Founder's Day Celebration 2010
Honoring William H. Webb
Eleven years ago, a tradition that is now a fixture at Webb Institute was born. The faces of its participants may change each year, but the enthusiasm and dedication of all involved remain stronger than ever. Founder’s Day 2010, celebrated April 9th, was a day of unity and appreciation as faculty and students honored our founder, William H. Webb, by putting our pencils down, rolling our sleeves up, and giving back to our school.
With Friday’s afternoon classes cancelled, students and faculty met on Main Deck at 1300 to kick off the festivities as Webb’s S.O. President, Doug Slocum, read off the project assignments. After a school-wide “Webb on 3!” around the fountain, the groups went off to work. This year’s campus improvements, to name a few, included installing a windscreen around the Webb tennis courts; painting a mural in Motley Hall; planting flowers; repainting the floor of Haeberle Lab, the student garage, and the tank recreation room; and the always needed attic clean-out and beach cleanup.
To students, Founder’s Day means so much more than just an afternoon without class, though that is appreciated, too. It’s an opportunity to give back, and to spend some quality, stress-free time with peers and professors outside of the classroom. When asked what Founder’s Day meant to him, sophomore Nathan Hagan said: “It is a day to leave your impact on our school’s campus and make it a better place than before we came here.”
Several students also looked forward to the special dinner that followed the afternoon of manual labor: Once everyone was all cleaned up, Webbies sat down to yet another fantastic meal prepared by Pete Morris and his fellow kitchen staff. Ms. Jennifer Kollmer, Class of 1991, was the guest speaker at this year’s dinner, joined by her husband and two children, Michael and Olivia. The Kollmer family was a welcome addition to the day’s celebrations.
Dessert was kicked off by a special Webb tradition, the annual cutting of the cake. The youngest Webb student, Doug Zangre, and Professor Emeritus, Tom Bond, did the honors, symbolizing the everlasting unity of the Webb Institute. Founder’s Day 2010 came to a close with a film, presented by seniors Michael Cariello and Dusty Rybovich, highlighting the day’s various campus improvements. Seeing the before and after scenes of the various projects, everyone involved was filled with a sense of gratitude and pride for our school and founder William H. Webb.
In a time when all around us seems to blur, Webb Institute proudly continues to observe a day of reflection on and respect for the place where we live, work, and play.
