Dear Families of Graduating Students,
I would like to invite you to share with us the events of
Commencement 2008 at Houghton. This is such a significant time for
all of us who have been involved in the lives of our graduating
seniors. Clearly, the seniors themselves see its significance—and
are now torn between the excitement of “being done with college” and
the sadness of leaving friends and connections that have come to
mean so much to them over the past several years.
For us at Houghton, and for you as parents, this is a time when we come together to celebrate with them their accomplishments and to bless them with our confidence and hopes as they embark on the next stage of their journey—a stage in which they will have the opportunity and challenge as never before to live out, on their own, the implications of the choices they have made and the invitations they have accepted.
Our task during this graduation weekend is to be present for them—in gratitude and affirmation—confirming for them our support for them and our confidence in all the good that God is intending for them in the days ahead.
We hope you will join us for baccalaureate when we will hear from one of our own faculty and two graduating seniors. Our commencement speaker will be Mr. Brady Anderson, former Wycliffe Missionary, American ambassador to Tanzania, and Director of US AID. We want to focus in this ceremony on the historic call of Houghton graduates to “fix up the world” in the name of Jesus Christ.
Let me review a brief version of the entire schedule:
| May 9th (Friday) | |
| 10:00 a.m. | Rehearsal (for graduates only) |
| 3:30 p.m. | ROTC Commissioning Ceremony (by invitation only) |
| 4:30-6:15 | Senior Family Dinner |
| 6:30 | Baccalaureate |
| 8:00-10:00 | Reception for Seniors and their Family and Faculty |
| 10:00 | Senior Class “Spot” |
| Saturday, May 10 | |
| 8:00–9:00 a.m. | Coffee & Donuts with the President (Campus Center Lounge) |
| 10:00 a.m. | Commencement Reception on the Quad (following the ceremony) |
There are always several practical matters of concern. Let me review them in outline, and then you can follow up with any particular questions you may have.
Seating—Each senior will receive 3 tickets for seating in the chapel. Auxiliary seating will be available in the Recital Hall and Instrumental Rehearsal Room via large-screen video projection. We welcome all who wish to come!
Lodging—In addition to the nearby hotels, we can accommodate many families here on campus. If you would like to have housing on campus, please return the enclosed registration form, in the envelope provided, by April 7 at the latest.
Meals—Provisions will be made for Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast, in addition to the scheduled receptions. See enclosed registration form.
Photo/Video—As in the past, the college has contracted with Genesee Photo Systems and DB Video to record this year’s commencement. There will be photos of each graduate at the time of receiving the diploma, as well as a video of the entire program. Order forms for photos and the video will be made available following commencement.
If you have further questions, please contact the Office of the Academic Dean.
Again, I am delighted to have you join us in celebrating the graduation of Houghton’s Class of 2008. There is no more exciting time on a college campus than to see the graduates “come into their own” and go out into the world to put into practice all that they have learned. This is when the meaning of “Alma Mater” becomes most obvious. These are Houghton’s children getting ready to go out on their own. Just as you entrusted them to us several years ago, so now you, as parents, and we, as a college community, join together in entrusting them into God’s hands for his purposes and his plans in the coming days.
Sincerely,
Shirley A. Mullen
President
