Commencement 2010

It's rainy and cold as I write this, but I don't care....on Sunday, it was gorgeous, perfect weather for La Salle's commencement exercises. And never underestimate how important good weather is for that day.

The last person to walk across the stage and receive his diploma from Br. Michael was Bill Deputy, who's 81. Long story short: Bill went to night school at La Salle in the 1950s, but his job and family came first, so Bill stoped his education; he had enough credits for a junior. 50 years later on a trip to Ireland he met two La Salle grads; he told them his story, they told the university and asked if anything could be done; La Salle said he has enough credits for an Associate's Degree. It was a big thrill for Bill and his family. As he walked across the stage, hundreds of folks cheered him. Michael Klein of the Inqurier ran a story and photo of him (and his wife), and a few tv stations showed up to speak with him.

The Lindback recipient for distinguished teaching was Jim Smither of the management department. Jim has won several other awards from La Salle, so I assumed he'd already won this one, but he's a very deserving candidate.

After commencement I ask several grads to come by the center of campus for some additonal photos that I try to get published; in addition to Bill Deputy the photos we took featured:

a husband-wife who were named the top students in their graduate programs, twin brother and sister who chose La Salle independent of each other; Tori Grise, who had three tv station internships while attending classes full-time, and Mareeda Perry and her family; Mareeda was the subject of a Phila. Daily News story a few days prior to commencement (she told me she got plenty of text messages and emails and calls about it).

After the ceremony I spied a man in a cap and gown who at first I thought was Bill Deputy; turns out it was Bill Francour, who's 65 and received his MBA, something he said he always wanted to do.

During the ceremony I always look for clever or funny or interesting messages students write on their graduation hats. My favorite was two guys who put "Go Flyers" and the Flyers insignia on their caps. Now I have to get those pics and send them to their hometown papers. A few others included "I Love You Mom and Dad," "I Did It" and "Amber the Bear" (it was a student's nickname).

GOOGLE Puts Him First

If you go to the Google search box and types in these words, "Robin Hood" and "expert" the first info you see is this: Kevin Harty, chair of our English Dept. and one of the world's leading scholars on film versions of Robin Hood (and other medival figures, such as Joan of Arc). On May 14 a new "Robin Hood" starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchet opens and the media have already started asking for sources about Robin Hood, such as why the character is do enduring. Harty has already been interviewed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer on the topic and I hope to keep him busy up to and after the film's release. (BTW, the Plain Dealer reporter told me she was going to the library to get Dr. Harty's book, "The Reel Middle Ages: American, Western and Eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian Films about Medieval Europe.")

Dr. Harty has also presented papers at international conferences on film or medieval studies in Antwerp, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Utrecht, Cardiff, Bangor, Leeds, Nottingham, London (Ontario), Vancouver, and London (England).

Graduates wtih a story

Everyone has a story....some stories are unique, some interesting, some triumphant. Those are the stories that the media will be looking for in this graduation season. Among the La Salle grads are:

A wife and husband who were named the top students in their programs!

A man who lost almost everything to a gambling addiction went to La Salle and is now an addictions counselor.

An 83-year old man is receiving an associate's degree.

Here's a story that was deemed "not unique" by a newspaper: this student, a senior with a double major, was named the top student in both programs, wrote an application that resulted in a $20,000 grant from Nike; was the first student two win a new national award from a national trade group in their field, won numerous other awards and had a GPA of 3.9 plus....That was not unique enough to merit a story about them. Best I can hope for is a few lines in a column. I know the rules are different when it comes to graduates and their stories: the three stories above would all trump the "younger" student story.