“We’re far more diverse, in any way you want to define or measure diversity: ethnic, national, linguistic, and sexual orientation.”  In the words of Rick Teller, a Williston alumni and school archivist, this is one of the ways the student body has changed in the past half of a century.

Our society has changed drastically is the past 50 years, marked by life-changing events.  Martin Luther King Junior and John f.  Kennedy were assassinated. The Challenger exploded.  The Berlin wall was dismantled.  The events of 9/11.  The United States elected its first African American President.

On a local level, Williston has gone through significant changes as well, with the most prominent being the merge with the Northampton School for Girls and the shift to coeducation.  Though not always easy or even imaginable, Williston has developed, whether it be through the construction of a new building or an alteration of teaching requirements, such as the expectation to hold extra help for students.

“It’s a very different campus” than it was 50 years ago, states Rick Teller.  Multiple residential, academic, maintenance, and athletic buildings have been created.  John Wright, Lossone Rink, and Stevens Chapel were all added in 1964.  During the 90’s, the Athletic Center was built and Reed, formerly a gymnasium, was converted into the student center.  At the turn of the millennium, Memorial Hall was renovated as was the dining hall.  Athletically, there were many new additions, such as the track, the tennis courts, and Berube Stadium.  There are also now new Maintenance buildings and 194 Dorm.

Around the time of the shift to coeducation, the Whitaker-Bement building, now the middle school, was built.  Initially, there were some qualms as to whether the merge would be successful.  After all, the students at Williston Academy were not used to going to school with girls and vice versa.  The initial thought behind the Whitaker-Bement building was that the girls would want to be separated from the boys when, in reality, the students were never consulted and, “It was the last thing they wanted,” states Teller.  It was used as a social center and dining hall for the girls.  Once the middle school program began in 1974, the girls no longer used the building.

The merge of the school was more than a mere joining of two different genders; it was much more complicated.  As Teller says, “It [the merge] was a double edged sword.  There were lots of people who regretted the loss of two single-education schools.”

Glenn Swanson, former student and one of the deans of the school, agrees with Teller and states, “There were some early growing pains for both teachers and students.”  Teller comments that some alumni still won’t forgive Williston for merging.  However, with the enthusiasm of the students who genuinely wanted to make the merge successful, and a gifted headmaster, Robert Ward, Williston was able to pull through.  Teller is a strong believer that Robert Ward is the reason that Williston still is in existence and “if he had to pick one person for sainthood, he would choose Robert Ward.”

The student body became considerably more diverse and continues to be so today.  We now “accept and celebrate one another’s uniqueness,” says Teller. Swanson believes that, “Fundamentally, students have not changed much, but the culture around them has.”  He gave the example of scoring highly on SATs and being admitted to an Ivy League school and “it wasn’t a concern 50 years ago,” states Swanson.  He also mentioned that, “Students know that they have to be more accountable for both their effort and their behavior, perhaps not as important in the 70’s and 80’s.

Discipline has changed for students throughout the years.  In 1995, the faculty decided that the disciplinary system wasn’t efficient enough.  This is where units began.  Prior to units, Swason says that there wasn’t a set way to deal with a student being out of dress code or late to class. The idea behind this was to make the rules “tighter and more clarified; it got rid of the gray area.”

Despite adapting to tighter rules, the students also lost an entertaining tradition.  From about 1975 to 1995, Williston had a program called “Inter Session,” similar to college “J Term,” which lasted for about a month.   Students could choose from a variety of activities from hiking to movies to travelling.  Seniors used to have the opportunity to partake in internships, as well. However, a main concern with this program that about a month of teaching time was lost.  It required teachers’ energy and creativity.  The difference between those who could afford to travel and those who were “stuck at school” was a concern as well.

The Williston staff has certainly evolved, too.  Teller says that “There is certainly a stronger sense of unity than even 25 years ago.  We are much more one staff with a variety of roles than an aggregation of separate groups- administration, faculty, office staff, and maintenance, which is how it used to be.”  Swanson says, “While many teachers always made strong efforts to connect with and help students beyond the classroom, it is now expected of all teachers.” Technology has certainly changed the roles of students and teachers even within the last 15 years.  Swanson says, “Teacher are much more accountable to the school administration and parents than they were 50 years ago.”  Teller believes that, “Teachers are more willing to embrace technology recently.”

So where will we be in the next 50 years?  It is hard to say, though Teller and Swanson have some speculations.  In the near future, a new science building will be constructed.  “It is no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when,’” states Teller.  There are also plans for two dorms to be constructed near 194 and John Wright.  However, what holds true now will remain the same.  Swanson states, “Our focus continues to be the growth of the individual, trying to have each person find the passion that can continue beyond Williston.”