14 May 2005

Senator George Allen addresses Graduates: 930 degrees awarded

[Commencement 2005 Photo Album]

Longwood University graduates were urged at Commencement on Saturday, May 14, by U.S. Sen. George Allen (R-Virginia) to advance freedom by fighting terrorism and to be leaders in innovation.

"I believe your generation's purpose and America's purpose," he said, "should be focused on two major goals: first, protecting and advancing liberty against terrorists by strengthening our defenses and going on the offense in interdicting terrorist networks and those repressive state sponsors of terrorism. As President Reagan said, 'No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.' In the second significant challenge, we must be the leaders of innovation. I encourage future teachers to motivate your students to seize opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

Some 801 graduates received bachelor's degrees and another 129 were awarded master's degrees. It was the largest graduating class in Longwood history. Some 780 graduates participated in the ceremony.

Allen, who was Virginia governor from 1994 to 1998 and served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1983 to 1991, representing the seat once held by Thomas Jefferson, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. The honorary degree was conferred "in recognition of his leadership and service to the Commonwealth of Virginia."

Some six students shared the Sally Barksdale Hargrett Prize for Academic Excellence, given to the graduating senior with the highest grade-point average. They are Rachel Elizabeth Amos of Stafford (B.S., economics), Sheila Kay Baker of Powhatan (B.S., liberal studies), Sharon Leigh Kania of Yorktown (B.S., business administration), Mary-Colleen Catherine Millage of Ennismore, Ontario (B.S., therapeutic recreation), James Stewart Shifflett of Ruckersville (B.A., English) and Michelle Armstrong Soukup of Chesterfield (B.S., political science). Each had a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Kania also received the Dan Daniel Senior Award for Scholarship and Citizenship.

Several graduates had their diplomas presented by parents or other family members who are Longwood faculty or staff. Megan Leigh Clark had her diploma presented by her mother, Dr. Theresa Clark, associate professor of social work; Stephanie Lynne Harbour, by her parents, Dr. William Harbour, chair of the Department of History, Political Science and Philosophy, and Kristine Palmer, associate professor emerita of accounting; Kelly Agee, by her aunt, Peggy Agee, instructor of communication disorders; Connor Matthew Howe, by his parents, Dr. Frank Howe, professor of guidance and counseling, and Pat Howe, head of Technical Services in Greenwood Library; and Rosalind Beth Challender, by her father, Dr. Craig Challender, professor of English.

Two graduates, Keith Harrop and Jason Remington, were commissioned second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Both are entering the Virginia Army National Guard; Harrop will serve in the Corps of Engineers and Remington in Field Artillery.

Dr. Cheryl Adkins, professor of management (and a Longwood graduate), and Dr. Claire Black McCoy, associate professor of art, shared the Maria Bristow Starke Faculty Excellence Award; Dr. Rhonda Brock-Servais, assistant professor of English, received the Junior Faculty Award; and Dr. Eric Laws, assistant professor of psychology, received the Student Faculty Recognition Award.

President Cormier, Senator Allen and Barry Case, rector of the Board of Visitors after the ceremony

In his speech, Allen noted that members of the Class of 2005 enrolled at Longwood just a few weeks before the "vile terrorist attacks of September 11 shook us all into a cold, harsh reality that not everyone in the world respects our nation's love for freedom. That horrific day made very clear for many of us our responsibility to defend our way of life. The reality sunk in that we would now face a hate-filled menace but also an age-old challenge of defending our country. The War on Terror that our nation and its allies ware waging against hate-filled maniacal terrorists will continue to manifest itself in future years."

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out on their famous expedition to explore the uncharted West some 201 years ago today, Allen said, and he urged graduates to be part of what Thomas Jefferson called the "Corps of Discovery."

"I believe your knowledge, ingenuity, creativity and leadership can help America to be the innovation capital of the world. You must all be part of our new Corps of Discovery. America has been the leader of virtually every important and transformative technology since the Industrial Revolution, and it is vitally important that our nation continues to take the lead on innovation. For future generations of Americans to successfully compete, they'll need to have a firm grasp on new technologies and their applications in the real world.

Allen said he is "very concerned about the declining number of scientists and engineers who are matriculating in our country as compared to other countries." The United States, he noted, graduates 50,000 engineers annually, of whom some 40 percent are from overseas. Only 10 percent are female, and only another 10 percent are Latino or African American. By contrast, India graduates 150,000 engineers and China 250,000 engineers every year. "The 50,000 engineers we're graduating is not enough. We need to encourage women to get into science, technology and engineering…Our engineers and scientists will design and develop most of the new innovations, inventions and intellectual property in the future."

Allen said that this has been "a year of great achievements for your school. I know that, just a few weeks ago, the rebuilding of Ruffner Hall and the Rotunda was finally completed. I toured these ravaged buildings with President (Patricia) Cormier after the Great Fire of 2001 and, like a Phoenix, they look and are better than ever. As a U.Va. graduate, I fully understand what a building like the Rotunda can mean to the character of a college. Your rebuilt Rotunda looks great – a perfect centerpiece for this beautiful campus. And for the seventh straight year, Longwood was ranked among the best in the U.S.News & World Report's 'America's Best Colleges' annual survey. Also, Longwood was recognized as having the 11 th best master's program among regional schools in the South."

Allen, who was governor when Dr. Cormier came to Longwood in 1996, noted that she is "one of my very favorite, one of the best," and he praised her efforts to obtain funding for sprinklers for the high-rise residence halls, Curry and Frazer. "She did not wait around," he said. "She was determined to make sure her students were safe, and she said 'We're going to find that money.' She said 'We're going to act.'"

While introducing Allen, who received his bachelor's degree and law degree from the University of Virginia, Dr. Cormier noted an interesting personal connection. "A little known fact about Senator Allen is that his undergraduate education was enhanced substantially by his excellent performance in French class, taught by none other than Dr. Raymond Cormier, visiting professor of French at Longwood, and my husband! I have up here on the podium the gradebook, and he got a very good grade. No wonder the senator can applaud his superior education."