Gary Hawkins and Phil Jamison Bid Warren Wilson Adieu
Jasper Everingham | April 27, 2023
Gary Hawkins and Phil Jamison, two longtime faculty at Warren Wilson College (WWC), are departing this semester.
Hawkins, a creative writing and poetry professor and dean of teaching and learning at WWC for the last 16 years, will be moving to take on the roles of vice president of academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Hampshire College in Mass.
Jamison, who first came to WWC 31 years ago and has been a professor of everything from math to music to Appalachian studies and history, is going to be retiring but staying in the area.
Despite their respective shifts, both said they were sad to go,and will miss WWC deeply. One thing they both spoke to was their appreciation for WWC’s students.
“Wilson students have always amazed me in their creativity,” Hawkins said. “To connect things that you wouldn't necessarily think about connecting.”
Jamison echoed that sentiment, saying that he feels like WWC attracts some truly remarkable students. He said that being a professor of music in particular gives him ways to connect with younger generations that he is deeply appreciative of.
“But one thing I love about playing music with students is, age really doesn't matter when you're playing music,” Jamison said. “Getting together to play music with folks, regardless of their age. It’s not a secret language, but [rather] a certain language in common that the general public doesn't know. When you get together and you speak that language together — when we sit together to play music, to jam — what we're doing is having a musical conversation.”
Hawkins also emphasized the community of WWC as a particularly fundamental part of the school for him. As somebody who has tried to build community and connection in many spaces throughout his life, he said that he feels like the community at WWC is truly special.
“One of the things I think I'll miss the most is [WWC] will circle around those in need,” Hawkins said. “I see it with students with each other — even in the moment in class, but certainly [more] broadly too. I see it with faculty with students [saying] ‘oh, the student is just having a rough time at the end of this semester,’ and we come in and come up with creative ways to complete a course if it's possible to do that. I think institutionally it happens. If faculty or staff have something happen in their life that is a crisis, whatever it is: people signing up to bring hot food to people in really dire need, or just whatever [is needed is] the constant, constant thing.”
Jamison made particular note of how special he feels WWC students are, saying that they often defy the expected.
“I appreciate Warren Wilson students in that they want to make a difference in the world,” Jamison said. “Many of them go on and do that. I’ll run into graduated Warren Wilson alumni all over the place, doing interesting things.”
One thing that Jamison and Hawkins both agreed on is that WWC is unlike many other places one can be. They both echoed the sentiment that WWC is the kind of place that leaves a deep, meaningful impression on all those it touches.
“I'm departing the place, I'm moving north,” Hawkins said. “But I'm grateful for what Wilson provided for me, and I feel as if I'm taking Wilson with me.”