams since the beginning of the program. The team’s willingness to share resources and expertise has pioneered a level of sportsmanship and camaraderie that is rarely seen in intercollegiate competition. As a school based on “unfolding” character, we are proud of the example set by Principia College’s students.

As Principia founder Mary Kimball Morgan frequently pointed out, developing and unfolding character is “our real work” at Principia. The College recently held an inspiring workshop focusing on what it means to develop character at Principia. Being a “community of practice” means refocusing together on what we value. Faculty and staff are dedicated to developing their own character and living lives of example alongside our students.

Currently, the School is refining its character-education curriculum using the “Understanding by Design” model, starting with key topics considered essential. They have chosen to focus on five big ideas: Ethics, Democracy, Leadership, Relationships, and Service. From there, they will work on what students should understand about these concepts.

A huge shout-out of thanks to the more than 600 Principians who attended the Upper School reunion last month. It was fun to witness old friends making new memories. I was particularly taken by the 50th-reunion class since I had the privilege of spending some time with them. Part of that group was the final class at the original Page and Belt Principia campus. I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to the old campus with the group. It was terrific to see it through their eyes and hear insights and memories from tour guides and longtime staffers Bill Simon, Everett Bay, and Hank Hamlin.

Following the weekend-long reunion, one Principian reported, “I experienced feelings I had not expected.  … I have not been back for 50 years, part of the reason being that I no longer follow the Christian Science faith. I felt so welcome!” As this reunioner discovered, no one ever leaves our Principia family.

Another 50th reunioner summed up the appeal of reunions this way: “Curiosity is a huge factor that probably comes to play in everyone’s decision to return to a reunion. In Paul Harvey’s words, they want to know ‘the rest of the story.’”

I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at our upcoming Coast-to-Coast events. We want to hear the rest of your stories and share Principia’s ongoing story as well.