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[MUSIC]
>>Dr. Victor Fisher: Good morning.
I'm Dr. Victor Fisher from the Department of Sociology,
Anthropology and Criminal Justice.
As Grand Marshal, it is my pleasure to welcome you to
the Winter Commencement exercises for the College of
Health Professions and the College of Liberal Arts.
Madam President, the university community is
assembled for commencement.
I would like to introduce Dr. Maravene Loeschke, the
13th president of Towson University.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Good morning.
Good morning everyone.
And I welcome you to the 149th commencement in the
proud history of Towson University.
Amazing, yes.
Now today, of course, we are going to celebrate our
newest graduates and your significant academic
achievements.
It has so very much been our pleasure to guide and mentor
you and help you on this incredible transformation in
your lives.
We take that very seriously and it is a gift we give to
you and we're so grateful for the gifts - the many
gifts you have given back to us.
I want you to think for just a second now about your
first day on campus.
Where did you park?
Who was your roommate?
Maybe what were your first or second classes?
What'd you think of the student union?
How did the campus look?
How did you feel?
You had a dream then.
You had a very special dream that this day would happen.
And here you are.
Congratulations, you're here.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now everyone please stand for
the national anthem.
We're going to be led in the singing by Ms. Katherine
Macdonald, who received her Bachelor of Science in Music
Education yesterday.
And she will be accompanied by Ms. Leanne Bartholomew,
who will be interpreting.
And Ms. Bartholomew is receiving her Bachelor of
Science in Deaf Studies today after receiving her
Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
yesterday.
Gentlemen, please remove your caps.
[MUSIC]
>>Ms. Katherine Macdonald: O say can you see, by the dawn's
early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's
last gleaming, whose broad stripes and bright stars,
through the perilous fight, o'er the ramparts we
watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
gave proof through the night that our flag was still
there.
O say does that star-spangled banner yet
wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the
brave?
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now at this time, I would like to pause for a
moment of silence in honor of the faculty staff and
students who have passed away this year.
The staff are Peter Bince (ph), Tom McDermott (ph),
Andrew Charles (ph) and the students - Gilad Nissim,
Patrick Dieringer, Gregory Thomas, Kelsey Allen and
Katelin McMullin.
A moment of silence please.
Thank you.
Everyone may be seated.
The flags on display represent 20 countries of
the 61 international students graduating from
Towson this winter.
And also on stage are flags representing all 77 nations
of our current international population of 580 students.
We are so pleased to have each and everyone of you in
our Towson family.
And as you can see, an education at Towson
University not only serves our region in the state, but
across the nation and around the globe.
In addition to the international flags
displayed today, you're going to notice a number of
the graduates and faculty and staff wearing these
black and gold pins signifying their support of
the Tiger Commencement Pledge.
Now this pledge is a voluntary commitment to
become more active in our communities and to work for
positive change in social and environmental
conditions.
Now I call upon Charlotte Ridgeway, president of the
Student Government Association to introduce
representatives from the University's various boards.
Ms. Ridgeway.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Ms. Charlotte Ridgeway: This morning we are pleased to
have with us the chairman of the University System of
Maryland Board of Regents, Mr. James L. Shea.
This 17-member board is appointed by the governor to
appoint the USM Chancellor and the 12 university
presidents, formulate policy and oversee the academic,
administrative and financial operations of the system's
institutions.
Chairman of the law firm, Venable LLP, Regent Shea was
appointed to the Board of Regents in February 2007.
He also serves on the Greater Baltimore Committee
and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore.
Today, Chairman Shea will be congratulating our graduates
on behalf the Board of Regents.
Please welcome USM Regent Mr. James Shea.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. James Shea: Good morning.
I am delighted to join you and extend best wishes from
the University System of Maryland on behalf of the
Board of Regents on this wonderful day.
It is an honor to share this occasion with your
president, Maravene Loeschke, who is doing a
great job leading Towson University.
Under her leadership, Towson is expanding its role as a
regional leader both economically and culturally
making Towson University a vibrant hub for the entire
greater Baltimore community and an institution of choice
for many of Maryland's brightest students.
Most importantly, it is an honor to be here to
recognize and congratulate you - the members of the
graduating class.
What you have accomplished has taken hard work,
persistence and dedication.
Today, we celebrate the completion of this part of
your journey.
I know your family and friends take a great deal of
pride in what you have accomplished.
They have shared in your sacrifice and certainly
share in your success today.
No matter what direction your life now takes, no
matter what challenges you will next confront, know
that your education here has prepared you well.
Once again, congratulations to all of you and know that
the entire University System of Maryland family wishes
you all the best in years to come.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Ms. Charlotte Ridgeway: Thank you, Mr. Shea.
This morning we are also pleased to have with us two
members of the university's Board of Visitors.
Mr. Ted Zaleski and Mr. Fran Soistman, who will bring
congratulations and greetings on behalf of the
board.
The Board of Visitors is a group of professionals who
advise and guide the president.
Mr. Soistman has served on Towson University's Board of
Visitors since 2005.
He is a 1979 graduate of Towson State University,
where he earned a B.S.
in Accounting and Finance and the graduate of the
Stanford University Executive Program.
With more than 30 years of experience in health
insurance and managed care, Mr. Soistman is executive
vice president of AETNA and the head of the government
services segment where he is responsible for driving the
growth in the company's Medicare, Medicaid, and
public and labor businesses.
He is a past recipient of the Ernst and Young
Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the health care
technology services category.
Please welcome Mr. Fran Soistman.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Fran Soistman: Thanks, Charlotte.
Good morning everyone - President Loeschke, Vice
President, Presidents, Dean, faculty members of the
University administration, family, friends and most
importantly the class of 2013.
I am very pleased to bring you greetings on behalf the
president's advisory group - the public and private
sector executives known as the Board of Visitors.
Despite our name, the Board of Visitors are no strangers
to Towson University.
Board members include business, government and
education leaders, advocates, major donors and
Towson alumni, including myself.
Although we are all executives and leaders that
come from different areas of expertise, we share a
singular commitment and affection for this great
university.
To the best of our abilities, when called upon,
we share our expertise and wisdom and our advocacy for
Towson University.
As you move forward today, to the next phase of your
life and professional or academic career, others will
lean on you for your talents too.
Under the direction of President Dr. Loeschke -
with the guidance of talented faculty and staff,
Towson University has rightly earned the
reputation for producing highly sought after
professionals and leaders.
Whether it is in the classroom, your new place of
employment, a nonprofit, or perhaps your very own alma
mater, Towson University - be ready.
Be ready to share your passion, your expertise with others.
I believe when you reflect on the journey that you have
taken to this point in your life, you will realize that
certain character traits such as determination and
endurance, discipline and judgment, compassion and
courage, knowledge and imagination to name just a
few - are the same character traits that will support
your journey to reach the many milestones that lie ahead.
I encourage you to continue to build your character,
sharpen your skills and make a difference in everything
you do in life.
As the years passed, I hope you will remember your time
at Towson University.
I encourage you to stay connected and get involved.
You should feel a strong sense of pride in joining
its alumni.
As a graduate, you're joining an invaluable
network of more than 130,000 graduates worldwide, more
than 70,000 in Maryland alone.
Also, the University's connections and commitment
does not end today with this degree.
Towson still has much to offer in the years ahead.
So come back, give back and you will get more than you
could ever imagine.
I speak for all the members of the Boards of Visitors
when I say how proud we are of you and of Towson
University.
You may not have known we were here, but all the while
we were advocating and supporting you and Towson in
the background while you pushed through your studies.
We send you our heartfelt congratulations and our very
best wishes for success and personal fulfillment in the future.
Thank you very much.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Ms. Charlotte Ridgeway: Thank you, Mr. Soistman.
We are also fortunate this morning to welcome Mr. Keith
Ewancio, Vice President of the Towson University's
Alumni Association, who will bring words of welcome and
congratulations to our new graduates.
Please welcome Mr. Ewancio.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keith Ewancio: Thank you, Charlotte, and good morning
to all the members of the class of 2013 and your guests.
As Vice President of the Executive Committee for the
Alumni Association Board of Directors, a proud member of
the class of 1994 and a 2007 graduate from the human
resource development Master's track from the
College of Liberal Arts, I am honored to be here today
to represent the more than 139,000 students and alumni
who now have graduated from this remarkable institution.
Each of these alumni has a story to tell about the
success that they have achieved as a result of
their education here at Towson.
My own story would not have been possible without the
education, experiences and connections that I made here
at Towson.
You too will have a great story to tell, one that you
will be proud to share with future generations of Towson graduates.
Your story actually starts today.
As you join the 2,305 fellow graduates that make up the
class of 2013.
This week 1,645 of you are receiving a Bachelor's
Degree.
Six-hundred and fifty-two of you are receiving either a
Master's Degree or certificate.
And eight of you are receiving a Doctoral Degree
from Towson University.
Your class - I agree.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keith Ewancio: Your class is actually 60 percent female
and 40 percent male.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keith Ewancio: And I think the guys are OK with that too.
The average age of undergraduate students in
this year's graduating class is 24, and of graduate
students is 32.
The youngest graduate in the class of 2013 is Kathleen
Woell, who is receiving a Bachelor's degree in
political science at the age of 20.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keith Ewancio: And our most seasoned graduate this year
is George Snead, who at the age of 67 is receiving a
Master's degree in computer science.
Congratulations to both of you.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keither Ewancio: The class of 2013 actually represents
27 out of our 50 states, with New York and New Jersey
having the largest number of graduates outside of the
state of Maryland.
And just for the record, 41 of you come from New York
but 52 of you come from New Jersey.
And 13 of you are actually the sole representatives
from your home state.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keither Ewancio: Now for those of you who may be
receiving either your Master's degree or your
Doctoral degree today, we know that over 18 percent of
you, just like me, receive your Bachelor's degree from
Towson University also.
So a second congratulations to all of you.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keither Ewancio: We also know that this class was
very engaged and very active and that the majority of
current seniors and graduate students actually
participated in either an internship or experiential
learning project this past semester alone.
Additionally, the members of this graduating class were
involved in either intercollegiate athletics or
a variety of co-curricular activities.
All of this while you still achieved an average class
GPA of 3.41.
Congratulations to all of you.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Keither Ewancio: Now we know that most of you will stay
right here in the state of Maryland after graduation
because on average 74 percent of TU alumni call
Maryland home - although our alumni live in every state
across America and 81 countries.
Perhaps you will join the more than 6,000 alumni who
married a fellow Towson alum.
Or that you will become one of over 1,000 alumni who
came back to their alma mater in either a faculty or
staff position.
Today you become the newest faces of Towson University
Alumni Association.
We are educators, doctors, actors, business leaders,
lawyers, computer analysts, scientists, politicians,
health care providers, human resources managers and much more.
Towson University alumni live in every state from
California to New York and New Jersey and 81 countries
from China to France and just about everywhere in between.
As alumni, we feel that it is our responsibility to
give back so that the next generation of Towson
University alumni may have the same opportunities and
experiences that we shared.
So once you walk out of these doors today, remember
that while your time here at Towson may be over, you will
always be a part of the Towson University family.
The Alumni Association will help you stay connected and
we look forward to hearing about your accomplishments
and your many successes.
As a symbol to welcome you to the Alumni Association,
current Towson University Alumni Association board
members will be presenting you with a Spruce Tree
seeding when you exit the SECU center this morning.
Please plant this tree in a spot so that every time you
see it and you watch it grow, it will help you
remember your own Towson University roots.
On behalf of the thousands who have preceded you, it is
my privilege to congratulate you on your outstanding
achievements.
The rest of your story is yet to be written.
In the months and years ahead, please be sure to
share your story with us as you make your special mark
as a Towson University alumnus.
Again, congratulations on this very special day.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now speaking up alumni, if you are a parent
or a grandparent or a brother or sister of a
graduate and you yourselves are Towson alum, will you
please stand up?
Look at that.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now everyone in the room who is a Towson
alum stand up.
Everybody.
Anybody else - faculty, staff - there you go.
Yeah, some of these guys.
Good.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: We thank you all
so much for your support of us and for our pride in you.
Once again, I present Charlotte Ridgeway to
introduce our first student speaker.
Charlotte.
>>Charlotte Ridgeway: Madam President, ladies and
gentlemen, it is now my pleasure to introduce our
undergraduate speaker.
Ms. Courtney McKeon - who is graduating today from the
College of Health Professions with a
Bachelor's of Science in health sciences.
Courtney has been an active member of a variety of
academic and service organizations and plans to
obtain a position which promotes health and wellness
in a corporate environment.
Please welcome Ms. Courtney McKeon.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Ms. Courtney : Thank you SGA President Charlotte Ridegway
for that introduction.
Good afternoon President Loeschke, Regent Shea,
distinguished guests, honored faculty, family and
most importantly fellow graduates.
Life is a secession of lessons which must be lived
to be understood.
These are the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
I learned the meaning of these wise words when I
started my journey here at Towson University as a dance
major.
It was during my freshman year that a dance professor
recommend I try yoga.
I was hooked instantly, became a certified yoga
instructor and began teaching multiple yoga
classes a week both on and off campus.
It was yoga that first gave me the ability to draw from
my past experiences and use them as lessons to empower
myself while guiding others in their life's journey.
Yoga and a few dance faculty professors give me the
courage to continue to gain a deeper understanding of
what I wanted to gain out of my time and learning here at
Towson University and maximize it.
Yoga took me deeper than just a superficial body
form.
Through yoga I was able to discover a connection
between my mind, body and soul.
I was able to gain a sense of awareness that allowed me
to follow my heart and trust in my path.
Then sophomore year I did the unthinkable.
I decided to change my major to health sciences.
I went from envisioning myself as a professional
ballerina to a health professional.
Towson University opened my eyes to a new passion -
health and wellness.
Now if you had asked me if I was going to arrive at
Towson as a dance major and graduate as a health
professional, I would have laughed in your face.
This was a journey with lessons I had first to live
to understand.
My question to you is what do you understand and know
now at the end of your college experience about
yourself, your discipline and the world that you did
not know in the beginning?
What were your secessions of lessons?
What was the greatest lesson of your experience?
How will you use these lessons to help move forward
positively to the next phase of your life?
Some of those lessons may have been moments of
failure, loss, clarity or success.
But they all hopefully gave you a better understanding
of who you are and what you can offer the world.
Isn't that what life's about?
Giving your best self to the world?
Sure.
We now understand why we failed a class, switched to
several different majors or went from one group of
friends to the other.
This is all part of the process.
We must learn to be patient with the process and start
to enjoy, appreciate and learn from the journey we
are currently on.
While your story is likely to be different than mine, I
encourage you to join me in thinking about the people
that have helped guide you along your journey.
I would not be here today without the efforts of my
family, teachers, employers, mentors and friends.
So thank you all and congratulations class 2013.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Rahel Fesseha: Thank you Ms. McKeon.
Goodmorning, I am Rahel Fesseha, Vice President of
the Graduate Student Association.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure
to introduce our graduate speaker, Mr. Michael DeWald,
who is graduating today from the College of Liberal Arts
with a Master's of Arts in experimental psychology.
Michael has been involved in a number of organizations in
his field and plans to continue his work as a
crisis intervention supervisor.
Please welcome Mr. Michael DeWald.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Mr. Michael DeWald: Thank you GSA vice president, Rahel
Fesseha, for that introduction.
Good afternoon President Loeschke, Regent Shea,
distinguished guests, honored faculty, family and
most importantly fellow graduates.
Firstly, congratulations to you all.
I am deeply honored to be addressing you this morning.
I wanted to open with a quote about education that
aptly describes the experiences we have all
shared here.
Education is not the filling of a pale but the lighting
of a fire.
The source of this quote is somewhat debatable.
Some say Yates while others attribute it to it to
Plutarch, but the spirit is a very accurate reflection
of my time here at Towson University.
While I was certainly given more than enough information
about theories and models to fill an absurd number of
pales, I have more importantly also been given
the freedom to creatively pursue my own academic
interests.
No matter the class I've always been encouraged to
find my own way to apply what I have been learning to
answer questions that intrigue me or to solve
problems that fascinate me.
This emphasis on creativity was one of the things that
drew me here and has proven to be one of the most
rewarding aspects of my graduate school journey.
I've been able to apply the practice of creative
problem-solving at this level to my work in crisis
intervention as well.
I've been able to establish connections between the two
that might not seem readily apparent but have proven to
be quite meaningful after they've been found.
That is one of the things that I would like to
encourage you all to take with you today.
We've all been trained to think creatively and to be
effective problem solvers on our own terms.
Find those connections that are not readily apparent.
Fan the flames of the fires that were lit here.
Continue to think creatively and to apply your skills in
new and unique ways that excite you.
We may all be graduating from our respective programs
today, but education is never truly complete.
It is a process that continues moving us forward
to deeper understandings and new innovations that require
drive and creativity.
Whether you're taking on a new career, pursuing another
degree, or even taking a break - which, let's face
it, most of us can probably use at this point - you're
still continuing your education.
And I'm confident that we will all be able to take
more active roles in our educations as a result of
our time here at Towson University.
And I am grateful for the many opportunities I've had
to exercise these abilities under the guidance of
Towson's outstanding faculty.
Thank you all for your kind attention and
congratulations again to all those graduating today.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Commencement is
one of the happiest days of the year on this campus.
Obviously we're celebrating your academic achievements,
but there are many here who've helped you along this
journey.
But there is one particular special group we want to
talk about right now.
We have one of the finest graduating classes in the
state of Maryland because we have one of the finest
faculties assembled anywhere in the country.
Will the faculty of this university please rise and
let the graduates thank you for their education.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Also joining me on
stage today are the leaders of the university.
Those responsible for facilitating the academic
programs and student programs that are not
academic with their dedication.
You probably don't see them every day as you do the
faculty and staff but I can assure you they are working
very hard for your success and love serving your
success.
So I am going to ask them to rise as I call the different
groups on the podium on the dais here.
First of all, the vice presidents of the
university.
You may hold your applause until the end.
Thank you that was very good, but hold the applause.
The deans of the college and the dean of university
libraries.
The associate deans of the college.
Members of the Board of Visitors.
The Board of Regents.
The Alumni Association.
The University Senate.
The American Association of University Professors.
The Towson University Staff Counsel.
And members of the Student Government Association and
the Graduate Student Association.
Now let's give them a round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: I'd also like to thank the faculty
members and staff members who are serving as
marshals. Faculty marshals, student marshals and readers for
this ceremony.
Now they're the ones who volunteer to gown you and
they have the safety pins and the cough drops and get
you in the right spot and they do this because they
love to be here for the ceremony.
So let's thank them.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Another round of thanks - there are hundreds
of people who work all year to put this ceremony
together.
It includes people like the Commencement Committee, the
university store, auxiliary services, facilities
personnel, the police, the bus drivers, food service,
photographers, event staff, custodians, parking staff -
most of them volunteers.
Let us thank them.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now graduates, you have had a lot of support
from your family and friends on this journey.
So I am going to begin by asking all of the mothers
and fathers and grandparents of our graduates to rise and
let the graduates thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Good.
Now we're going to add to that, just here for a
second, but the brothers and sisters, spouses, partners,
sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles.
[APPLAUSE]
Everyone may be seated.
I now ask Provost Chandler to join me at this time for
a special presentation.
Provost Chandler.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Timothy J.L. Chandler: Madam President, thank you.
Graduates, today is a tremendous day in your life.
We know it took a lot for you to get here.
A lot of dedication from you in your studies, a lot of
support from your family and friends and from the
teachers and faculty you've had along the way.
But there's one person in particular who made sure
that you got here today.
You may never have met her, but the truth is if it were
not for her, none of you would actually be here.
Her name is Cecilia Deems.
She is the director of the graduation office and she is
retiring.
Cecilia would you please come up and join us on the
stage.
[APPLAUSE]
>>D. Timothy J.L. Chandler: Cecelia makes it her personal mission to see
that every student admitted to Towson graduates from Towson.
If you do know her, it's likely because she told you
you needed to take an extra course in order to graduate.
She's personally done that for countless numbers of our
students.
She's been in graduation office for the last 13 years
of her 34 years here at Towson.
Since she became director in 2006, she's been the one to
shepherd 41,614 students to this stage in caps and
gowns.
And I mean that both figuratively and literally.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Timothy J.L. Chandler: For each of the three venues in which we've
held commencement she's played a key role in
logistics.
For 89 ceremonies she's been the go-to person for
ensuring that our students become the our alumni -
she's trying to forget that it's 89.
She's also been relied upon as a great doer here.
I'm surprised she's not carrying doorstops and other
things that she normally has with her.
Cecilia, on behalf of this great institution that
you've helped make even greater, the 41,614 alumni
in your time, and these soon-to-be wonderful group
of graduates who are now before you, thank you so
much for your time, your dedication, your
wholehearted commitment to Towson University.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Before the most important part of the
ceremony begins, I have an announcement concerning the
order of the procession.
So that you may find your particular graduate in the
procession, graduates are going to be coming forward
alphabetically within their college.
If you could please limit your applause.
Now we want you to applaud and we want you to shout.
We want you to recognize that student that you love.
But the most important thing to us today is that every
student's name is heard.
So what we're asking you to do is enjoy it for a second
or two, cut it off and let the next person speak so
nobody misses a name.
Now Provost Chandler is going to join me for the
conferring of the degrees.
Assisting us in awarding the graduate degrees will be
Dr. Charlotte Exner, Dean of the College of Health
Professions, Dr. Terry Cooney, Dean of the College
of Liberal Arts, and Dr. Janet DeLany, Dean of
Graduate Studies.
>>Dr. Victor Fisher: Madam President, this concludes
the graduates from the College of the Liberal Arts
and all graduates for this ceremony.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: The Class of 2013.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now ladies and gentlemen,
let us conclude the ceremony.
Would you please sit down and we will conclude.
Graduates, I ask that sometime this weekend, as
you're combining the join of your holiday and the joy of
this experience, that you ask yourselves in a moment
of reflection, how are you going to use this education
in the service of humanity?
How are you in the health professions or the many
professions open to you with a liberal arts degree, going
to go out and make positive change and leave the world
better than you found it?
How are you going to use your leadership, your
passion, your vision, your tenacity to go and make the
world better in a life of service?
Many years ago, I sat in this very commencement just
like you a Towson grad.
I can tell you that my Towson education served me
very well and I can also tell you that you have some
wonderful surprises awaiting you in your professions.
Stay awake and alert to them.
Make the most of them.
And I send you forward with tremendous respect,
gratitude and love.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Maravene S. Loeschke: Now everyone please stand.
We are going to sing Maryland, my Maryland.
Miss MacDonald and Miss Bartholomew are going to
lead us in the singing.
The words are page 35.
[MUSIC]
>>Ms. Katherine MacDonald: My thankful heart with rapture
fills, Maryland, My Maryland, when I behold thy
rolling hills, Maryland, My Maryland; I love your rocks
and rippling rills, your water ways where beauty
spills and nature holds a thousand thrills, Maryland,
My Maryland.
[APPLAUSE]
>>Dr. Victor Fisher: Dr. Loeschke, her party, the faculty and
graduates will begin the recessional.
I would ask that members of the audience remain seated
until all have left the arena.
The guests may then join their graduates on the patio.
Again, we offer our best wishes and congratulations
to the Class of 2013 and by the way - go Tigers.