Realistic commencement speakers focus on substance, not Seuss
By Meghan Dusek
With the commencement ceremony of April 30, 2009, Metropolitan State University saw its alumni number swell to almost 27,000. And I’m pleased to report that the majority of the speeches steered well clear of the trite “oh-the-places-you’ll-go” variety, focusing more on matters of personal achievement and accountability.
Marching with the three other Master of Science in Technical Communication candidates to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance,” I was afforded a seat smack in the middle of the action--close to the professors whom I’ve grown to know over the years, close enough to the stage to have a good view of the speakers and within waving distance of my Wisconsin family who trekked “across the river” to see me in my funky-sleeve gown (F.Y.I. future Masters candidates: the cut-away part was perfect to store things like my notepad, camera and lip gloss).
Drs. William J. Lowe and Sue K. Hammersmith performed the welcoming duties. Both expounded on the University’s history and particularly the importance of alumni, of the “partnership” that emerges between students and institution. Commencement also saw the first four Doctorate of Nursing Practice conferred--a true testament to the ongoing mission of Metropolitan State to assess and meet the needs of its community and students.
The first speech of the night of the night came from the Hon. Scott C. Thiss, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees. Thiss made the first thinly-veiled reference to the universal concern of all of us: the state of the economy, and the inherent concerns. He referred to the proverb of the gazelle and the lion. The gazelle wakes up every morning, knowing it must run faster than the others so as to not get eaten by the lion. The lion wakes up every morning, knowing it must run faster than the slowest gazelle so as not to starve.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a lion or a gazelle,” Thiss said. “When you wake up tomorrow, you better start running.” Mr. Bob Hernz, President of the Alumni Association Board followed, and provided introspection to the faculty present in their myriad of gowns and caps, each symbolizing degrees, universities and various other honors.
Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Fox spoke on behalf of the Faculty Association. Retiring this year, Fox was one of the five founding faculty members of Metropolitan State in 1972. “Obtaining you degree is not a moment to stop weaving tha
t tapestry of your life,” Fox said. “But a time to stop and mark the accomplishment.”
Fox ran down a brief timeline of Metropolitan State notable events (he joked about nixing the original 100-plus page manuscript).
1972: The university opened with 50 students, abandoning traditional grading and graduation requirements. The first facilities were the abandoned Northwest Bank building, downtown St. Paul. Fox used a drafting table for a desk.
1973: The first commencement of 12 graduates.
1975: Metropolitan State University is granted accreditation.
1976: Alumni grows to over 90 across the country.
Fox continued to list the early accomplishments of the university, including global recognition for its practices and endeavors. “This college must remain faithful to the task of teaching,” Fox said. “We must continue to exist for the students.
“When one has learned something, that person has changed.”
Greeted exuberantly by the audience, Student Senate President Melissa Heinz followed Dr. Fox. Amidst her congratulations to the graduates, Heinz also extended recognition to the faculty and families assembled. Her final note echoed Mahatma Gandhi, calling for students to “be the change they want to see.”
The final address of the night came from College of Management Outstanding Student Lydia Newlin Terwey. Terwey’s address focused on creating a legacy with its stability resting on three legs: career, community and family.
Career reflects passion, day in and day out, in one’s chosen profession.
Community is inherent to peace, Terwey inferred, blaming the breakdown in community as central to the world we live in today. She advocated becoming involved in some way, any way: “Maybe as dramatic as running for town board, or as little as shoveling the sidewalk for an elderly neighbor.”
Terwey drew on her own family for inspiration for the final pillar, accurately attributing our collective successes to the support of family and friends.
The three-legged stool, as constructed by Terwey, reflects the possibility of a well-rounded life that speaks for itself, and contains the components to have made life easier for at least one individual on the planet because of our existence.
The real “exercises” began, beginning with the doctoral candidates, followed by the Masters and then the Bachelors. Dressed in our billowy black gowns, the conferral of degrees and accompanying handshakes signified the rite of passage for over 800 of us. How these degrees will assist us is uncertain. But the affirmations of running, legacies and “being” the change endowed each of us with the knowledge that, in spite of everything, success is a mind-set.