Celebrating 1,300 grads and achievements

Approximately 1,300 students crossed the stage in Steele Hall on Saturday, as President Dennis L. Hefner conferred Fredonia’s 2008 undergraduate and graduate degree candidates amid cheers of celebration and accomplishment.

The Commencement ceremonies consisted of two nearly identical events at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to accommodate the large number of students as well as their family and friends, many of whom traveled great distances to join them for this memorable occasion.

Both ceremonies featured speeches from President Hefner, Fredonia College Council Chair JoAnn Niebel, guest speaker and best-selling author Wendy Corsi Staub, and Senior Class President Patrick Newell, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree, Cum Laude, in  Social Studies/Adolescence Education.

President Hefner welcomed all those in attendance by stating, “Today is indeed a special day. For most graduates and their families, today’s Commencement represents the culmination of many years of diligence and effort. It is truly a once-in-a lifetime event, long to be remembered.”

Student performances were also given by SUNY Fredonia’s Women’s Choir and Concert Band, as well as its Wind Ensemble, which is embarking on a 10-day performance tour of China beginning Sunday, May 18. In addition, the Star-Spangled Banner was performed by senior vocalist Victoria Vargas, who graduated today with a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, Magna Cum Laude.

The 2008 Commencement Guest Speaker was Wendy Corsi Staub, a SUNY Fredonia alumna and Dunkirk, N.Y., native. She is the author of more than 70 published novels and a regular among such bestseller lists as The New York Times, USA Today, Barnes & Noble’s Top Ten, and Bookscan.

President Hefner introduced Ms. Corsi Staub by saying, “As the result of years of hard work and determination, Wendy has lived her dream as a writer, going from a small-town girl to an internationally-known author. We are proud to call her one of our own.”

Ms. Corsi Staub addressed the students with a light-hearted approach filled with sound advice that, appropriately, was filled with analogies about life as it relates to the challenges every author faces. “This is your story,” she said. “You’ll probably always second-guess the choices you make along the way — but you can't get anywhere without making them.”

She advised the graduates that mistakes are inevitable, and that “characters” will come and go, even ones who deserved to stick around for the happy ending. “When their chapters close — sometimes unexpectedly, abruptly, tragically,” she added, “you’ll have to find a way to begin a new chapter without them.”

She concluded by joking, “I’ve always been a sucker for a happy ending. And for a promising beginning. And this moment, for all of you, is both. Now go ahead. Start writing the next chapter.”

Senior Class President Patrick Newell addressed the audience as well, stating, “Our class solidified its place in Fredonia history as being one of the most unified and generous in recent memory. In times of triumph and times of tragedy, our class has always come together, united by our love for this school and our determination to make it an even better place.”

During Mr. Newell’s comments, he presented President Hefner with a plaque, which will be affixed to the new campus sign at the Temple Street entrance to the university, which was funded in part by the class of 2008’s Senior Challenge Gift.

At the morning ceremony, President Hefner presented the Lanford Presidential Prize, established through the Fredonia College Foundation by Dr. and Mrs. Oscar Lanford. The late Dr. Lanford served as Fredonia's ninth president from 1961 to 1971, and was essentially the builder, both physically and intellectually, of the modern Fredonia campus. This annual prize is presented to a graduating senior who shows balanced achievement both on- and off-campus, and who exemplifies Fredonia's ideals, while maintaining a strong grade point average. This year’s recipient is Christopher P. Reybrouck, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English/Adolescence Education, with a minor in Leadership Studies.