By Noa Yadidi

Defining convocation as a meeting of scholars, new Head of Upper School Audrius Barkdukas kicked off the first day of school Tuesday morning in an assembly that included the investiture of the prefects, the introduction of the year’s motto and a reading of the Honor Code. 

Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts said this year’s motto would be “Do well and do good.” She explained that the two walk in tandem; by doing well we do good and by doing good we do well. She encouraged students to aspire to excellence.

“In the end, what you do with your knowledge is more important than what you know,” Huybrechts said.

President Tom Hudnut invested head prefects Katie Lim ’13 and David Wagmeister ’13, and senior prefects Ben Gail, Morgan Hallock, Luke Holthouse and Mikaila Mitchell, in an annual ritual.

Lim gave a speech likening the student body with the “Little Engine that Could.” She advised students to keep faith in themselves and also discussed the importance of community.

“I think I can, so I know we can,” she said.

Wagmeister talked about triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, pointing out that this year’s class is the Class of ’13. He asked students to make Hudnut’s last year at the school his proudest year.

He said students needed to make compormises and sacrifices to better the community.

“We must all realize that someone’s gain does not have to be someone else’s loss,” he said. “What sacrifice are we willing to make for the general good of the community?”

After the sophomore and junior prefects were invested, Lim and Wagmeister read aloud the Honor Code, the first time that has been done at an opening convocation.

Hudnut concluded by telling students to “be good and have fun.”