Poems for Chancellor's inauguration
Two poems were commissioned for the inauguration. Your Odyssey is a mythical representation of Heather's career leading her to our University. For the Public Good focuses on Heather's destination here at York and what we can accomplish together on the basis of our shared values.
Your Odyssey
Odysseus sailed home, nymphs scattering to
escape the swaggering glint of his hull;
each ebbing voice would join your chorus.
You followed their siren-songs on the tides,
rising like your pen to paper, the set of your jaw,
the stars you charted with their Greek fire talents.
Talent was four decades of documents, silver,
and the minds you changed. Ithaca was miles away,
but on sleepless nights, the vineyards whispered
the verdant legend of she who heard them —
the stars, the coins, the girls. You were there.
There, your sails billowed with a thousand
long-suffering, laurelled sighs, carried you
to shores that needed you. Kings and gods
alike knew your name, your prophecies,
your call to arms. One echoing seat was not
an anchor, in a sea of lives unlike yours.
Your beacons were fuelled by the splinters
of doors you burst through, and all that
followed. Don’t let anything hold you back.
The coffers were filled with women’s work,
the path forged in the tread of the brave.
Brave honours were many — legendary —
each island hailed you with a different name.
They toasted you Doctor, for the wounds that
you healed. You were bearer of medals and
burdens both. Trustee of chances, Chair at the
table, Patron of knowing there has to be more.
More than Atlas, you shouldered the dreams
of the crowd. The fisherwomen on the docks
had the deft fingers of heroes. Looms rattled
with the pace of potential, echoed applause.
Actually, you can do this. Do everything.
Everything changed, grew, glittered — seeds
that you planted could sprout where they chose.
The lives you touched unfurled like petals,
like rope on the deck that you spurred through
the storms. This was your Odyssey, the weight
of your name. Here we were, waiting for you.
Performed and written by Chloe Turner
For the Public Good
On our campus winding with willows vibrantly green
Listening through the seasons for spring,
We are building relationships
Between sports and eating Greg’s Place,
Between Heslington Hall and spotting Long Boi by the lake,
We are embarking on wisdom, enriching our earth, through
Innovative ideas and
Teamwork
Connecting, at University of York, for the public good.
From friendliness and excellence in faculty,
Through undergraduate and postgraduate studies,
We are
Problem solving,
Gears turning,
Ears learning,
We are yearning
To know,
To be known,
To be better citizens of the places we call home.
Learning, for the public good.
We are multidisciplinary
Diverse in
Abilities,
Ages,
Nationalities,
Bringing passion and purpose to conversations, collaborations in the
Arts and sciences,
Maths and psychology,
Humanities, sociology,
Engineering, public policy.
Collaborating, for the public good.
Working in unity,
Students and faculty
Bus drivers, food servers, and maintenance team,
Chaplains, librarians, and security,
Our perspectives and nationalities strengthen us,
Our abilities together
Beautiful, and
Robust.
Teamwork, for the public good.
Wisdom cries aloud in the streets,
Our ideas rise from our seats,
Our research pools from the lake
Outside of campus through the city gates,
Our ideas
Create businesses
Help hospitals
Name festivals.
Innovating, for the public good.
University of York students, staff, and faculty,
On this eighteenth day of January
Let us remember
To relish the adventure of learning each day,
To cherish each other’s invaluable worth,
To care for our inherited earth.
Stepping forward with our University’s vision for continuing growth in
Diversity,
Equality,
Sustainability,
Accessibility,
Let us join together in welcoming
Seventh Chancellor Dr. Heather Meville
To our University of York, for the public good.
Performed and written by Emily Thorington