By ELLA DIERS
FINALLY someone new showed up. On Friday, Nov. 3, Beloit College officially welcomed its 12th president in the history of Beloit. President Eric Boynton was sworn in during the Inauguration Ceremony in Eaton Chapel. In a procession led by Amy Sarno and Boynton himself, faculty and staff garbed in robes filed into the chapel to the tune of a solo violinist. Students sat above the pews, standing as the procession came in. Throughout the event, there were speeches given about Boynton’s creativity, humor, and candidness; qualities that made him the right choice for Beloit. Each speaker represented a different group of Beloit, and all talked about their excitement for the new president.
The event was started by a prayer from Coliér McNair, Pastor of Multicultural Ministry and Worship Arts at Blackhawk Church. McNair said each past president of Beloit has been the right choice for the era, and Boynton is no different. He is “the right leader for these times.” McNair also welcomed Boynton’s wife, Julie with the words “confident, inspiration, and strength.”
McNair was followed by introductory remarks from Richard Niemec’65, who is the chair of the Board of Trustees. Of Boynton, Niemec said he has “ambitious goals, concrete plans, [and is] committed to seeing them through.”
Representing the students of Beloit was Raahima Talal’24, the vice president of Beloit Student Government. Talal spoke of her interactions with Boynton, saying he is a “symbol of progress and the unwavering pursuit of knowledge” and praised his “solution oriented approach.” The new inauguration is “a momentous occasion in the history of Beloit College.” Talal also hearkened back to former president, Scott Bierman, offering up a quote students have heard many times over: “This is a great day to be a Beloiter.”
Provost and Dean of Beloit College, Dr. Donna Oliver, spoke on behalf of the faculty. From Oliver, Boynton “rallied us through the pandemic” with his optimistic outlook. She also spoke to his sense of humor, saying that along with all his qualifications, “Eric has also brought us something else to campus… Eric-isms,” adding “We all speak Eric now,” garnering laughs from faculty. Oliver listed off a string of Eric-isms, consisting mostly of popular idioms and sayings (some slightly changed), causing the new president to laugh along with the rest of the crowd as his face turned red.
“Eric, we are with you,” said Oliver.
Pasquell Wisdom began his speech with a fistbump to Boynton. A housekeeper at Beloit, Wisdom said “I’d be lying to you all if I said I could describe the excellence of Eric Boynton in two minutes—but that’s all the time they gave me.” Upon his first meeting with Boynton, Wisdom said “I was like, ‘damn,’ I wanna work with this guy.” He called Boynton a team player, and recounted a conversation the two had while Boynton was still provost. Wisdom said that housekeepers were not being paid a livable wage and met with Boynton to discuss his concerns.
“I can honestly tell you that visit changed my life,” Wisdom said. “I left campus that day with hope.”
He finished his speech by saying “No doubt you are gonna be the dopest president of Beloit College.”
Tim Smith’91 spoke next on behalf of the 15,000 Beloit College alumni. Smith, past president of the Alumni Association, said “Speaking for the alumni, we are very excited to have Eric.” Smith said he is personable and creative, and at events “he was always one of my favorite people to seek out.” Smith beseeched Boynton to use the alumni, pledged their help and knowledge to the new president.
The event wasn’t just people related to Beloit College. Jerry Gabrielatos, the City Manager of Beloit, spoke about the importance of the city and college working together and the value of that partnership.
Dr. Kazi Joshua of Whitman College spoke candidly about the challenges the new president will face. There are forces “questioning the value of liberal arts” and colleges like Beloit have to focus on “affirming the values of the liberal arts education.” Joshua said “There is no question that we live in challenging times” but “this is the call of Beloit College”—to answer that challenge and rise to it. He ended by saying of Boynton, “You are creative, you are innovative, you are brilliant, you are handsome. I love you.”
Ron Cole, president of Allegheny College, spoke about Boynton’s passion for teaching, creativity, exploration, and meeting new people. He imagined Boynton in various scenarios, from being “perched on a rocky buff… in Alaska” to teaching under the Acropolis in Greece, all the while striking up conversations in his unassuming but inviting manner. He said Boynton is “passionate about the art of teaching” and “leads with innovation and for the greater good,” and with integrity, discipline, and loyalty.
Saumyaa Gupta’24 spoke on behalf of the international community, and added to Boynton’s image of being a conversationalist. Being stopped on the Powerhouse bridge by him, Gupta said she never knew what would come out of his mouth; a philosophical discussion, turkey kebab recipe, or his dog’s anxiety. Beloit is “a microcosm of the world’s diversity” and “Eric consistently goes the extra mile to establish connection with students.”
State senator and Beloit alum Mark Spreitzer’09 said “I know what makes this college special” in terms of the campus and the programming, and of Boynton, “Eric understands the culture. ”
Beloit College Community Choir, directed by Kristie Halverson, gave an interlude of a chorus and orchestral rendition of “In Dulci Jubilo,” a lilting, jubilant melody to match the mood of the ceremony.
Niemec returned to the lectern for the investiture, saying the inauguration is to “commemorate the past, and celebrate the future.”
“It is the unanimous conclusion of the board,” he said, for Eric Boynton to be president and to “lead Beloit to an even greater future.” He bestowed Boynton with visual symbols of leadership—the school’s charter and medallion of Beloit College presidents, officializing Boynton’s position at the college.
After a rousing round of applause and a brief but palpable chant of “Eric, Eric, Eric” coming from the upper right corner of the Chapel where students were seated, Boynton gave his inaugural address. He began by thanking everyone who came to the ceremony and putting his gratitude into the people who supported him.
“Thank you for entrusting me with the leadership of this college” he said, and thanked the “eager, engaged, and talented students” of Beloit College. He spoke about the college in the past, quoting Miller Upton, the sixth president of Beloit who implemented the Beloit Plan, a revolutionary plan in the 1960s to try and get the college back on its feet. Boynton related Beloit’s current predicaments of reduced enrollment to the reasons that the Beloit Plan was enacted.
“We roll up our sleeves to meet the current challenge,” he said, hopeful of the future of the college. The independent college is important to the future of success, a theme echoed in Boynton’s speech of quoted greats.
During his speech, Boynton announced two new departments to the college: the School of Health and Sciences and the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. These changes are coming at a time, as Boynton said, of hardship for the college. In a time of budget cuts and department merges, Boynton has his work cut out for him.
“I am grateful to be Beloit’s president at this moment,” he said. He then held a reception with the smallest cucumber sandwiches you have ever seen, maybe this is also due to budget cuts. The college can only afford one (1) slice of cucumber per person.
Featured Image Credit: Beloit Daily News
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