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Graduates Advised To Be ‘Diverse, Interconnected, Interactive’ As Class Of 2009 Received Their Degrees
Buffalo’s Robert Kresse,
Esq., Honored with the Houghton Medal
HOUGHTON, N.Y. – To a standing ovation from family, friends, professors and administrators, 285 Houghton College seniors hailing from 20 different states and eight countries received their coveted diplomas during ceremonies Saturday, May 9, 2009, at the John and Charles Wesley Chapel on the campus of Houghton College.
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The moment signified the students’ completion of an often intense, four-year journey consisting of studies, classes, exams – and the formation of deep and lasting friendships. The ceremony marked the 84th time the college has held commencement, resulting in more than 16,000 graduates entering the workforce since its founding in 1883.
Shirley A. Mullen, college president, welcomed honored guests and family of the class of 2009, saying to all while pointing to the assembled class on the platform of the Chapel, “This is their day.” Addressing the graduates, who represented 40 different areas of academic study, she continued, “I invite you to live large.”
In her presentation of academic degrees to the students, Dr. Mullen was assisted by Dr. Ronald Mahurin, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean of the college, and Mrs. Bobbie Strand, chair of the Houghton College Board of Trustees.
Cited for special honors were:
Valedictorian Bethany G. Tennent from Ipswich, MA;
Salutatorian Kyle S. Vitale from Altamont, NY.
Departmental research honors were also bestowed upon the following students:
Computer Science, David King of Houghton, NY;
Education, Claire L. Essley of Rochester, NY and Rebecca M. Stafford of Du Bois, PA;
Mathematics, April R. Bowers of Lehighton, PA and Mindy M. Swancott of Boonville, NY;
Music, Emma R. McConnell of Mc Lean, NY;
Philosophy, Brittany Gentry of Gaston, SC;
Political Science, Katarina E. Kieffer of Mc Clure, OH;
Psychology, Kathryn H. Dineen of Cayuga, NY;
Religion, Shannon M Tilley of Kernersville, NC.
WHAT WORLD IS IT?
The awarding of degrees followed the commencement address delivered by Dr. Sabine U. O’Hara, Executive Director of the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, which provides oversight of the Fulbright Scholar Program, and Vice President of the Institution of International Education.
To the playing of the well known hymn “This is my Father’s world,” Dr. O’Hara presented the graduating students with the question, “What world is this?” She answered rhetorically, “This is your world and it is still the world of our Creator.” She urged the graduates to remember three characteristics of the world they are entering as guidance for success in it.
The first characteristic is its vast diversity. But she noted that many people are not prepared for this diversity because it requires an understanding of different languages, cultures, customs and perceptions. “Fewer than 10 percent of college graduates have international experience,” she noted. Referring to Houghton’s intercultural studies, “But more than 40 percent of Houghton College graduates have international experience. You’re way ahead of the game.”
Secondly, she observed that our diverse world is highly interconnected as evidenced by the recent economic situation and its broad, global nature. Dr. O’Hara challenged the graduates to be keenly aware of this interconnectedness and understand the challenges it presents. “We need your best minds to address these problems.”
Thirdly, she urged graduating seniors to intentionally interact with the diverse, interconnected world through becoming involved in their culture to make a positive difference. She referenced popular computer environments where college students can exist in virtual worlds. But in life after graduation, she pointed out, “It’s not all about the virtual worlds. It’s about real people, real connections and the real world around us.”
HOUGHTON MEDAL HONORS ROBERT KRESSE
During the ceremony, Robert Kresse, a distinguished attorney from Buffalo who has served as an active advocate of many public causes including the rescue and rehabilitation of the St. Mary of Sorrows church, received the Houghton Medal, a high honor awarded by the college to a person who has exhibited an exceptional life.
“This honor is conferred on one who has lived the kind of life that we as Houghton alumni are called to live in the world,” Dr. Mullen said.
The church, in an impoverished area, is an historic structure and was saved from demolition. It became an education center and is known as the King Urban Life Center.
SENIOR CLASS GIFT
The graduating seniors presented the college with a gift consisting of a new communion table and pulpit, to be installed in the Wesley Chapel Prayer Room. The room was damaged by water several years ago and is in the process of restoration.
Following the ceremony, the hundreds of guests, parents and family members mingled with professors and others on the Houghton quadrangle on a sunny, warm May afternoon to share congratulations and good-byes. Each academic department sponsored a lunch table for the gathering, which lasted through mid-afternoon.
