2000 Spring Commencement Video, College of Graduate Education and Research, College of Education, and College of Health Professions

(music) And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives, where we're going to be when we turn 25. I keep thinking times will never change. Keep on thinking things will always be the same.

We'll leave this year. We won't be coming back. No more hanging out because we're on a different track. And if you got something that you need to say, you better say

it right now 'cause you don't have another day. It's moving on and we can't slow down. And these memories are playing like a film without sound

and I keep thinking of that night in June, I didn't know much of love but it came too soon and there was me and you, and then it got real blue.

Stay at home talking on the telephone and we would get so excited and we'd get so scared, laughing at ourselves thinking life's not fair, and this is how it feels. As we go on, we remember all the times we had together, and as

our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever. So if we get the big jobs and we make the big money, when we look back now, will our jokes still be funny? Will we still

remember everything we learned in school? Still be trying to break every single rule? Will little brainy Bobby be the stock worker man? Will Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?

I keep, keep thinking that it's not goodbye. Keep on thinking it's a time to fly, and this is how it feels. As we go on, we remember all the times we had together, and as our lives changee, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.

(music) (music) (music) Good afternoon.

I'm Dan Jones, interim Provost and vice president for academic affairs at the university. Welcome to the second of Towson University's four spring commencement ceremonies.

To open our ceremony, Helen Bang, a senior music education major, will lead us in singing the national anthem. She'll be accompanied by the Towson Brass, Michael Bunn, Barbara Showalter, Louis Angle, Key, David Perkel and Phil

Snettacore. Will you rise, please, and remain standing following the singing of the national anthem. At the twilight's last gleaming Whose broad stripes and bright stars

Through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave truth through the night That our flag was still there.

Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. observe a moment of silence in memory of members of our university community who died this past year. This all Bala freshman liberal arts Lola Donahoe retired Events

and Conference services. Lauren M Foley, senior Occupational Therapy Department. Dorothy Gould, retired College of Graduate education and research.

Saeed Kayvon, professor, finance department. Joseph Pat Kepperly, freshman theater arts department. George Krezler, professor emeritus, sociology, department. Robert Lemon, stationary engineer, facilities management.

Douglas Martin, professor, history department. Phyllis Petrucci, Retired Office Clerk, Financial Aid. Robert Rose, Maintenance Mechanic, Facilities Management. Thank you.

Please be seated. Several of our guests on stage will participate in this afternoon's program and will be introduced later. However, I would like to recognize our distinguished

guests at this time by asking them to stand when I call their names. Please withhold your applause until everyone's name has been called.

We have with us this afternoon Doctor David Voki, representing the University Senate, Doctor Tim Sullivan, President of the Faculty Association, American Association of University Professors at Towson University, Joanne K Glasser, Esquire,

Executive Vice President, Institutional Advancement, Doctor Paul Parker, Vice President for Student Life, and Doctor James Fielder, Vice President for Administration and Finance.

In addition, we have with us today Dominic J Lapanzina, a member of our Board of Visitors and Advisory Board to the President. Serving as our marshals are Doctor Sandra Stanley, professor

in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice, and Doctor Karen Esco, professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy. Representing the honorary degree committee are Miss Megan Rock,

Associate Vice President for Development, and Doctor MJ McMahon, associate Provost. Our thanks also to Doctor Shell Cooper of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and their practicum

students from the Community College of Baltimore County who are signing the ceremony this afternoon, and to the members of the faculty who are serving as faculty and student marshals for the academic procession.

Faculty serving as faculty marshals are Bill Forbes and Joyce Reitzel. Faculty serving student marshals are Dan Aggley, Karen Blair, Greg Bryant, Sharon Iffried, and Deborah Garland.

We also have with us on stage faculty and staff from the 9 departments in the College of Education and the College of Health Professions represented with this ceremony and staff from all divisions of the University.

We thank you all for being with us this afternoon. I now call on Doctor Hochel Smith, President of Towson University, to make his welcoming remarks. Doctor Smith, thank you.

It is a pleasure to welcome you here for the first spring ceremony in the new Millennium. You may wonder why we have 4 commencements. It is such a celebration, both of the graduates and those who

have supported the graduates, friends, parents, wives, husbands, partners, that we cannot handle the crowd yet. We feel that this moment is a moment of transition that is a focal point for all that all of you have worked for for many

years, and it deserves appropriate celebration. It is a case. Of celebrating and recognizing a transition in your lives, a discontinuity in the constant change and continuity that is of

life. It is one of the mysteries how we change and yet remain the same. And this is another, just another step on that journey.

But we do live in a period of time in which change is accelerated and in which the battle to hold on to the sense of continuity is greater. And education now is learning to learn.

The problem with the Internet and the Web is not so much finding information as it is sorting it out, placing it in order and using it effectively. So a great deal of your education has been focused on

learning to learn. But there are elements in the general education that stress the continuity of the human experience, our common history, our common future, those things which do bind us together

because because they are common, and those which separate us in their different interpretations. So this is a day to celebrate your achievement in what is a lifelong journey of learning and understanding and environment

which is changing. Change has occurred here in Baltimore before, marked at the B&O Museum, which was one end of Tom Thumb's race with a horse and one end of Morris's first Telegraph Message 2 events

which in the 1800s changed our concept of space and time more rapidly than any previous events, because before, individuals have been limited to the speed of a horse for land transit.

We live in a time now in which technological change is breathtaking, and it is also affecting our society. Yet in the past, individuals have managed to keep their sense of continuity and purpose even though immersed in change.

So I want to charge you this afternoon to use your education for the benefit of your family, of your friends, of your fellow citizens, of others in society, for the good of society, for the good of your friends, for the good of your families, to use it

to prosper both financially and in the sense of living a good life. So I charge you to use your education for these purposes and above all, to do it with a sense of joy and pleasure at your

ability to live in such a marvelous world. Congratulations. Thank you. Doctor Smith.

I now call upon Mr. Dominic J Lapanzina, a member of the Towson University Board of Visitors, who will bring greetings from the Board of Visitors.

Mr. Lapanzina. Thank you, Provost Jones. President Smith learned faculty, staff, family, friends, honored

graduates. On behalf of Towson University's Presidential Board of Visitors, I am delighted and honored to extend our best wishes to you, the members of the Towson University Class of 2000.

Today we're here, every one of us, to celebrate your academic achievements individually and collectively, and to acknowledge the hard work, the commitment, and the perseverance that delivered each of you to the graduate seats you are occupying

today. But we must also pay tribute to your parents, to your grandparents, your brothers, your sisters, your spouses, your children, your friends, and your fellow students who have

supported you, encouraged you, put up with you, and yet still loved you over these years. And to this faculty, the administrators, and the staff who helped guide and inspire you in reaching this milestone in

your lives. Now, as you walk across the stage today to receive your certificates, know that they will be walking with you in spirit and they will be feeling their own sense of

accomplishment in nurturing you along your journey. They deserve your thanks, your gratitude, and your love. And I would suggest, graduates, that there is no time like the present for us to turn the lights in the house up, to ask

you to stand up, face your loved ones in the stands, and show them just how grateful you are and how proud you are of them. Know that as you plan for your place in our rapidly changing world, you carry with you the hallmark of Towson University,

the capacity to think clearly, the courage to move forward, the compassion to make a real contribution to the lives of others. Under the most capable stewardship of President Hope

Smith, and with the guidance of our learned faculty and staff, Towson University has justly earned its reputation for producing leaders. Leaders in business, in education, in media, in

research, in healthcare, and in government. You should feel a strong sense of pride in joining its alumni. I'm going to urge you to continue to maintain your ties to Towson University because it has played such a significant

role in your development. We need you. We need your input, we need your involvement, we need your advocacy, and we need your philanthropy.

Whatever your future holds, keep in mind that you will always be a part of this university and it will always be a part of you. And know that whether you're going to move right into a new profession, go into more schooling, or take some time to

kick back and just explore the possibilities, I trust that you will approach each new experience with excitement, energy, and a passion for the challenge. And as you do, you're going to find that the greater the

challenge you assume, the greater your opportunity to excel and the greater your sense of satisfaction in what you've accomplished. Whatever career path you choose, I'm sure that you will find that

your talents and education has prepared you not only to make a living, but also to make a difference, to measure your success not by your income, but by your impact. Remember that your life, values and goals are measured by your

behavior and not by your words. Do what you love, invest in lifelong learning, develop a broad perspective and learn to unlearn. Have a well thought out plan and remember that it's difficult to

reach a destination if you don't have one. When attempting something new, expect that there's going to be a learning curve, but be persistent. Be resilient.

Anything worth doing is even worth doing poorly at first. Be prepared for failures. Mark Twain once said that success is going from failure to failure with great enthusiasm and go for the small wins, the

small successes that build on each other and create momentum towards achieving your long range goals. Assume the change is going to be constant. So be adept at managing those transitions in your life.

See problems as opportunities. Tolerate ambiguity. Be flexible and learn to go outside your comfort zones gracefully.

Try to maintain your sense of humor. Don't take yourself too seriously. Nobody else does. Well, just look around.

You know how many of the people in the audience, people who care the most about you, are recording this event, as serious, auspicious and August as you believe it is, on a disposable camera that cost 8 bucks and comes in a cardboard

box. Try to have patience and faith and courage. And remember, the courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the management of it.

And finally, I want to share one last thing with you today. Remember that despite a new academic degree and a Towson University diploma that carries your name, your bosses, Co workers, subordinates, clients, customers, friends and perhaps

most importantly those less fortunate in your community who need your help, none of them will care how much you know until they know how much you care. On behalf of the Board of Visitors, I say again how proud

we are of you and of this institution. You had our heartfelt congratulations and our best wishes for success in the next chapter of your lives. I hope you will enjoy the rest of the day, the rest of the

week, even the rest of the month. But then I hope you will go into the new Millennium and show us all how much you care. Carpe Diem.

Thank you, Mr. Lafonzena. It is now my pleasure to introduce Missus Sharon Wisniewski.

Missus Wishnetsky is an early childhood major. She has been married to her husband Jim for 24 years and has two adult children, Jim and Lisa. Her daughter Lisa also attends Towson University and is a

senior in Occupational Therapy. Missus Wishnetsky began taking college courses at Essex Community College in 1992 as a part time early childhood education student.

She transferred to Towson in 1996, began her studies in early childhood on a part time basis. For the last eight years, Misses Wishnetsky has worked as a full time instructional assistant at the China School.

She is a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society and Kappa Delta Pi, an educational Honor Society, and has been on the Dean's List each year for which she is eligible. She is a recipient of Maryland State Senatorial and House of

Delegates scholarships. I'm a Charlotte Newcomb scholarship. After graduation, Missus Wishnowski plans to remain at the China School and to begin graduate work in special

education at Johns Hopkins University. Missus Wishnowski, Thank you, Doctor Jones, President Smith, Dr. Colby, honored guests, faculty, family and friends.

When Special Assistant to the Provost, Mr. William Ruling invited me to speak at this year's commencement ceremony, I expressed to him my concerns that I probably had very little in common with the majority of

graduates and that I probably had very little of interest to say. In response to my first concern, Mr. Rolling assured me that non traditional students often speak

at commencement and experience has shown they have a lot to say. As for my second concern, he suggested I talk about what my education means to me or that I tell a personal story.

After thinking about it, I decided to do both. From the time I began kindergarten, I loved school and I loved learning. I was the type of child who never wanted to miss a day of

school and who cried when she did. It was during my elementary years that I decided I wanted to become a teacher. While in high school, I realized that I wanted to work with

people who were mentally disabled. However, as it often happens in life, things did not go as I planned and after high school graduation I married instead of attending college.

For the next 14 years, I stayed at home to raise my son and daughter while providing daycare in my home. In 1992, I took a position as an instructional assistant in a non public Title One program.

In September of that year, I began the long process that would lead to the fulfillment of my lifelong dream, that of becoming a teacher. It took me 8 years to accomplish my goal, and in that time I

learned several things. The first thing I learned during my years as a university student is that it takes a willingness to sacrifice in order to achieve long term goals.

Over the past eight years, I spent countless hours studying for exams, reading textbooks, preparing projects, and writing papers. My social life consisted of talking to people at church on

Sunday mornings and talking to the parents of my children's sports teammates. There were times when my husband, son, or daughter would ask me to go someplace with them or to do something with them,

and I had to say no because I had school work to do. I am sure that each of you has made the same types of sacrifices in your pursuit of your dreams. Earning a university degree has not come without a price, but

the sacrifices were small in proportion to the reward. Another thing I learned is that all education does not take place in the classroom or during scheduled instructional time. As an instructional assistant, I worked with three teachers over

the past eight years. From them, I learned how to put the theory I was learning in the classroom at Towson into practice. More importantly, each in her own way taught me lessons I

could not learn in the classroom. One lesson in particular stands out. In August of 1998, I began working at a Level 5 special education school.

In our class was a student diagnosed with moderate mental retardation, severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and emotional disturbance. For the first three months of school, he spent most of his

time in the resource room or the cool off room. For those of you who do not know, a cool off room is exactly that, a place where students go when they need to calm down. The student, I'll call him John, had to be physically restrained

almost every day and sometimes more than once a day. However, the classroom teacher was able to look beyond John's disruptive behaviors and see something more. She took every opportunity to talk with him, to tell him how

good he was, and to try to determine the cause of his outbursts. At the close of the school year, John was named Most Improved Student of the Year by the school staff.

Because of a teacher's care and encouragement, a life was changed. The lesson learned is that each of us, regardless of our major, is in a position to make a difference in someone's life.

Every day we have the opportunity to build up or to tear down another human being. It usually doesn't take much, but it can make all the difference to those who are entrusted into our care.

You can make a difference. A third lesson I learned during my years at Towson is that I could not accomplish my goal on my own. As a part time evening student, I sometimes felt like a second

class citizen. Because the majority of students attend Towson full time during the day, programs are geared toward them. I found out, however, that if I asked, help was available to me.

Someone who helped me greatly during my years at Towson is my advisor, Miss Pat Waters. Because her office because her office hours often conflicted with my class or work schedule, she made special arrangements to

meet with me. Miss Waters went out of her way to pick up in numbers and permits for me so I could register for the courses I needed.

In addition, she always encouraged me in my pursuit of a university degree. Another person who was instrumental in helping me reach this point is the early childhood chairperson, Doctor

Terry Berkeley. On more than one occasion when classes were not available in the evenings, Dr. Berkeley made arrangements for me to take other courses.

Doctor Berkeley assisted me in gaining a waiver for one of my student teaching requirements through credit for prior learning. And like Miss Waters, Dr.

Berkeley always encouraged me in my pursuit of a degree. Doctor Berkeley and Professor Waters went out of their way to help me and encourage me, and it made all the difference. Along with university personnel, my church family assisted me

greatly over the past eight years. The children in my church were assessed, evaluated and interviewed. One child even attended a technology class with me.

Parents permitted me to interview them on topics such as special education, testing and child development. The women in my Thursday night prayer group prayed for every aspect of my education.

The support I received from my church family was invaluable. Finally, my family supported and encouraged me in my pursuit of a higher education degree. Many times over the past eight years, I asked myself why I was

putting myself through this at least once a week, and sometimes once wasn't enough. I felt like dropping out of school, however, there was always someone from my immediate or extended family to remind me

of how far I had come and not to give up. As important as that encouragement was, the knowledge that my family members were praying for me gave me the confidence to go on like me.

I am sure that each of you had others in your life who encouraged you as you worked towards your dream. Lastly, through my university education, I realized there will never be a time in my life when I am finished learning as an

instructional assistant. I learned something new about special education every day. In September, I plan to begin graduate work in special education, but even after I finish my graduate work, there

will still be more for me to learn. In order for each of us to be the best we can be in our chosen professions, we must make a commitment to being lifelong learners.

Today, I have achieved my long term goal and lifelong dream of becoming a teacher. Along with the fulfillment of that dream comes the knowledge that it is my responsibility to do all I can to be the best

teacher I can. I congratulate each of you for your commitment to higher education, for your willingness to sacrifice in order to accomplish your dream, and your perseverance in attaining it.

May we each remember that learning does not stop outside of the classroom or with commencement. May we always remember that each of us has the potential to change another person's life.

You can make a difference. Congratulations and best wishes for successful and fulfilling careers. Thank you.

Thank you, Missus Wysnowski. At this time, I would like to call upon the Treasurer of the Towson University Alumni Association, Mr. Brian Thaler, who will give remarks to the Class of 2000

members of the Class of 2000. I bring you greetings on behalf of the more than 87,000 alumni who have preceded you walking across the stage some decades ago, some only a few months ago, most of us somewhere in between.

Perhaps more than any other group, we alumni are uniquely able to understand and appreciate this moment and the years of hard work, research, testing, dedication and intellectual rigor that went into it.

Not to mention the equally arduous challenges of actually getting registered in the right classes, and some of you probably had problems finding parking spots from time to time. We salute you for your perseverance in all of these

undertakings. And just as we congratulate you and honor your achievements, I also want to join with you in the honoring and thanking of the parents, spouses, family members, and friends who made

your achievements possible through their financial, moral, and emotional support. Join with me in thanking them. Having preceded you across this stage, we alumni know something

of what lies ahead. Jobs. Yes, parents, they will get jobs. The reality that your hard work here will be getting more and

harder work. An untimely realization by you that the time you had here was very good indeed, and perhaps fewer opportunities than you have had here to be a part of something bigger than yourself,

something that is at once high minded, challenging and fun. Whatever your experience may be, wherever you go, whatever you do, I urge you to hold on to the best parts of what you have here.

Towson's interest in you does not end today, and your participation in the Townsend community need not end today. Indeed, today you become a member of our Towson University Alumni Association.

We are lawyers, teachers, actors, TV anchors, business leaders, government officials, healthcare providers, just to name a few. We live in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia,

Europe, Asia, and everywhere in between. We are proud of each other as we are proud of you, and we are proud of our association with Towson University. We know that one another's achievements, the achievements

of future students and the successes of the Townsend University enhance the value of our degrees and benefit all of us. So welcome to the Alumni Association.

You'll be hearing about this programs, events and committees in the near future through our publications and mailings. We hope that you will use the Association and many of its programs, chapters and events to stay in touch and connected not

only with each other, the faculty members, administration and the next generation of Towson students. We want to keep you informed about what we are doing, and we want to know what you are doing.

As alumni. We are rich by each other's achievements and by Towson's. We are a family. Continue to count on us and we will count on you.

Come back and share your successes with us. Congratulations. Welcome. Stay in touch.

You will always be family attempts. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Thaler.

The honorary degree is a word to a member of the Academy who has made a significant contribution to higher education, or a member of the business community who has made a notable contribution to the University, or a member of the local community who has

been recognized as a major contributor to the welfare of that community. The award of the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters results from a rigorous process in which one person is selected and

recommended by a University committee, the recommendation forwarded to the Chancellor of the University System of Maryland and voted on by the Board of Regents. Doctor Smith.

I have the honor of presenting Dr. Lloyd Colby a candidate for the honorary degree. The Doctor of the Main Letters. Doctor Lloyd Colby, Your devotion to the health of our

community dates as far back as your graduation from Towson University in 1973 with a degree in Health and a concentration in Health Education. After receiving your degree, you embarked on a meaningful and

long career dedicated to ensuring everyone has access to health information and health services. You are the founding director of the Division of Adolescents and School Health for the National Center for Chronic Disease

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, based at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As such, and as a member of the World Health Organization Expert Advisory Panel Panel on Health Promotion and Education, your

concern for the health of our world and his children is clear. Your care knows no geographic or political boundaries, as evidenced by your role as a visiting professor at Beijing Medical University in the People's Republic of China and

as AUS Lead for health promotion on the joint US Russia Commission on Economic and Technological Cooperation. Your teaching has a far greater impact than we can realize. As an adjunct professor at the Emory University School of

Public Health and the Center for International Health, you teach future public health leaders, and your words have a ripple effect that resonate far beyond our ability to measure them. You are a rare individual in today's world, someone who cares

enough about the world's future generations and believes that we can indeed affect a change for the good. When most are inclined to throw up their hands and ask what's the use?

You look to the issues and ask, what can I do? That is a hallmark of a crusader. Your work is tireless and boundless and sometimes thankless, but your concentration is riveted to the

ideal that we must do what we can in all situations. Dr. Lloyd Colby, you exemplify the paragon of the teacher, one who educates not just for his own generation, but also for those

to come, constantly striving to make a healthier future for all our children. In recognition of your lifelong dedication to public service, it is my privilege to bestow upon you the honorary degree of

Doctor of Humane Letters. Congratulations, Provost Jones, President Smith, distinguished faculty and guests, members of the Class of 2000, families and friends, thank you for inviting me to be with you here today on

this very special day. The last time I was at Towson, the last time I was on this campus was 27 years ago. I remember it well.

I was sitting in a classroom in Stevens Hall. There was a a very calm May breeze blowing through the very tall windows. If you those of you who know that that building and it

brought with it the smell of magnolias outside. I remember half listening to a professor and absent mindedly gazing at the wooden floor in that classroom and wondering, as I suspect many of you are wondering right at this moment,

where life after Towson would lead. It really seems like just a heartbeat ago. Looking back on that day. I feel very privileged to speak to the graduates of the two

colleges who together are participating in this commencement, the College of Education and the College of Health Professions. Let me just say a few very simple things to you.

You've chosen two of the note, two of the most noble professions, to be teachers and to be healers, to dedicate your life's talent and your life's energy to helping people. Now, many in this room already are grateful for the choice that

you've made, and many more whose lives you'll touch during the next few decades will be to those of you graduating from the College of Health Professions. People in the United States and indeed around the world are

aware of how much you and your colleagues in public health and healthcare can improve their lives, and they rightfully are concerned about inequities and attaining good health. Due to the work of your predecessors in the health

professions, we in the US attending this commencement in the year 2000 will live on average 30 more years, 30 years longer than those who attended Towson's commencement in 1900. But you have a lot of work in front of you.

The diseases you'll see in the beginning of the 21st century are much different than those your predecessors confronted at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer and

diabetes are the leading causes of death and illness here in Baltimore and in the rest of the nation. These diseases cause three out of four deaths, cost $425 billion every year to treat and diminish the quality of life for

all of us. About 1/4 of all Americans, all 250 million Americans, live with some form of heart disease. About 16,000,000 have diabetes and another 8,000,000 have a

history of cancer. We could prevent much of this illness by helping our people do only four things. Stop using tobacco, which causes one out of every five deaths in

the United States. Maintain a healthy diet, get some type of physical activity, and get timely screening for these diseases. And we must prevent these conditions among those who

suffer most African Americans die from cancer at a rate 30% higher than whites and from heart disease at a rate 40% higher than whites, while Hispanics die from diabetes at a rate 100% higher than whites.

Now, in many ways, the health challenges around the world are similar. In the developing countries where 4/5 of the world peoples live, chronic diseases like heart disease and mental

depression rapidly are replacing infectious diseases and malnutrition as the leading causes of disability and premature death. By 2020, tobacco is expected to kill more people than any single

disease. Unintentional injuries from Rd. traffic accidents, as well as intentional injuries from suicide, violence, and war could rival infectious diseases as

sources of poor health and reproductive health. Conditions resulting from HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy may cause 10% of the world's burden of illness.

To those of you graduating from the College of Education, people in the United States and around the world are aware of how much you and your colleagues in education can improve their lives, and they rightfully are concerned about inequities in

attaining good education due to the work of your predecessors in education. About 85% of students in the US complete high school, but there are important disparities for us to address.

While 90% of white students complete high school, only 81% of our African American and 63% of our Hispanic students too. And as I suspect you already know, dropping out of school is associated not only with poverty, but with poor health.

Again, in many ways, education challenges around the world are similar. During the past decade, the number of children enrolled in schools around the world increased substantially, from

600 million in 1990 to 680 million in 1998. But at the beginning of this third Millennium, more than 110 million children, 2/3 of whom are girls, still are excluded from school.

These children are excluded because they are girls, because they are working, because they are ethnic minorities, and because they are affected by violence and conflict, disability and HIV, AIDS.

During recent decades, we found that one of the most powerful ways that we can improve education is to improve health. Young people who are hungry or malnourished, sick or abused, using drugs, or pregnant are less likely to learn and more

likely to drop out. Conversely, we've also found that one of the most powerful ways we can improve health is to improve education. People with more education lead healthier lives, and they have

healthier children. Education and health are inseparably linked. AIDS is a good example. Not since the bubonic plague of the Middle Ages has there been

so great a threat to hundreds of millions of people and of the futures of entire societies. 34 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. 70% of them live in sub-Saharan Africa, where in many nations up

to 1/4 of all adults are infected. Last year, 6 million people worldwide newly are infected with HIV. Half of them were between 15 and 24 year 24 years old.

And half of these young people will die before they reach the age of 35. This makes HIV Unite uniquely life threatening to the world's children.

The epidemic already has left behind more than 12 million AIDS orphans who have lost at least their mother before reaching the age of 15. Millions of teachers and students are dying and or

leaving school for economic reasons, because of illness or to care for family members, reducing both the demand for education and the supply of teachers. Illustratively, more than 30% of teachers in Malawi and Zambia

already are infected. Because health and education so greatly influence each other, health and education agencies could have a far greater impact if they work together toward that end.

I'm very pleased to say that next week in Mexico City, officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education in the 10 most populous nations in the world will meet together.

Together, these nations include more than half of the world's 6 billion people. These national leaders will meet with officials from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO and the World Bank to

help launch a new initiative collaboratively developed by these United Nations agencies to improve learning and education outcomes by enabling schools throughout the world to improve the health.

Hygiene and nutrition of students. The spirit of this collaboration among agencies and nations is just important as its substance. It sends the message that the world's children are our

children. Whether they live in Liberty Heights or Vladivostok, Catonsville or Mombasa, we all are responsible for them. They are the future and the hope of humankind.

To improve the education and health of all children within our own communities and across the globe, and especially disadvantaged children, will be a challenge both worthy of your talents and formidable.

But if we unite our commitment and abilities across health and education professions and across communities and nations, we might help each other assure that our young people learn what they need to know to grow healthy and prosper.

And in the process, we might teach them that they too share responsibility for assuring the well-being of future generations of humankind. In closing, let me say that like you who are graduating today, I

always will be grateful for the matchless education that Towson University gave me. Faculty in Towson's Department of Health Education, faculty like Professors Dan Agley and Neil Gallagher, MJ McMahon and

Jack Osmond, not only taught me the technical skills I've used during the past three decades, they also modeled how to work hard, to be ethical, and to care about the people for whom we in education and health professions ultimately are responsible.

And if we doubt the power of caring for others, all we need to do is look around the room this afternoon to see the faces of our families, our spouses, our friends, those who cared enough for each of us to help us do many things, including

earning our degrees here at Towson. We each are forever indebted to them, to them, and to you. May I say it's been a pleasure to be here with you today. I'm proud to receive this honorary Dr.

Doctor of Humane Letters. And for both of these privileges, I thank you. We now have come to the several purpose of this ceremony, the conferring of the grades to clarify the order of the

procession. I should explain that the University is organized into eight colleges whose banners, along with that of the Honors College, are displayed on the stage.

The chief academic officer of the college is the Dean. Could I ask the audience that you limit your applause and shouts for your graduate out of respect to the graduate immediately following, whose family and friends also have

anxiously awaited the moment and also would like to applaud and shout, but also we'll hold those. After President Smith has confirmed the degrees, the graduates will come forward to receive their gift for the

Townsend University Alumni Association presented by President Smith. Students receiving Latin honors will have them announced after their names.

To receive a degree with honors, students must have completed 60 credits of undergraduate work at Towson University with the following cumulative quality point average 3.754 point 0 Summa cum Laude.

3.55 to 3.74 Magna cum laude. 3.4 O to 3.54 cum Laude so that you may find your particular graduate in the procession. Let me explain that within each of the colleges participating in

this ceremony, graduates will be listed and assembled according to their department. Graduates will please follow the instruction of the marshals. After you've received your gift from President Smith, follow

across the stage, receive congratulations from the Dean of your college, and return to your seat where you may be seated. Will the candidates for bachelor's degrees please stand? Doctor Smith, on recommendation of the faculty, I have the honor

of presenting to you those students who completed all requirements for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, or Bachelor of Science. By the authority vested in me by the Board of Regents and the

State of Maryland. I confer upon you the degree recommended with all the honors, rights, and privileges pertaining thereto. As a symbol of your new status, please move the Mortar Board

tassel from the right to the left. Congratulations. You may not be seated until your Marshall directs you to come forward to receive your Alumni Association gift.

Melissa Lillian Speck, Jennifer Rebecca Stanbow, Magna cum laude. Irena Saknova, cum laude. Sonia Susan Swift, Bethany Lynn Swifton, Magna cum laude.

SU Jean Thomas, cum laude. Kathleen Thompson, cum laude. Leah Rachel Teigen Jennifer Ian Tinsley, summa cum laude Christina Susanna Unglesbeak, Summa cum laude Kelly Marie

Vale, cum laude. Donald Wallace Mitchell Junior, cum laude. Catherine Jean Walter Summa cum laude. Christie Michelle Williams cum laude.

Timothy Martel Williamson, Melissa Ian Wood, Magna cum Laude. Andrea Marissa Gately, cum Laude. Dina Rachel Messing cum Laude.

Jason Stewart Asbury, Christine Margarita Campanites, Kelly Anne Crist Russell, William Hugler, Magna cum Laude. Karen Faye Jones, Andrea. Denise Kelly, Anne Marie Colar, David Lee Miller, Chrissy.

Matulas, John Bradley. Knees, Mary Francis Worth, Jennifer Rose, Petrucci Musuma cum Laude Raquel No Amy Paul Sitchnik, cum Laude Scott Warner, Magna cum Laude Lori, Andrea Peddle, Magna cum Laude

Christina May Raver, Kevin Bradley. Sims, Stephanie J Spade Earhart, Karen Louise Wick, Christina Nicole Horn. My name is Ellen Eason.

I'm the associate Dean in the College of Health Professions. On behalf of Dean Exner, the faculty, it's my pleasure to extend our congratulations to the graduates. We have good wishes for their personal success, their health,

and we wish you joy in your life and work. Kimberly Ann Rosenbauer, Peter Francis, Buck Thomas James Bruce, cum laude. Heather Shannon Carroll, Magna cum laude.

Maribeth Cohen Summa cum Laude. Yves, Joseph Junior, Colleen Ann King, Mark Lee Markel Bryan Daniel Male Brandon Christopher Redmond, George Eugene Mcnelly, Russell T Rockowitz, Leslie Ann Service cum Laude.

Monica Joanne Whitaker, Elisa Jenelle Ames, Holly Marie Settle Sherry Kristen Destefano Summa cum Laude Kelsey Hamilton 40A Summa cum Laude. Kristen Lee Kites Heights Heights Heights.

Thank you. Trisha Lee Kumpka, Carolyn Madaconis, David Lee Phillips, Amanda Book Pink cum Laude Brian Michael Price cum Laude Shannon Lee Purcell Magna cum Laude.

Gerald David Rhodes, David L Rutch, Meredith Marquette Schwab cum laude Nora Ali, Al Men Holly Magna cum laude. Candace, Renee. Bowie, Julie.

Lynette Dickerson, Amarese. Future on Kimberly Anne Gleespin, Jennifer Sharon Hacker, Eunice. Honest, Elizabeth.

Case, Ilona M Krupic, Alicia. Geneva Labarie, Jason Aaron Lichter, Christy Michelle. Long, Deborah Christine McKenzie, Megan Elizabeth Rogers, Sherry Monique.

Smith, Adam. Warm, Jennifer Corinne. Stern, Jessica. Blair Weissmann, Olivia Lynn White, Julie.

Gwinnett. Anderson, Angela Marie Carter, Lindsay Diane. Quill, D Laurie, Joan Demartino, Stephanie. Ann Uller, Angela Marie Fenimore, Christina Marie

Griffith, cum laude. Jennifer Bryce. Hill, Natalie Hilda Johnson, Jessica Ann Morrison, Toby Owen, Sandra D Ruya, cum laude.

Christa Marie Cynic cum Laude. Kira Lynn Shaw, cum Laude. Elisa Carol Stapleton. Camille Irene Townsend cum laude.

Salah and Vincent Kathleen Deschantal Warnley. Thank you, Siobhan. Tia Bert Mary Carol Burns, cum laude. Ian or Donio Cubani.

Rhian Kaburian. Thank you. Donora Sally, Magna cum laude. Kimberly Marie Cherry, Jennifer Michelle Cocky Anna Lynn Connell

cum Laude Deanna Lynn Dunn Magna cum Laude Bridget Diane Ferguson, Megan Eleanor Garvey Michelle Lee Gotts Shauna Shana Michelle Herbert cum Laude. Sailor C Hess, cum laude Sailor Rebecca Hill, Summa cum Laude

Ethalia Thalia Calacudas, Catherine Ann Logan Siobhan Elise Lucas Sherry, Catherine Munn, Karen Lee Partain, Betsy Morgan Payne, Laurie and Pickle, Ronald Aaron Snyder, Magna cum Laude.

Andrea Lynn Romania Romanini Magna cum laude. Amanda Lynn Smith, Gladys Hakuna, Mahdi Stella Status Abigail Tolentino, Eric C Humphrey cum Laude Monique Patrice Vaney Avi M Bar Julie Cecilia cum Laude.

Kelly Lynn Eisenlower, Magna cum Laude Lisa Kay Fromm Magna cum Laude. Joseph Henry Gurbanza Camille Shantae Jackson, Jennifer Louise Jenasco Marshall Jean Kibbe, Magna cum Laude.

Cara Regina Jenkins, Rachel Kenny, summa cum laude. Susan Kosman, Magna cum laude. Stacy Ann Locastro, Magna cum laude. Melissa Ann Stores summa cum laude.

Sharon Denise Baker, Aaron Michelle Murphy, cum laude. Fiona M martini, Magna cum laude. Ryan L Oliver, Julie Michelle Palzinski, cum Laude Robin Jennifer Reed, Magna cum Laude.

Christine Ann Russell, Jennifer Lynn Stefanowski, Jenny Elizabeth Warm Kessel, Jessica Aaron Wood, Nicholas Agola, Will of Joseph Barber, The 2nd Melinda Ann Bathurst, Magna cum Laude.

Jonathan Gerard Carraza, Jessica Aaron Gibson, Jason David Hadid, Andrew James Paul Catherine Louise Rose Meyer Samuels Scott David Saffron, Deborah Jean Snyder cum Laude. Catherine Agnes Spear, Christopher Francis at T Raymond

Anders Arnold Matthew Raymond Fear Matthew Osborne Barnes Emmitt Charles Brown, Derek Sherman Easter Having Nicole Fred Fry, Brianna Aaliyah Davis, Torin Reagan Elise Michelle Gentry Maurice Ben Rosenwald, Kevin Karl Pike, Samuel Patrick

Rush, Annie Patrice Wallison Magna cum Laude Steven Raymond Marini cum Laude. Ricky Allen Hoots Junior cum Laude. Courtney Lee Benner, Amy Maria Rose, Joseph Piccolo, Magna cum

Laude. Jamie Brett Blake Scott L Camille Katie Lynn Kamen Frank Lewis Milani Benjamin Douglas Sharer Steven Joseph Shriver, Charles Stewart Silverman Spencer Barrett Stevens, Matthew

Kevin Tory, Ernest Toronto The Third Richard W Zen Junior Clayton McNair White Michael Andrew Wood, Angela Lynn Sherman David Lee Zeiders Junior. Christine Marie Zerenko Venice Alexander Christine Marie

Huppsman Magna cum laude. Caroline Para Zola Sula Avila cum laude. Adrian Marie Burwalt cum laude. Teresa Michelle Blanchett, Magna cum laude.

Heather Ann Burke cum laude. Joan Marie Collins, Summa cum laude. Jill Marie Cullen, Megan Elaine Evans, Magna cum laude. Kathleen Elizabeth Foley, cum laude.

Jean Clinton Hughes, cum laude. Sherilyn Dawn Jones, Rachel Allison Laufer, cum laude. Melissa Lee Malan, Magna cum Laude. Mr.

Elizabeth Newman, Magna cum laude Jill Rhiannon Duvall Karen Hitchcock, Pederace cum laude Kelly Joanne O'hagan cum laude. Aaron, Teresa. Rimetto, Leah Jamie Schneider, Magna cum Laude Julianne Seth.

cum Laude Michelle Leslie Sneed. Summa cum Laude. Maria Diaz, Nicole Barzonde, Summa cum laude Avery Eugene Williams, Allison Marie Wissinger, Summa cum Laude.

Andrew Charles Buckley, Damon Lewis Cason, Steven Richard Chucknik, Jamie Melissa Gessel, Reagan Courtney Hall, Angela May, Brick House, Christina Suzanne Galker, Nicole Marie Klein cum Laude.

Brian Raymond Jabilanski, Lucas Reed Made Amy Marie Miller, Brian Gary Thorson, Shanice T Perry and the last one, Danny Holmes Ross, some of you were pretty naughty. I won't make you stay after, but I do have you captured on film.

Will everyone please stand now and join Helen Bang accompanied by the Towson Brass Quintet? My thankful heart with rapture fills, Maryland, my Maryland, when I behold thy rolling hills, Maryland, my Maryland, I love your

rocks and rippling rills, your waterways where beauty spills, and nature holds a thousand thrills. Maryland, my Maryland, I love thy vistas on the bay, Maryland my Maryland, the scent of rose and new-mown hay.

Maryland, my Maryland, where people love their work and play, where hopes are high and hearts are gay Long may they noble laws hold sway, Maryland my Maryland. My congratulations and best wishes to each of you.

Doctor Smith, his party and the faculty will begin the recessional. There will not be a recessional for graduates. I would ask the members of the audience be seated until Doctor

Smith, his party, and the faculty have left the auditorium. Graduates may then join their guests on the patio. Thank you very much.

I will remember you. Will you remember me?