SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. — It didn’t snow. It didn’t rain. The bagpipes resonated throughout this little Vermont town that houses the Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) campus of older homes turned to office and classroom spaces, and new buildings offering state-of-the-art classrooms, a workout facility, a student center, a great cafe, a bookstore, plus clinical spaces for students to learn and develop real-world skills. Two old schoolhouse buildings, now renovated, still grace the lovely VLGS campus holding the charms of an ages-old passion for learning and change.
This quaint and picturesque Town Common with its two gazebos was transformed with a high-rising tent to seat an audience numbering close to a thousand people of all stripes. It was, for me, as if Robert Frost’s Silken Tent came alive for the day, gently swaying at ease, a “pinnacle to heavenward” signifying “the sureness of the soul”…
But strictly held by none, is loosely bound
By countless silken ties of love and thought
To every thing on earth the compass round
R. Frost, The Silken Tent (excerpt)
Looking around at faces felt like I was crossing continents, or people-watching at a busy intersection in a major metro area. South Royalton, affectionately known as SoRo, had a SoHo feel to it with this diversity of students, family, friends, alumni, faculty, staff, and local community members. They were here to celebrate the 47th Commencement of this nationally-ranked law & graduate school that hugs the banks of the swiftly-moving White River. Love and thought and a powerful connection to small-town place infused the ceremony.
The New York Times recently reported a surprising and heartening statistic that students of color comprised 25% of the VLGS graduating class last year, up from 10% back in 1993. This is a testament to the work of many and their commitment to diversity in a state not known as a multicultural hub. Founded in 1972, VLGS stands apart and strong as a beacon for hope and learning. I felt energized as the Spring breeze swelled and lifted the tent higher to the sky. Peering beneath the tent’s softly-flowing arches, seeing the faces of people perched on chairs and stairs and going about their familial affairs to celebrate the day, made my heartbeat quicken.
Here was a community of learners who came from far and wide to grapple with the law, garner knowledge about policy, fight to protect our environment, and join together in a symphony of minds striving to make our complex world a better place. The school is known for its Environmental Law Center, ranking #4 nationally in environmental law as the only private, independent law school in the top tier. It consistently leverages its passionate and exuberant faculty to upend the status quo and rank ahead of much larger, more highly-resourced schools that have deep pockets and ample ways of funding programs. Climate and the environment, energy and justice, and a core focus on teaching law remain central to its mission, drawing top faculty to teach students who feel drawn to be a part of something unique and individualistically entrepreneurial. The power of place and sense of community set this school apart. The magic of Vermont flows through everyone as if immersing them in some unique rite of celebration in the nearby White River. VLGS serves up a near-spiritual experience to all who enter its orbit. It’s exciting and infectious, and for those who aspire to help others and our world, this is the right place to study and learn.
Commencement speakers covered an array of topics, honoring students who distinguished themselves, especially those with a focus on service to others. A moment of silence was held as the Amtrak train whistled through town, memorializing a 2023 classmate who was struck by the train on November 16, 2021. His father, in accepting a posthumous diploma, underscored the depth of caring for his entire family. All are family here. All felt the pain, even as they celebrated the accomplishments of the day. Trustee Chair Glenn Berger reminded people of the days, not so long ago, when there weren’t enough desks to go around for his fellow students studying law in the Class of 1978. And President Rod Smolla, quoting Dylan Thomas, amplified how we must “not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” Especially in the context of fighting valiantly for our environment while helping those who are marginalized and underserved, who need the help of those who have been educated to serve others.
At the ceremony’s close we heard from Anja Smolla, a native Russian, now a naturalized American citizen, who sang our national anthem with her distinctly Russian accent. She was joined during the last several stanzas by the uplifting strength of nearly a thousand voices under the tent moved to sing along, some with tears in their eyes. Where else might a community of learners bond in song with such emotional zeal for our country in the face of intense global conflict threatening democracy everywhere? Where else could the voice of another nation be so readily accepted as it suggested bold change toward peace? Where else does art through song resonate with such force? And where else could the faces of all backgrounds and ages become a whole cloth in the many-colored hues of the rainbow as painted by Vermont Law and Graduate school in this small Vermont village of South Royalton, where learning and service, compassion and action are paramount? It’s here, on the banks of the swift-flowing White River, where currents portend the kind of change that will improve the lives of everyone across our communities and our world that this sort of magic happens.
Congratulations VLGS Class of 2023. High praise for you, Vermont Law and Graduate School, and the South Royalton community. This is the little school that could — and does, and will. It continues to grow as its graduates venture out to serve others throughout their communities and around the world.
Dave Celone is vice president of alumni relations & development at Vermont Law and Graduate School, of which he is an alumnus. He continues to write about Vermont, its people, and its places to help others feel the encouraging magic and sense of place that instills a powerful sense of community and compassion for others.
Dylan Thomas quote, not Bob Dylan