Chapel at Peddie

Tour Guide Griffin shares how Peddie’s chapel programming gives students a chance to express themselves – through music, spoken word or cheering, at the podium or in the pews.

Twice a week at Peddie – Mondays and Fridays – we set aside time to go to chapel. Every student is required to go and the whole school packs into one large room. The average chapel experience consists of music performed by one or a group of students, followed by those same student(s) or a different student giving a speech about something they’ve learned while at Peddie or a piece of wisdom they wish to impart.

Because of its frequency, chapel is a major part of every week here at Peddie, and it contributes a large role to Peddie’s spirit in general. Being able to hear my fellow students tell us a story from their lives or listen to the beautiful music that they share helps to strengthen the bonds between members of our community. Even if you don’t know that particular student, what they share with the school gives you a glimpse into their interests and who they are. 

I have never gotten up to do a chapel speech or perform music, but being able to experience a piece of art that someone shares is seeing someone sharing a piece that they personally created. Student speakers at chapel share stories from their lives with a message, sometimes through something I would have never thought of. If it is music, I would usually never pick to listen to someone like Bach or Mozart. If it’s traditional music from someone’s culture, it’s something that I would have never otherwise known about.

Along with those regular chapels, there are a few special ones throughout the year; the most exciting is Blair Day Chapel, where the whole school comes together in blue and gold, celebrating and getting ready for the following day when we face our rival school, Blair, for the Potter-Kelley Cup. In that chapel, the energy is always palpable as everyone is buzzing with excitement for the coming day. All of these things help to connect us as a community of people who come from all around the world; people who otherwise might never see each other around campus come together and share the things they love or the things they have learned.

Learn more about the chapel program at Peddie.