Carthage Commencement 2009
Congratulations to the Class of 2009!
Surrounded by family, friends and faculty, members of the Carthage College Class of 2009 celebrated their commencement May 22-24. Graduates were congratulated on their successes, and challenged to "Carry the Fire" of Carthage wherever their careers and lives may lead them.
"Although we are moving forward in a time of great uncertainty, we are also stepping forward in a time of great opportunity," said Amanda Thoe, '09, representing her fellow graduates at Friday's New Alumni Convocation.
"On the first day of school, Pastor [Harvard] Stephens challenged us with the message, 'Begin as you would end.' What a noble goal," Thoe said. "May we carry the fire of Carthage with us as we move forward, confident, in the direction of our dreams. May we begin as we would end – proud."
Carthage College awarded bachelor's degrees to 512 students and master's degrees to 31 students during Commencement exercises Sunday, May 24. "This is your day," The Rev. Dr. David Rhoads told graduates during his baccalaureate sermon Sunday. Congratulations to the Class of 2009!
Welcome, New Alumni
Commencement activities began Friday with the New Alumni Convocation in A. F. Siebert Chapel. Distinguished Alumni Awards were presented to Anne (Beckstrand) Dudycha, '56, of Racine, Wis.; Randall Sisulak, '71, of Crownsville, Md.; and Thomas L. Vignieri, '83, of Cambridge, Mass. Members of the Class of 2009 were then welcomed into Carthage's community of alumni.
Edward W. Smeds, '57, chairman of the Carthage Board of Trustees, urged graduates to tackle future challenges with the skills they've developed through their coursework and relationships at Carthage, "asking tough questions, listening skillfully, giving back."
"The most powerful tool you have gotten at Carthage is a greater understanding of who you are," Smeds told the graduates. "Wherever your journey leads you, you will take a bit of Carthage with you."
'Stay True to Yourself'
David Wiers, '98, president of the Carthage Alumni Council, welcomed graduates into the Alumni Association. "You will be tested," he told them. "How resilient are you? What will be your response when adversity stares you in the face? Remember your cultivation at Carthage. Remember your roots. Stay true to yourself."
Wiers summarized his message for graduates into four key points: "No. 1, work hard," he said. "No. 2, follow your heart and intuition. No. 3, don't be afraid to fail. And No. 4, when you get up every morning, ask yourself, 'What will I do today to change the world?'"
After the New Alumni Convocation, graduates mingled with friends and faculty at an elegant promenade dinner in Hedberg Library.
Carthage Connections
Sunday's Commencement activities began with the Baccalaureate service at 11 a.m. in A. F. Siebert Chapel. The service included performances by the Gospel Messengers, directed by Gloria Tillman-Kemp, and the Carthage Choir, directed by Eduardo Garcia-Novelli.
The Rev. Dr. David Rhoads, professor of New Testament at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, delivered the baccalaureate sermon. To prepare, Rhoads spoke with seniors in the week leading up to graduation, he said. He asked them what it has meant for them to attend a liberal arts, church-related college. They answered, "Often we get lost in our own selves and miss so much of what's going on in the outside world," Rhoads recounted. "'What Carthage has helped us to do is get outside of ourselves, to have a sense of a larger world.'"
Rhoads urged graduates to hold tightly to that connection. "The message to you is this: You are connected to a world that's larger than yourself, larger than your personal ambitions," he said. "You are a citizen of the world, and together we are called to work toward the common good. … This is our hope for you: That you stay connected to the connections you have made here at Carthage, to a world larger than you are, to a purpose larger than yourself."
Honoring the Graduates
The weekend culminated with Commencement exercises Sunday afternoon in the N.E. Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center Field House. Aaron Tinjum, '09, represented the Class of 2009 at Commencement. He told his fellow graduates that they would remember Carthage fondly, and to look into the uncertain future with confidence, not fear. "Among us today are the painters, poets, architects and sculptors"; the business leaders and political leaders; the military leaders, teachers, social workers and law enforcement officers of the future, Tinjum said. "Among us today are the scientists, future doctors and other health care professionals who will seek and find cures to the ills around the world."
Graduates and their families were treated to a video tribute, "Carthage Tonight," produced by students in Communications and Digital Media department, under the direction of assistant professor Paul Chilsen.
President F. Gregory Campbell, Acting Dean Judith Schaumberg, and Board of Trustees Chairman Edward W. Smeds then presented awards honoring achievement and service to Carthage and the community.
The Carthage Flame, recognizing outstanding service to the College and the community, was presented posthumously to The Rev. Ralph Leonard. The Carthage "New Town" Award, honoring individuals whose community leadership provides a role model for others, was presented to Charles Vignieri. Erno Dahl, the 16th president of Carthage College, received an honorary doctorate of education. The Rev. Dr. David Rhoads received an honorary doctorate of divinity.
