Easter Convocation Features Talk by David Haskell
January 20, 2025
The University of the South held an Easter Convocation on Friday, Jan. 17, to induct new members into the Order of the Gown and, following a tradition established in 2024, recognize the teaching and scholarship of the faculty by featuring remarks delivered by a University professor. This year, Professor of Biology David Haskell, an award-winning educator and writer, was selected to give the convocation address.
Prior to introducing Haskell, Vice-Chancellor Rob Pearigen reflected on the nascent tradition of inviting a member of the University faculty to speak at the Easter Convocation. Recognizing the many worthy speakers of previous years who shared perspectives from beyond the Domain, Pearigen noted the unique opportunity to feature one of Sewanee’s own voices as classes resume at the start of the Easter term. “This tradition, in its second year, is here to stay,” said Pearigen.
A professor in the College since 1996, Haskell is an acclaimed writer and biologist whose latest book, Sounds Wild
and Broken, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, and winner of the Acoustical Society of America’s Science Communication Award. He has also written essays and multimedia projects for Emergence Magazine, The New York Times, and other publications. He is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor at the University of the South, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In addition to his teaching at Sewanee, he has also served as chair of the Biology Department and director of the Environmental Arts and Humanities major.
During his remarks, Haskell encouraged the gathered students to delight in and wrestle with worlds and ideas that may seem challenging, with special consideration for the “more-than-human” world. Tracing the development of human hearing back to our earliest ancestors’ search for sources of protein and the first insect songs over 275 million years ago, Haskell reflected on the interlocking relationships of the natural world that form the basis for all life. Identifying plants and animals that call the Domain home, Haskell urged students to pay close attention to the place where they live and consider how their lives and connections form part of a larger story. “In a time when many of us feel alienated or disconnected, these connections remind us that we do, in fact, belong in this world,” said Haskell.
Haskell concluded his address with an invitation for the present students. “Joyful connection to the lives of animals, plants, and other living beings not only lifts our spirits and enlivens our days in the present, it gives us stories worth telling in the future,” said Haskell. “Revel in the strange and ancient sounds of insects, lie down and marvel at the flowers, celebrate bird song, and find other people to share the beauty and brokenness of all that you discover.”
Order of the Gown President Alexis Miniat, C’25, then addressed the new members of the Order. Speaking about the Order of the Gown’s founding in 1873, Miniat reflected on the evolution of the gown over the years as a symbol of dedication, perseverance, and outstanding academic achievement. “The gown of 1873 is not the gown of 2025. It has changed much over the years as these values have grown and shifted,” said Miniat. “The one constant is that the Order of the Gown serves as a universal symbol of academic excellence, and a commitment to live in EQB and make our community a better place.”
Vice-Chancellor Pearigen then formally admitted the new members of the Order of the Gown, concluding the ceremony.
The Convocation was livestreamed for those unable to attend; the video is available below.
