At Landon’s opening day Convocation ceremony, Student Body President Alan Everett ’26 and Head of School Jim Neill delivered speeches centered on purpose and the pursuit of excellence. Below are the lightly edited transcripts of their remarks.

Alan Everett ’26, Student Body President   

Good morning! My name is Alan Everett, and I am truly blessed to be standing in front of you today as this year’s Student Council President. I am also honored that I get to be one of the first to tell you “welcome back” to this beautiful campus we get to call ours. I hope every one of you enjoyed your summer and enjoyed life away from school, but isn’t it great to be back?  

While I was enjoying my life away from school, all I could think about was what life would be like today, once I returned to school. I thought about the first day of school and the many traditions. A few being seniors greeting you young guys as you walk into school for what may be your first day as a Landon Bear, the excitement of going into something new as everyone moves to a new grade level, and the unveiling of the new school motto.  

As I thought about what today would bring, I thought more about the school year as a whole and I just kept thinking how we can make Landon the best place to be every day. How will we make this new school year a success? Well, “new” is exciting, it’s fun. As each of us start the school year and go on throughout the year, this year will be different from anything we’ve ever experienced before. To make this new experience the best it possibly can be, all of us, from the Class of 2035 all the way up to the Class of 2026, and all the faculty and staff, we must work together.  

If it’s your first day at Landon, first day as a middle schooler or upper schooler, or even for my fellow seniors your last first day of school, this year, I challenge you to not settle. Don’t go into anything you do with the goal of just getting it done. Don’t just show up to class because you have to be there. Be there because you want to take advantage of the opportunity that has been given to you. Strive to not only get work done but to also succeed exceptionally at whatever it is you do. If you challenge yourself and push just a little bit harder the outcome will be amazing.  

Throughout the year you will face challenges and at times you’ll be thinking about giving up, about failing. Do not accept it. Persevere through it. If you see your friend about to give up and take the easy route on the field, in the classroom, while painting, or while even singing, don’t let them accept it. You’re doing them a disservice if you sit there and watch them settle. Be of service to them and help them out when they are doing something that you know they aren’t doing to their best ability. Don’t accept, “eh, that’s good enough,” only accept your best, only accept your boy’s best too. That’s a big responsibility, it takes responsibility to say, “you know what, that wasn’t my best. I have to do it again.” Or even, “hey man, you are doing good, but you can do better.” Help your friends out. Nothing is stronger than the bond that we share being here together at Landon each and every day. Don’t let small things come in the way of your bond that you have with your brothers here at Landon.  

Earlier, I mentioned how beautiful this place is. We all should take pride in that. Every day, we should make sure this place looks like it does today. Today when you walk through the halls there will be nothing on the floors, no snacks from the day scattered around each classroom. Nothing sitting in the back of your locker making a strange smell. Tomorrow should be the same and so should the days that follow for the rest of the year.  

This takes responsibility, being able to clean up after yourself and hold others accountable for doing the same. Take pride in it. Less is more. You don’t have to do a lot to do your part. If each of us just watched all the wrong things we saw each day and kept going on with our day it would add up and it would make Landon a lot less fun of a place to be. So, take it into your own hands when you see some trash, or if you feel that you’re about to give up, don’t, even when you see others about to do the wrong thing, be responsible and help them. Explain what the right thing to do is, but go about it in a kind and respectful way.  

This is why this year’s school motto is focused on responsibility. Because without responsibility, what would this place be like? What if we all accepted things that were wrong and just said “ehh, welp, someone else will fix it”? If we all agreed that nothing matters and walked around with our heads down and went around not talking to each other, imagine that? In order to make this year the best it can be, we will have to rely on each other, we will have to hold each other accountable. Hold each other to the high standards that are expected of us.  

Each day we will accept nothing less than what we believe is right. Accept nothing less from yourself. Accept nothing less from each other. When it comes to difficult tasks, have the mindset of, “if not me, then who?” If you won’t do it, then who will? It may be difficult at times to stick up for your friend when everyone’s giving them a hard time for not being the fastest, the smartest, or even for just being a fan of a bad football team, but we will accept nothing less from each other than respect.  

When you feel that those around you aren’t being fully honest with you, move on, understand that, that’s their choice. Accept nothing less than honesty. Through this entire school year each of us will “Accept Nothing Less” from each other than living Landon’s Core Values and exceeding its high standards at all times. Living out all of Landon’s core values is doing the right thing at all times, and when we do the right thing, good things are bound to happen. And if for the entire school year can all accept nothing less than what we believe is right, Landon will be the best place to be today, tomorrow, and for every day that follows. Accept nothing less. Welcome Back. Thank You. Go Bears 

Jim Neill, Head of School     

The start of the year is a good time to reflect on mission and purpose. Basically, the question of, “why are you here? Why are we all here? What are we here to do?” I think if we cannot answer that question with clarity, we are adrift as an institution.   

Fortunately, here at Landon it’s a question that we think about a lot and can answer with confidence and a sense of pride. And to be clear, the answer is much more than just “Oh I’m here to learn math or literature or history” or “I enjoy sports” or “Landon has a good arts program.”  Those are of course important pieces of the pie, but they are not the whole. You may say, “I’m here because my parents sent me” and perhaps that’s true, especially for some of you new guys, but that answer has to slip away and blossom into something bigger for your time here to live up to its full potential. Maybe you say, “Well, I’ve made good friends here and I want to continue to spend time with them.” Good, but again, not the whole picture. And if you say, “I’m here to get into college,” while we will help you with that, you are again missing the bigger point.   

For this is a different kind of school. Landon isn’t any one of those things, it is all of them and much more, as captured in the combination of documents that speak to what we are about — our mission, philosophy, character pledge, core values, and portrait of a graduate. You need to understand this truth about Landon if you are going to get the full benefit of the Landon experience. 

For this is a place that challenges you and cares for you. It is a place that will ask a lot of you – that will help you to grow on every level – as a person, as a thinker, as a member of a community. It is a place that asks you to step up – not shrink into the corner. This journey is a challenging one, but because of that, it is also a meaningful one. 

We are here to help you boys develop into full-hearted and broad-minded men who will embrace challenges, serve others, think for yourselves, and be ready to lead in ways that are positive and courageous and ethical.   

We are also here to create a community — a place where you each will learn to respect one another as a fellow Bear – a community to which you will belong for the rest of your lives. For this place is your foundation, and that will never change. 

Our motto — virtute et non vi – by virtue and not by force – speaks to this bigger picture reality at Landon. It doesn’t talk about classes or games or grades but instead highlights the importance of ethical values and a virtuous approach to life over everything else. Here we say: Be honest. Be respectful. Be kind. Be responsible. Don’t brag. Work with others. Don’t give up. Be grateful. Be courageous. 

These are the kinds of things we want you to learn and internalize over your time at Landon – through and as part of all the work you will do here.  

A story I recall about a senior several years ago sheds light on this. One of the leaders in his class, this fellow Bear was waiting to hear back during what had been a long, difficult college admissions process. After a series of ups and downs, and late in the year, he finally got good news from his top choice school. The wonderful thing was that his response was not to brag or talk about himself on social media or anything like that. Instead, he sent a short email to Mr. Andy Luther to thank him, and then added the simple message, “Virtute et not Vi” – nothing more. He knew that he had worked hard, lived by our core values, engaged in all aspects of Landon, done things the right way – he knew that his college admission didn’t (and couldn’t) change any of that, one way or the other. He understood what this place was all about. He got it.  And today I’m hoping and asking that you will too – that you will think about your overall purpose here and embrace the massive opportunity available to you that is inherent in that purpose. 

As you heard from Alan, this year the seniors have posted for us a real challenge in their motto – accept nothing less. They frame this motto in the context of our core values and standards. It really does get at the core of what we are all about here. It is a call to all of us to strive to meet high expectations. It speaks to having pride and principles. It means not settling when it comes to the important stuff. It means working hard, embracing challenge, and standing up for the hard right choice over the easy wrong one.   

It means accepting nothing less than the highest standard of what it means to be a Landon Bear – both for yourself and your brothers. We will rely on you this year to do just that.   

In closing, allow me to remind you once again that we are so fortunate to be able to spend our days as part of this wonderful and unique school. Recognize that. You have an obligation to live into the privilege you have of being here. Don’t take it for granted. Engage in the life of the school. Show up. Be involved. Work hard. Care. And accept nothing less. 

I’m extremely excited for the year ahead. There’s a long and full journey ahead. So, let’s get started.