Convocation Introduction [Dean Craig Kennedy speaking] Welcome everyone to this day of celebration.
My name is Craig Kennedy and I am the 15th dean of the College of Education. The College was founded in 1908 to bring teacher
education to the state of Georgia. Since then, we have flourished, grown, and matured as
a College. We currently have over 4,500 students and annually graduate 1,400 individuals who
go on to careers in education, mental and physical health, and human services. I would like
to begin today’s convocation
with an introduction of our platform party. I would ask that each individual rise when
I introduce him or her to receive our appreciation and applause. First, is Dr. Ronald Butchart, department
head, and endowed professor of Educational Theory and Practice and professor of History
at UGA. Dr. Butchart will be introducing our convocation speaker. [Applause] Second, is Dr. Carl Glickman, professor emeritus
of education at UGA. We are deeply honored that Dr. Glickman co
uld serve as our convocation
speaker. [Applause] Finally, we have Dr. Anne Marcotte, department
head and professor of communication sciences and special education. Dr. Marcotte will read
the names of our graduates. [Applause] Now, let me turn to my remarks. As Dean of the College of Education, it is
my distinct pleasure to preside over today’s convocation ceremony. Let me begin by extending my congratulations
to everyone here! To our graduates: Today is your day and we
all applaud you, Class of
2013. [Applause] Graduates: Your accomplishments that we are
celebrating today have been assisted by many people in your lives – your parents, grandparents,
siblings, partners, friends and others. Graduates: Please take a moment to thank those who have
helped you during your studies at the University of Georgia. [Applause] There are 230 faculty members in the 9 departments
in the College of Education that have taught and mentored you. I ask everyone present to
thank our faculty. [Applause] We ha
ve 140 staff members in the College of
Education. These individuals - often without your knowing - have been instrumental in helping
you earn your degree. I ask you to thank the staff in the departments, student services,
information technology, library, and many other areas. [Applause] This is a day of celebration for your passion
for learning and helping others. Convocation is a time-honored ritual that marks all that
you have accomplished thus far in your lives. Please, make sure and enjoy th
is moment. It
is something that occurs once in a lifetime. It is now my honor to introduce Dr. Ronald
Butchart, department head, and endowed professor of Educational Theory and Practice and professor
of History at UGA. Dr. Butchart is an imminent and respected scholar. He is trained as a
social historian, but has focused on teacher education for more than three decades. His
teaching and research interests include the history of African American education, the
social history of teachers and teach
ing, and the history of classroom discipline. He is also the 2012 recipient of the outstanding
book award from the History of Education Society, for his publication, “Schooling the Freed
People: Teaching, Learning and the Struggle for Black Freedom.” Dr. Butchart, please come to the podium to
introduce our convocation speaker. [Applause]
Introduction of Keynote Speaker [Dr. Ronald Butchart speaking] I’ve often found it odd that we come to
gatherings such as this where someone introduces someone
whose task is to introduce someone
else. Efficiency is apparently not a high priority in such gatherings. I am delighted, however, that I get to be
that second someone. I have known and admired Carl Glickman for a very long time. On a personal
level, Carl Glickman is the man largely responsible for getting me to the University of Georgia.
I noticed, though, that as soon as he got me here, he left for Texas State University
at San Marcos. I was never quite sure what to make of that.... Carl Glick
man is the nation’s leading cheerleader
for school reform. He is not a fan of what passes today for school reform, the sort of
top-down, bureaucratic, test-driven school change that amounts to public school dismantling.
Carl Glickman is deeply committed to, an activist for, and a cheerleader of democratic school
reform, the sort of reform that comes from committed teachers, concerned parents, and
local communities, and the sort of reform that realizes John Dewey’s vision of education
as the prac
tice of democracy. Just listen to the titles of a few of his
books: * Those Who Dared: Five Visionaries Who Changed
American Education * Renewing America's Schools: A Guide for
School-Based Action * Leadership for Learning: How to Help Teachers
Succeed * Letters to the Next President: What We Can
Do About the Real Crisis in Education (with a forward by Bill Cosby) Or, most recently, The Trembling Field: Stories
of Wonder, Possibilities, and Downright Craziness. It is the personal side of Carl Gl
ickman that
is the most compelling, however. He is an amazing teacher, an inspiring leader, and
a colleague whose focus and dedication is legendary. I have time enough for just one
illustration. Some years ago, Carl and a university van full of colleagues traveled to Savannah
on one of their many trips to work with school people on issues of school improvement. As
they returned from Savannah, Carl was driving as he and his passengers debriefed how the
workshop had gone. Carl was so engrossed in
the discussion that he would absentmindedly
slow to a crawl then speed up then slow down again, over and over. Finally, his wife
Sara, who was sitting in the very back of the van hollered, " Carl, pick a speed!!"
That became a mantra among his colleagues when they needed him to temporarily curb his
creative mind and help to make a practical decision. So, Carl — “Pick a speed!” [Applause] Keynote Address: A Two Sided World and What
You Can Do About It [Dr. Carl Glickman speaking] Thank you Ron
my friend and dear colleague
for the nice introduction and Dean Kennedy for providing me the chance to talk to this
distinguished graduating class of 2013. When I received Dean Kennedy’s invitation, I
reminded myself that no student remembers what their convocation speaker said at their
graduation. But, I am determined that you will remember this one, so please give me
feedback as I go. Don't yell or text me while I am talking, if you like what you are hearing,
give me a thumb up, if you are get
ting bored, if you are bored signal me with a thumb down.
This would be very helpful. I have served as a professor of education
at UGA for over 30 years, hopefully a few years longer than the length of time that
you needed to complete your program requirements. I'll still be here next year but most of you
will have moved somewhere else. As I look at my watch, I realize that the only thing
standing between you and receiving your recognition of walking across the stage is me. So I shall
be short.
You are graduating from one of the finest
public universities in the country and, according to the October, Sunday New York Times, you
are leaving the best college town in America. This class of 2013 is by all measures the
best-prepared class – whether undergraduate or graduate – in the history of our institution.
If your parents or grandparents went to UGA, you might gently tell them that you are brighter,
more knowledgeable, and better prepared than they were when they graduated. Please don't
rub it in though; many of these family members are still paying bills for you. You succeeded here at UGA by your own efforts
only in part as many persons – some known and others unknown to you – have contributed
to your success. I have titled this talk, A Two Sided World
and What You Can Do About It. How many of you have pets? How many have a
dog that you really love? A scholarly study published in the research
journal Anthrozoös, and reported out by Robert Sapolsky of The New York Times demonst
rates
the extent of human attachment to their pets. He explained that participants in the study
were given a hypothetical scenario in which a bus is hurtling out of control, bearing
down on a dog and a human. Which one do they save? With responses from more than 500 people,
the answer was that it depended. The participants wanted to know what kind of human was it and
what kind of dog? All of us would save a sibling, grandparent
or close friend over a strange dog. But when people considered if it
was their own dog
versus a local stranger — votes in favor of saving the dog came rolling in. And an
astonishing 40% of respondents voted to save their dog over a foreign tourist. What does a finding like this mean? Well, I’m not exactly sure but since I am
the speaker today I am supposed to have at least a hunch. So let me try. First, it means that if you are going on vacation
after graduation, your odds aren't good if you find yourself wandering in the middle
of the road with a bus bearing do
wn on you and you see a cute dog strolling by. You are
toast! Secondly, it means that we are much more likely
to step off the curb to save a person or dog that we are close to than a human stranger. Let’s acknowledge those people who you would
save. Please stand friends and family, including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, siblings,
cousins, and other caretakers who urged you, nagged you, and made other personal and financial
contributions to you. Please give them a round of appreciatio
n. You all may sit down now,
as in the lexicon of American Idol, you are safe, for now! Next, there are classmates, staff, and faculty
who worked with you through all the social and educational challenges you faced while
maneuvering through this 31,000 student academic village. Point at them and ask them to stand
up. You now may sit down as you are saved, for now! There may be a few cantankerous people during
your UGA lives that you might not dash quickly to rescue. You'd probably hope that they
wouldn’t
be injured by the runaway bus, just frightened a little bit. I was thinking of asking you
for examples of such annoying people, like the instructor who drones on and on and makes
you late for your next class, the delivery person who delivers the pizza cold, your roommate
who uses up all the hot water in the shower, or the person who sat next to you in Introduction
to Education and made weird sounds, but we would be here too long to hear all of your
examples. So now let's get over to th
e other side of
this bizarre world. Another report on people's behavior — during
the same period as the dog, stranger, and bus study — was reported out by Kate Murphy
also of the NY Times a few months ago . Let me quote and paraphrase parts of that report.
It has to do with what is called "pay it forward". If you place an order at a Chick-fil-A drive-thru,
it’s not unusual for the driver of the car in front of you to pay for your meal in the
time it took to place your order on the intercom and p
ull around for pickup. “The people
ahead of you paid it forward,” the cashier will tell you as she passes your food through
the window. Confused, you look ahead at the car — it could be a mud-splashed monster
truck, Mercedes or minivan — which at this point is turning onto the highway. The cashier
giggles, you take your food and unless your heart is rotten you feel touched. You could
chalk it up to small town charm. But it’s just as likely to happen at a Dunkin’ Donuts
in Detroit or a McDonald’s
in Fargo, N.D. Drive-through. "Paid forward" generosity is
happening all across America. “Pay it forward” means one person repays
a kindness by being kind to someone else rather than the person who was kind to him. Whereas
"paying it forward" in drive-thrus used to occur maybe once or twice a year a decade
ago, now fast-food operators say it happens several times every day. Sequential pay-it-forward incidents between
4 and 24 cars have been reported at Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Del Taco,
Taco Bell,
KFC and Dunkin’ Donuts locations in such states as Florida, California, Texas, Louisiana,
Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, and yes, even in Alabama. Typically, though, it is one customer who
acts alone. The privacy of the drive-through makes it especially easy to pay it forward
because it dispenses with any awkwardness and suspicion about motives. The payer pulls
away before the next car pulls up and the people in that car discover a gift that is
impossible to refuse.
Jessica Kelishes, an auto parts distributor,
says her kindness stemmed from wanting to share her good fortune. But others tell drive-through
cashiers they wanted to pay it forward in gratitude to drivers who waved their car ahead
of them, or after noticing in the rearview mirror a woman weeping into her steering wheel
and wanting to make her smile. Cancer survivors have done it in appreciation of life, and
new parents have done it to celebrate their baby. But more often what people express is a
desire
to do something good at a time when so much else in the world seems so dishearteningly
bad. It’s a stark contrast to the overwhelming reports of unkindness in the news — politicians
shutting down the government, school shooting, teenage suicides, cyber-bullying, vicious
slayings at a mall in Kenya, gas attacks in Syria. As one person said about “paying
it forward, I do it because “It’s about giving, and letting people see not everybody
is bad, and there are nice people out there and maybe
we can turn it around.”
Conclusion time: Bridging two sides of our world So on one hand, we Americans are suspicious
of strangers and would prefer to save our own dog and on the other hand, we feel the
need to pass on the kindness given us to anonymous people at fast food places. What both these
cases have in common is the avoidance of contact with strangers. Yet, it is strangers who have
contributed so much to our lives, and we rarely think about them. For example, there are many people that I
did not ask to stand and be recognized for their contributions to your life because they
are not here. The neighbors who watched you grow up, the school bus drivers who transported
you as a small child to school, your primary and secondary teachers, the custodians who
maintained your buildings, the police and fire persons who tried to keep you safe, the
cafeteria workers who prepared your meals, the construction workers who built your roads
for travel and your buildings for learning, the farmer
s and agriculture workers who processed
your food, the postal service employees who kept you informed, and this list goes on and
on. We are indebted to all the people of this
state and this nation – from the poorest to the wealthiest – who paid their own dollars
so that you might be educated and have the opportunity to attend this university. Remember
you are graduating from the oldest chartered public university in the country, established
in 1785 by the State of Georgia to be held in “public t
rust”, this university was
founded to provide an education to those who would "provide leadership to enhancing the
welfare of all...” Your education at this University gives you
a special responsibility. It’s not as dramatic as running in front of a bus to save a stranger
and it’s not as easy as gifting a Chick-fil-A. You won't make tons of money but you’ll
have tons of riches by helping those that you educate to understand that there are no
strangers in our land. So let me leave you with these
words: * Find a job, but not just a job where one
goes to work. * Find a life, but not just a life that satisfies
you, your family, and friends. * Find “a way of life” with others that
reaffirms the greatest gift this university can give you – an education used to promote
the dignity, respect, and well being of all. * As you graduate together, let me now congratulate
you, the class of 2013! [Applause]
Remarks Following Keynote Address [Dean Craig Kennedy speaking] Thank you, Dr. Glickman. Your s
cholarship
and wisdom elevate and enlighten us all. And now, we have the privilege of recognizing
those of you who will receive degrees this semester from the College of Education. Some of you have earned bachelor’s degrees,
some have earned master’s degrees, and others have earned specialist degrees. Many of you have qualified for initial teacher
certification, qualified to apply for licensure in professional areas, or added another area
of specialization to your professional credentials. Many
of you completed original research in
the form of an undergraduate project, an honors thesis, or a master’s thesis. Many of you have provided important service
to the community through your service learning activities, and many of you have accomplished
all this while maintaining grade point averages high enough that you are graduating cum laude,
magna cum laude, or summa cum laude. Some of you did it while working, while taking
care of your children or your parents, or while blazing your own tra
il as the first
person in your family to attend college. All of you have worked very hard, which is
why we call it “earning” a degree. We are very proud of all of you, and we are
pleased to be able to recognize your work and your accomplishments here this afternoon. [Applause] Now we will begin the convocation procession.
The graduates will approach the stage from the audience’s right and be introduced in
alphabetical order within each the departments. I invite the audience to please hold your
a
pplause until all graduates have been introduced for a department. Introducing our graduates today is Dr. Anne
Marcotte, Department Head and Professor of Communication Sciences and Special Education. [Applause]
Presentation of Students [Dr. Anne Marcotte speaking]
Career and Information Studies Our first graduates this afternoon have earned
degrees in the Department of Career and Information Studies, whose Workforce Education faculty
and whose Learning, Design, and Technology faculty are both ra
nked #1 in the country
in their respective areas. This department prepares undergraduates to become career and
technical education teachers, while those completing graduate degrees typically assume
leadership positions within the instructional technology units of school systems, governments,
businesses, or industry. All are prepared in the effective use of information systems,
with emphases on creativity and innovation for today’s careers and for those of the
future. Congratulations to everyone
who has earned a degree from the Department of Career
and Information Studies, including… * Chiquella Iesha D'Juan Taylor [Applause]
Communication Sciences and Special Education Our next graduates have all earned degrees
from the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education. This department focuses
its scholarship on the special needs of persons across the lifespan who benefit from different
approaches to teaching, learning, or communication. Whether they are continuing on to serve
as
early childhood special educators, to work as special education teachers, to complete
graduate studies in speech-language pathology or audiology, or to contribute to their world
in other ways, all of these graduates carry with them the department's mission of helping
all persons become as independent as they can be. Congratulations to everyone who has
earned a degree in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, beginning
with… * Hellen Nyaranga Abwavo
* Johanna Lee Wils
on [Applause]
Counseling and Human Development Services The next graduates have all earned degrees
from the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services. Currently ranked #2
in the country, the department has a rich history of service as a primary state, regional,
and national training site for students who pursue careers in counseling and related educational
fields. The graduates who are here this afternoon have all completed highly rigorous programs
in recreation and leisure studies
, and other programs in the department prepare counseling
psychologists, school counselors, and college student affairs administrators. Congratulations
to all the graduates who have earned degrees in the Department of Counseling and Human
Development Services, including… * Maggie Elizabeth Griffin
* Eun Sun Kwon * Caitlin Jayne McKenzie
* Lauren Denise McNiel * Jamie Lyn Mitchell
* Megan Marie Sheehan * Brooke Nicole Webber
* Sarah Jessica Whiting [Applause]
Educational Psychology We have one gr
aduate this afternoon who has
earned a degree from the Department of Educational Psychology, which is composed of four graduate
programs: Applied Cognition and Development; Gifted and Creative Education; Quantitative
Methods; and School Psychology. These programs prepare professionals for careers as college
teachers and university professors, educators of the gifted and creative, school psychologists,
researchers, and test developers. Its programs are perennially ranked among the nation’s
top 20
by U.S. News and World Report, and the department is known for the quality of
its outstanding graduates. Congratulations to the latest graduate to earn a degree in
the Department of Educational Psychology: * April Elizabeth Smith [Applause]
Educational Theory and Practice The graduates in this next group have all
earned degrees from the Department of Educational Theory and Practice. These outstanding graduates
are prepared for positions as teachers, teacher leaders, teacher educators, and resea
rchers
in Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, and Social Studies education. These programs
routinely rank among the top ten in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report, and
all of their graduates share the department’s commitment to deepen society’s understanding
of the issues facing the next generation of learners and their teachers and to foster
equity and social justice in education. Congratulations to everyone who has earned a degree from the
Department of Educational Theory
and Practice, beginning with… * Michelle Lea Allen
* Jennifer Lee Baker * Natalie Catherine Baldwin
* Brianna Leigh Beck * Megan Ann Budzinsky
* Meghan Alyse Campbell * Merri Mika Claire Champagne
* Sara Elizabeth Coan * Amy Elizabeth Coyle
* Samantha Christine Danbury * Nicholas Wayne Dawson
* Kurtis Neil Doehrman * Katherine Lynn Farrington
* Jessica Leigh French * Erica Gabrielle Glinski
* Katie Ann Grooms * Casey Elizabeth Harney
* Holly Kathryn Haslett * Meral Ann Henton
* Amberly Nicole Ho
lloway * Kimberly Morgan Kennedy
* Korey Miranda Lane * Mary Kathleen Ledford
* Lindsay Jo McMichael * Megan Lee Monroe
* Kimberly Nicole Morris * Caroline Marie Paschal
* Aaron Daniel Paul * Hannah Danielle Smith
* Polly Cameron Strange * Kinsey Elizabeth Stroup
* Elizabeth Ann Vice * Elizabeth Camille Webb
* Kaci Lynn Whiddon * Christopher Lee Wilson
* Riley Marie Yearwood [Applause]
Kinesiology The next group of graduates has earned degrees
from the Department of Kinesiology. The mission of t
his department is to enhance health and
well-being for people throughout the lifespan through the creation, transmission, and application
of knowledge related to physical activity, exercise, and sport. The Department’s bachelors,
masters, and doctoral programs in exercise and sport science, health and physical education,
and sport management prepare students for careers as practitioners in allied health
fields, in teaching and coaching, and in sport enterprises, and for careers as scholars and
r
esearchers in higher education, government, and industry. Congratulations to all the graduates
who have earned degrees in the Department of Kinesiology, including… * Caroline Lucy Clark
* Garrett Samuel Collins * Rachel Claire Cozart
* Joshua Richard Edmunds * Alexandra Kaye Ely
* Ashton Gregory Fannin * Erica Ann Flanigan
* Richard Smith Fultz Jr. * Miles Lanier Gilbreath
* Ryan William Guilbault * Michael Taylor Hendrixson
* Austin Michael Herod * Dustin Ryan Jackson
* Ethan Gainor Jackson * B
radley Scott Klug
* Katie Lauren Lynn * Morgan Lynn McClymont
* Chazmon Clay McCormick * Marcus Blaine McQuien
* Ryan Alan Moore * Jordan Chandler Newton
* Justin Michael Overton * Kyle David Page
* Alexander William Parsons * Abigail R. Porterfield
* Lauren Marissa Porterfield * Richard Clayton Power
* Andrew Kyle Ricks * Russell Carson Suits
* James Samuel Taylor III * Ariel Elaine Villafane
* Anna M Watson [Applause]
Language and Literacy Education Alphabetically, we come next to two departme
nts
who do not have graduates in attendance today. The first is the Department of Language & Literacy Education,
whose faculty work closely with Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 pre-service and in-service
teachers. The overall intent of language and literacy education coursework is a focus on
sustaining thoughtful and caring literacy instruction in Georgia schools. This department
has no December graduates in attendance this afternoon, but we recognize the many contributions
of the department o
f Language and Literacy Education. [Applause]
Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy Similarly, we are pleased to be able to recognize
the work of the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy. This Department
contains three distinct programs, one in Educational Administration, one in Adult Education and
Organization Development, and one in Qualitative Research Methods. The college takes pride
in the many contributions of the Department of Lifelong Education, Administr
ation, and
Policy. [Applause]
Mathematics and Science Education That brings us to our final group of graduates,
who have all earned degrees from the Department of Mathematics and Science Education. These
graduates are equipped with knowledge and skills to be leaders in the arenas of instruction,
curriculum, assessment, and policy, for mathematics and the sciences, and for learners in preschool
through college settings. Given the importance of mathematics and science literacy in our
society today
, the faculty of the department and of the college as a whole look forward
to the contributions these professionals will make through their teaching, research, and
service. Congratulations to everyone who has earned a degree in the Department of Mathematics
and Science Education, including… * Chan Westin Cash
* Meghan Elizabeth Clark * Caroline Elizabeth Clark
* Mary Kathleen Crowers * Anthony Richard Kennedy
* Katie Michelle Kennedy * Cassidy Lynn Morin
* Andrea Joyce Riker * Benjamin Carter Ro
per
* Kassie Leigh Smith * Madelyne Rae Stephens
* April Nicole Thompson * Anna Beth Zwanziger [Applause]
Concluding Remarks [Dean Craig Kennedy speaking] Thank you, Dr. Marcotte. Thank you, again, families, faculty, and staff.
Everyone has many reasons to be proud today. Graduates, you are now alumni of the College
of Education. You are now a member of a community that includes over 59,000 living alumni. Many
of these individuals have gone on to great accomplishments and made important contribu
tions
to Georgia and the nation. We expect no less from each of you. We look forward in the future to hearing with
great pride about the impressive accomplishments and important contributions made by the Class
of 2013. [Applause] Audience: It is our pleasure to present to
you the Class of 2013. [Applause] Thank you, everyone. This concludes the fall
2013 College of Education convocation. Please enjoy the day with those who mean so much
to you. [End of program]
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