As written by Jackie Davis. Parkhall Integrated College The Name and The Badge Shortly after I arrived in Parkhall in September 1972 I was sitting in the staffroom after school having a cup of coffee with a group of colleagues and I happened to mention that I thought the design of the Parkhall badge was very unusual. It didn’t have a motto like most school badges did in those days and the design was simple but eye catching. Amongst those in the group was William Smyth who was Head of the Social Studies (History and Geography) Department at that time. William informed me that himself and Bob Sloan who was the Head of the Visual (Art) Department had been tasked with designing the badge. Willie as he was affectionately known by his colleagues was an enthusiastic historian with a particular passion for Irish history. He was also an author and indeed some of his own publications were used in the history classes at Parkhall. He informed me that Bob Sloan had been responsible for the design of the badge based on the ideas/philosophy that Willie had conceived. This is a brief summary of the history lesson about Parkhall that I received that day. The Name – the name of the school was taken from the townland of Park Hall which incorporates an area from the Steeple and includes a part of Stiles estate and across Stiles Way up to near where the original Ardnaveigh School stands. The Badge – Willie told me that his original thoughts were directed to the Round Tower which is less than 200metres from the school. Above the door of the Round Tower was a Celtic cross and it was this that sparked him to come up with the concept of the badge. The Celtic cross has a history stretching further back than Christianity and different versions have been identified over the centuries depending on where they originated. Willie explained to me that its four arms can be interpreted in three different ways. Firstly it could be interpreted as the four elements (earth, air, fire, water), secondly the four directions of the compass (north, south, east, west) or thirdly the four parts of man (mind, soul, heart, body). It was this last interpretation that Willie had in mind when conceiving the design the badge. The arms of the badge represented the philosophy that Parkhall would offer an educational experience to the whole person rather than just an academic one. His idea of using the five linked circles was no accident either. The population of Antrim had greatly enlarged in a short time due to the British Enkalon being established. People had come from all parts of Northern Ireland to work in the factory. There were people from different socio economic, cultural and religious backgrounds and Willie’s idea to include the circles was to symbolize togetherness and inclusion. Are these not the very same virtues’ that encompass the whole idea of Integrated Education? The concept of Integrated Education was not being expounded in William Smyth’s time but I have no doubt that the same philosophy that surrounds it today was the basis that he used when he came up with the conceptual ideas for the badge in 1971. William Smyth was in my view away ahead of his time in his thinking! What greater symbol therefore could there be to portray the idea of Integrated Education than the badge of Parkhall Integrated College? To destroy this at the stroke of a pen would be a crime against the memory of a man whose philosophy and practice was and still is, a beacon for Integrated Education.