Sarah Autry
Staff Writer
Cameron University’s 2013 Academic Convocation ceremony was held at 10 a.m. on Oct. 4 in the Fine Arts courtyard.
The ceremony has deep roots in tradition, from the garb worn by the professors, to the way the students march in to the event.
The event celebrated approximately 1,000 students who are Honors Society members, scholarship recipients or both.
The processional was led by the Platform Party, which consisted of CU President Dr. John McArthur, Vice President Dr. Ronna Vanderslice, Deans, Chair of Faculty Senate, Student Government Association (SGA) President Kevin Steib, as well as designated Regents, speakers and singers.
Following the Platform Party was the faculty of Cameron, led by honor students holding gonfalons – large banners decorated with each department’s name and corresponding symbol. The Office of Public Affairs redesigned the gonfalons used in this year’s ceremony just last year.
Vanderslice said she was happy with this year’s ceremony.
“SGA President Steib did a great job recognizing the students and so did the Banner carriers who had to fight the wind. Our singers did an outstanding job, and the band was awesome,” she said.
More than 600 students followed the faculty, representing the various National Honor Societies recognized at Cameron. The students sat in the inner part of the courtyard with the faculty seated behind them on the outer circle.
Colten Kennedy, a senior mathematics and history major and Science and Technology honor student, was one of the four student speakers selected for Convocation. Nominated through the Army ROTC on campus, he delivered aspeech, explaining what helped him succeed at Cameron and led him to choosing a career in the military.
He said: “I was talking to Coach Helvey after class one day, telling him my concerns about my future with this economy. He shared what I call, ‘Coach Helvey’s Five Tips for Finding What You Want to Do in Life’:
“One, dream about and think about what your passion is; two, study it; three, believe in yourself because you can do what you set your mind to; four, make a plan to carry out your dreams; five, work hard.”
Number five is the most important because students have to apply it to all of the previous four steps, Kennedy explained.
The other three students selected to speak talked about how they landed at Cameron University, encouraged the students in attendance to always give their best in order to be a productive contributor to society and emphasized the importance of being involved on campus, if not for raw experience, for the relationships built at Cameron.