HSU Insider

Speaker tells Graduating Cowboys,"Saddle up Your Horses; You Have Got a Trail to Blaze"

• By Janlyn Echols Thaxton
• Posted May 9, 2009 7:34 PM
• 0 Comments

Jared DeMartini of Merkel pops his knuckles as he puts his game face on and gets ready for the big finish.

This is the day he has worked for, sweated for, practiced for, and dreamed of for years. May 9th, 2009, the day students lives are summed up on one piece of paper. The speaker reads: Jared DeMartini, Bachelor of Behavioral Science, Hardin-Simmons University.

DeMartini is one of 245 candidates for graduation mustering in the Van Ellis Theatre on the Hardin-Simmons campus. The momentous occasion starts with students getting final instructions from Professor of Bible, Dr. Larry McGraw. Among other things, he reminds students to make sure their tassel hangs on the left side of their mortarboard caps, and draws a laugh from the students as he instructs them, "If you fall down, get up."

Meanwhile, '98 graduate Christina Nolan Dooley, on the Board of Young Associates, and Assistant Football Coach Stephen Barrows pass out programs to parents and other family members. Other alumni volunteers help usher parents into the auditorium which is quickly filling to capacity.

University Organist Hye-Jean Chio, and an Assistant Professor of Music, helps to build the anticipation for the event with a skillfully rendered Toccata in Seven.

Seated in the audience, John and Debra Murphy have come from Avery, Texas to see their daughter Jennifer Higgins. She is graduating with a Masters Degree in Education and Human Development.

Coming from slightly further away, Jennifer's husband Kevin Higgins, who is stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, has just arrived from Bosnia on an unexpected, surprise visit.

Kevin's dad, Mike Higgins, has come from Ft. Worth to his daughter-in-law's commencement. He explained that troops were getting a little bit of a break while they repositioned in Bosnia. "My son asked if he could come home to see his wife graduate, and within hours he had a ticket on a commercial airline headed for Texas."

Students and families alike are light-hearted during the day's activities, Roy Juarez and Jonathan Kouba, both getting a Bachelor in Business Administration, managed to start an infectious laugh among some the graduates prior to the start of the ceremony. From the audience, whistles, applause and lots of flashes of cameras make the occasion festive.

This is the 117th commencement for Hardin-Simmons University. Over those years, 21,098 degrees have been handed out to graduates. Dr. Jesse Fletcher, President Emeritus, who is presiding over the ceremony until new President Dr. Lanny Hall arrives, tells the audience he retired 18 years ago adding, "Old presidents never die, they don't even fade away."

Chris Coltman, who has been recognized in Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges, beautifully delivers a marimba solo of Etude in E Minor. Coltman graduates with a Bachelor of Music and will head to SMU for his Masters degree in performance.

HSU does its commencement twice in one day. Candidates for degrees from the Cynthia Ann Parker College of Liberal Arts, the Logsdon School of Theology, Holland School of Sciences and Mathematics, and the School of Nursing receive degrees during the morning ceremony. Kelley College of Business, Irvin School of Education, and the School of Music and Fine Arts confer degrees in the afternoon.

Stan Allcorn of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church gave the morning charge to the graduates. "Today I speak not as a preacher, but as a parent." Explaining he has two sons currently at Baylor, he identified with parents saying he was suffering from "mal-tuition...for which the cure is graduation".

Drawing an even bigger laugh from the crowd he says, "I have one son who is a double major, physics and economics, maybe that's why he is spending my money at the speed of light!"

He reminded students to keep learning, "Everything you do will be a final exam," he says. "When it comes to the waters of life, be a pipe, not a bucket. Let the waters of life flow through you. There are people in this world who are waiting for you, who need you."

President and CEO of Hendrick Health Systems, Tim Lancaster, gave the charge to the graduates during the afternoon commencement.

He advised students to "Be grateful for what you have and you will be a happy person." As for getting a job, "Go to work on time, dress appropriately, don't lie, don't steal, and actually do some work."

He urged students to volunteer their time outside of their work. "Volunteering is what makes you appreciate what you are doing."

As degrees are conferred, Dr. Dorothy Barnes and Dr. Sue Robinson, both professors in Counseling and Human Development, have made it a tradition to stand as their students receive diplomas. Barnes said this was probably the longest they have stood, with a record number of students receiving degrees in that area of education.

After the ceremony graduates and families gather outside of Behrens. Faculty members are on hand to meet parents and even help with the picture taking. Sonia Chavez, also a "Who's Who" gets a big hug from friend and HSU alumni Jenae Lysinger.

Richard Green, of Abilene, who received a Bachelor of Behavioral Science, gathers up his family for a group shot. Green's dad is a teacher at Reagan Elementary, and without doubt, will have plenty to tell his students on Monday.

Volunteers hand out bumper stickers to new graduates that say "Hardin-Simmons Alumni." Families also enjoy searching the alumni wall which bears brass plates displaying names of all of the graduates from Hardin-Simmons since the University started in 1891.

Richard Hess and Crystal Hess, who are brother and sister and both new graduates, pose while pointing to their names, conveniently located together, while dad snapps the photo.

Now all students have to do is to pack their bags and head out into the world. As they leave, they will probably recall the words of Stan Allcorn, "Be good stewards of your education. Congratulations Cowboys 2009. Saddle up your horses; you have got a trail to blaze!"