UNIVERSITY CONVOCATION WELCOME
Karen M. Whitney
Sunday, August 3, 2015
Marwick-Boyd Auditorium, 7:00 p.m.
Welcome, Class of 2019, to Clarion University's annual University
Convocation and to your first official university event as new
college freshmen!
Give yourselves a hand.
We come together this evening to celebrate not only the
beginning of a new academic year but also your entry into our
university community. As you may know, the word "convocation"
means an assembly of fellow students, faculty, and staff
welcoming you to an order of scholars. Tonight is a beginning
and it is also a conclusion. This event concludes a series of
activities that each of you has undergone – you have prepared
for years to enter college, from your many college choices -you
chose Clarion, you have attended orientation, registered for
your first set of college courses and had a very busy Discovery
Weekend.
I do want to ask you to help me thank the many faculty, staff
and fellow students who have been here for you over the
summer by meeting with you at orientation, advising you on
your courses, helping you move into housing this Friday, and for
the many meetings, talks and emails along the way. I thank
them for their commitment to you and ask you to help me thank
them now.
(Applause)

This convocation represents a beginning – a beginning of new
friendships, new learning, new dreams, new opportunities for
exploration and self discovery. In joining our academic
community, you have joined your fellow students, as well as the
faculty, staff, and alumni of Clarion University who hold very
specific values that I now ask you to live by every day as a
member of our community. Our students, faculty, staff, and
alumni value:
• learning;
• accomplishment;
• encouragement;
• diversity;
• civility; and
• civic engagement.
In talking about our core values, I am reminding you that with
the opportunities of being a college student at Clarion come
many responsibilities. First and foremost, your life is in your
hands. Your love and pursuit of learning is up to you. You will
have to take the initiative to seek out and construct your
college life. It's all around you but you will have to step up and
seize the opportunities.
So, this night, which is on the eve of your first day of your first
week of your first semester, of your first year as a Clarion
University college student, there are three things I encourage
you to do in order to be successful. Here goes:

• Go to class every day. Don't miss a day. Going to class is Job
One.
• Be ready for every day. Reading assignments, tests, papers,
projects – no excuses.
• Dare to care. Make friends and be a friend. You will need
them and they will need you.
You are the Class of 2019. Over the next four years you will be
part of a university community that is growing and building upon
a 150 year legacy of learning and service. For in 2017 --- when
you will be Juniors we will be celebrating our 150th anniversary.
It will be one heck of a birthday party.
We are a university that appreciates our history and builds upon
our past to the future needs of the state and region. This
semester we re-opened one of our historic buildings Becht Hall
which was built in 1906 and now hosts a variety of services and
programs that are here for you to be successful. We are also
pleased to have opened brand new student housing, the Suties
on Main St.
Academically- we have a proud past and a very exciting future.
Our education program was the first academic program at our
founding in 1867 and defined the university for most of our first
100 years. We are known nationally for our teacher preparation
program. At the same time we have continuously offered new
and renewed academic programs which are of interest to you as
students and in demand by industry and society. This semester
we are offering several new degree programs in criminal justice,
nutrition and fitness, sport management, paralegal studies, and
data analytics.

Clarion has a proud past and a courageous confident future of
which you have now joined.
In closing, I would like to recognize many folks who are with us
this evening and the many who have worked hard to make this
event so special. My sincere thanks to the University
Convocation Planning Committee, co-chaired by Ms. Erin
Schuetz and Mr. Shawn Hoke; Mr. David Katis, our master of
ceremonies; Mr. Rob Hoover, who manages this wonderful
auditorium; and Dr. Stephen Johnson who worked with our
students to provide our own wonderful vocal performance this
evening. In particular I would like to thank Dr. Martha Robinson,
who led our procession with a wonderful bagpipe rendition. I
also thank all the faculty and staff who have joined in this
celebration.
Finally, to you our newest students who have now joined the
Clarion University Golden Eagle Family, your success is our
number one goal. Now is the time to take flight, soar high to
live your life's dreams, work hard, have fun and . . . Fly, Eagles,
Fly! Repeat with me . . .Fly, Eagles, Fly!
Congratulations, Class of 2019!