My favorite two days of the academic year are our spring and fall commencement celebrations. It is on those days that we celebrate the handiwork of this university.
On May 19 we will be validating the competence of the class of 2007. I am very much looking forward to seeing the proud faces of families and friends as I shake the hands of our newest graduates. Also on that day:
- Richard Meeusen will provide the commencement address. He is an energetic and successful alum who will, no doubt, inspire us all to reach higher and never give up on anything that matters.
- Sara Mertz will be the student speaker. Sara will be a summa cum laude graduate with a degree in finance and accounting.
- A total of 1,243 undergraduates and 176 graduates will receive their diplomas.
- Many of our undergraduates will be the first in their families to earn a baccalaureate degree.
I look forward to seeing you there.
Thursday evening we will celebrate literature on campus. I will present the second annual UW-Whitewater Chancellor’s Regional Literary Award to A. Manette Ansay. Manette is the author of numerous novels including an Oprah selection “Vinegar Hill” and her most recent “Blue Water.” She also wrote an amazing memoir called “Limbo” detailing her debilitating illness that left her in incredible pain and unable to walk.
Copies of her books will be available to purchase. Manette will be happy to autograph them.
Manette writes a lot about rural Wisconsin and has the ability to capture its people and places. A free reading will be held at 7 pm in the Kachel Center of the Center for the Arts. I hope you’ll join us as we celebrate Manette’s work and the love of literature.
Virginia Tech has offered an opportunity for people across the country to honor those killed in the tragic events on that campus. Here at UW-Whitewater, we invite all to wear orange and maroon on Friday in support of the families of those who were lost.
I am shocked and deeply saddened as I think about the losses suffered by the Virginia Tech campus today. I know you will join me in keeping the members of that campus community in your hearts as they attempt to make sense of this tragic event.
Probably the most important thing any student can do is graduate! That’s why I spend so much time talking with our new freshmen and urging them to make the commitment to finish what they start. I was delighted to hear my sentiments echoed in a beautifully written essay by Kathy J. Doering-Kilkenny, a UW-Whitewater employee who will be graduating this May – alongside her daughter, Kathleen.
In Forks (Or How I Completed My College Degree) Kathy wrote: “Either because of my age or in spite of it I became determined to finish what I started…The confidence that comes with age helped me, I think, to stay the course. The nights and weekends that I devoted to sitting on my porch reading, studying, preparing reports, participating in an on-line course discussion, or memorizing Japanese vocabulary was time spent doing exactly what I wanted to. I have no regrets.”
Well said, Kathy, and well done.
It was my great pleasure to attend the dedication of the Florence Kopas Special Education classroom today in Winther Hall. The newly renovated high tech classroom gives us a reason to celebrate the progress we have made in educating special needs individuals. The naming of the room for Mrs. Kopas reminds us of the legacy of UW-Whitewater. Florence Kopas worked as department secretary for 34 years. The room was donated by Quint Studer, a grateful former student whom she lovingly mentored.
One hundred years ago, the City of Whitewater celebrated its birthday with a homecoming festival led by President/Chancellor Albert Salisbury. This year, from July 1 - 4, we will be collaborating with the city to celebrate its 170th birthday. Expect four days of old-time fun including parades, speeches, dances, and a possible UW-W faculty-staff-administration reunion. Check the City of Whitewater website for updates.
The Social Work Student Organization (SWSO) is one of the largest student organizations on campus and one of the most active. The organization is run by students who have contributed more than 10,000 volunteer hours over the past decade to a variety of projects, including help for the homeless.
I had the pleasure of attending SWSO’s 30th "Birthday Party" yesterday. What an impressive group of dedicated young people! Rep. Kim Hixson was on hand as well to read a proclamation in support of the club.
Congratulations SWSO (and Advisor, Mike Wallace) for your incredible accomplishments.
I was at the Detroit Airport last evening, struggling to get back to Wisconsin along with hundreds of other displaced travelers, when something wonderful happened. A nice gentleman noticed the UW-Whitewater shirt my traveling companion was wearing, and came over to talk with us. He introduced himself as someone very interested in economic development and said he had heard of us. He said, "Someone at your university developed an invention that is most certainly going to stimulate manufacturing in Wisconsin." He was referring to UW-W art professor Dan McGuire’s invention for scaling back the time required to produce ceramic shells. I was quick to tell him that not only is Dan a great inventor, he’s a great teacher who was inspired to develop this process in order to keep his students better engaged in the creative process.
We really do make a difference.
Residence Halls provide so much more than merely a place to sleep for students. Through a complex network of services, our Residence Life programs offer support for our students in academics, social interactions, and life.
I’m pleased (but not surprised) that UW-Whitewater has been named Large School of the Year by the Wisconsin United Residence Hall Association — for the second year in a row.
Congratulations to Jeff Janz and his energetic crew. Many thanks to Brianna Newhouse, Matt Pirkey and Beth Harty for putting together the written bid and oral presentation.
