Dear Willard Community,

We regret to inform you that the previously contracted commencement speaker, Herbert Kutschbach, will not be available. Since agreeing to speak at our commencement, his health has deteriorated, making travel from Bolivia to the United States extremely difficult. The good news is that we will be sticking with the Triumph of the Will theme, even as we search out a new commencement speaker.

Meanwhile, I should like to remind everyone that the scheduled daily drills and rehearsals are continuing. Please block out 3pm-6pm and be dressed out and ready to go. As all faculty are required to participate, classes normally held at those hours have been cancelled for the remainder of the semester. Rehearsals and drills will also take place on Saturdays and Sundays.

By now, you have received the three 3-ring binders with the choreography, music, costumes (including costume changes), instructions for handling the torches, and for those deemed in need of trimming their weight, a diet plan. You should memorize those parts that have been highlighted in yellow; yellow highlighter indicates the portion of the plan that are specific to your part. Your costumes have already been purchased, an expense that the college will absorb until the cost (including tax, shipping and a nominal handling fee) has been deducted from your next pay check.

I don’t need to remind the Willard College faculty and staff that this program means a great deal not only to the college, but to Associate Provost for Admissions, Curtland Schickel, Provost Gauleiter, the Board of Trustees, and me.

I’ll see you out on the football field soon.

Best, President Henry Cotton