Commencement 2009 - a Senator with a camera and a Secretary with a message.

Thursday morning everyone gathered on campus for our 2009 Commencement.  Baccalaureate the day before had been on one of those amazingly beautiful Vermont spring days and while Thursday was not cold nor wet, it WAS breezy with sustained winds of over 25 mph and gusts up to 50 mph.  Caps and gowns were being thrown all over the place BUT the bagpippers did their job and the ceremony was a culmination of four years of hard work for our graduating seniors.  We always confer Honorary Degrees on distinguished friends of the College and this year was no exception.  What almost everyone I have spoken to has commented on is seeing one of the "most powerful" Senators in the United States Senate, someone who is featured on every major news show on a regular basis, standing in front of the dais taking pictures of his wife Marcelle as SHE was in the spotlight - Marcelle and Senator Leahy have been married for a very long time and are both great friends of the College.  Marcelle is a registered nurse who has been a pioneer in enpowering women to seek out careers in medicine.  She is a strong advocate for those confronting melanoma and has used her own experiences to help others understand the seriousness of this type of cancer and how early detection can lead to great success.  As a melanoma survivor myself, I know how important it is to get this message out to everyone and my students get tired of my harping on them before every summer break, every spring break, every family cruise, every ski trip to cover up and use sunblock.  Marcelle, along with Dr. Frederick Burkle '61 (how this man has time to breathe given the incredible number of accomplishments he has already done at his age amazes me and everyone else), and Sister Irene Duchesnear (another amazingly active leader in health care and in confronting hunger in Vermont) all received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.  I have had the privilege of meeting both Senator Leahy and his wife on a couple of occasions over the years and they are the most down-to-earth people I think I have met.  It was also very touching to see her "blow him a kiss" and to have him return that gesture in front of a very packed Ross Sport Center gymnasium.  

Senator Leahy was instrumental in securing Arne Duncan, Education Secretary of the Obama Cabinet as our Commencement speaker.  He has been going around the country on a "listening tour" to hear what educators and the public think about No Child Left Behind which is a controversial program that has been in effect for several years.  A very impressive man (he played professional basketball in Australia for four years and it is "rumored" that he played basketball here on Wednesday) he too was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.  His talk strongly urged our graduating seniors to head out from SMC and make a difference.  He said "you are educated and empowered to make a difference" - "Saint Michael's College is 'not just smart people but good people too'" - "you will lead our country where it needs to go" "you are a generation of activists who want to change things" "is the world ready for you?" - he also told the graduating seniors and all gathered there "you learned by being taught and teaching others" as he told those going into education that education is a key civil rights issue and a key priority of the Obama administration with $10 billion to be spent on making the changes necessary for the United States to provide that quality education for EVERYONE and not just the priviledged.  He WAS an impressive speaker and we were lucky to be able to have this man as our Commencement speaker and we ARE lucky to have him as the United States Secretary of Education.

I have to give kudos to senior Jeanne Marie Nauheimer who was chosen by her peers to deliver the Senior Address and who gave one of the most memorable senior addresses I have heard in a very long time.

After the Honorary Degrees were given and the speeches were completed, those receiving their degrees lined up, walked across the stage, shook hands with President Neuhauser and accepted their diplomas.  We all then moved into the Tarrant Recreation Center for hugs, handshakes and many pictures.  It was now time to say thank you to parents for sending us such amazing young people.  It was time to meet some parents for the first time and to renew friendships established years ago with parents and families of other seniors.  It was, for me, NOT a time to say goodbye.  I just can't do that anymore so I simply give a hug, a handshake and a "later."  I know that many of these new graduates will NEVER leave SMC - physically yes, but they will always carry this place that has been their home for the past four years in their hearts.  What an amazing journey it has been for all of us.

(Krysten Farrell, me, Brett Peryer)

Thanks to all of our seniors for what they have given to the College - we ARE a better place because of you - your passion, your challenges, your energy - take care, be well and, as always, please keep all of the members of our military in your thoughts and prayers.

Comments

[Best looking man you know]

You know Dave...I'm a little upset I didn't make the blog picture...