Seniors attend Baccalaureate Service

As per yearly tradition, the day before graduation, the class of 2010 Rokodimus attended the Baccalaureate Service on Friday 28th May at Parker Hall. The service was a farewell address, in the form of a sermon, to the graduating class. As always, the students were encouraged to wear their traditional costumes to this function. This year, former Woodstock Chaplain Mr. Brian Dunn returned to Woodstock to address the class as the special speaker.

The colourful clothing of the students was like a world atlas: students came dressed in North Indian, North-East Indian, Bhutanese, Nepali, Korean, Thai, German, French, Mexican, Japanese, and Tibetan garb. Pastoral Counselor Ms. Laura Bunkowski gave the invocation and special Parent and Student readings were done by Aradhana Roberts and Aditya Todi with their respective parents.

Seniors Yoon Jung Yi (flute), Sareega Shetty (santoor), Sarena Olson (tabla), and Yabesh Sharma (violin) played special music during the ceremony. The Seniors and their Advisors took part in a responsive scripture reading from Psalm 121: 1-8.

After a scripture reading by Uday Keith, speaker Mr. Brian Dunn gave his talk on 'Waking Up in the House of God', reminding the seniors of the importance of generosity and encouraging them to continue to think of Woodstock as the place that moulded them into responsible citizens for their lifetime.

A few seniors led a congregational singing of 'Oh Happy Day / Nothing but the blood'. Grade 12 Homeroom Teacher Mrs. Sue Swanson gave the final benediction.

The 2010 Baccalaureate Speaker: Mr. Brian Dunn

Brian Dunn served as the Chaplain and High School Religious Education teacher at Woodstock from 2001 to 2007. An alumnus of the class of '89, he attended Woodstock in his elementary and middle school years. He completed high school in Canada, where he also studied for his undergraduate degree. He completed his master's degree in religious studies at Oxford University in 2005; he returned there after leaving Woodstock in 2007 to begin research for a doctoral thesis. He and his wife, Marla, live with their four children in Canada.