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05.16.05 Erskine College Commencement 2005 Erskine president gives final official address at 160th Commencement Dr. John L. Carson gave his final formal public address as Erskine College and Seminary president Saturday during the 160th college commencement. Carson, who will step down from the post June 30, chose not to mention his departure during his speech to the 142 graduates, but rather to urge graduates and all those present to make three commitments. He encouraged those gathered to "commit yourself to a cause larger than yourself." The president said that during four years at Erskine, graduates have been surrounded by people who illustrate how one is supposed to live. Carson, a 1967 graduate of Erskine, recalled four of his own mentors — Dr. Calvin Koonts, an educator, poet and encourager; Dr. Tunis Romein, a philosopher, musician and publisher of the Village Observer; Dr. William Kuykendall, a biblical scholar who found time to do income tax forms for the poor; and Dr. Gordon Parkinson, an educator and missionary who also served as the college’s dean of men. "The reason they were such great people was because they committed themselves to a cause larger than themselves," Carson said. "They first committed to a God who is larger than themselves." The term "professional" was first used in religious orders, he said, when people were first required to “profess” who they were before they could be admitted to the order. Second, he encouraged his audience to "partner with people better than yourself" in all areas of life, particularly in marriage and work. He said people should seek a company, a boss, and fellow workers who are better than they are."Always spend your life with people better than yourself," Carson said. "Marry someone who is better than yourself." He said he certainly did that when he married wife Sarah Ellen. "I did not exactly have my head screwed on right in college, but thankfully, God was looking after me when he led me to my wife," Carson said. "Whether I've been pastoring a church or serving at Erskine, I'm sure that the fact that 'Carson may not be much, but he sure has a sweet wife' has saved me more than once." Third, Carson urged people to put service before self. Leadership, he said, is about serving, not about having all the power or making all the choices. Those who don't think that have never led people, he said. Carson said leadership means showing up, giving up and keeping up, and the standard for leadership is established by Jesus, who said if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all. "I think heaven's inner circle will not be peopled with names widely known — pastors, evangelists and presidents — but with those who have toiled selflessly in quiet obscurity for the benefit of 'the least of these,'" he said. Carson said God has taught him a great lesson through his seven years as Erskine's president, a job he said he would never do because he doesn't like administration and the job was "too big" for him. But he knew God was calling him to do it. "The question was whether I loved God," Carson said. "God does not need us, but sometimes he uses us." Rachel Morgan of Groveland, Fla., had the highest average among graduates and was given the honor of responding to Carson's speech. She agreed with the Erskine president that it is important to partner with other people and commit to a cause bigger than yourself. Morgan read several verses from 2 Peter 1, in which seven virtues are listed — moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. She told her fellow graduates that after college, the going might be rough at the beginning, but she encouraged them to persevere in all they do. Westley McAllister of Mount Carmel, president of the Alumni Association, officially inducted the graduates into the association. "Embrace this moment," McAllister said. "Remember you can come home again, home to Due West with the Erskine family at Erskine College." Senior Class President Mike Todd of Gastonia, N.C., presented the college with the senior gift — a fire pit to be built behind Robinson Dormitory for "bonfires and fellowship." Honorary degrees were presented to Charles Carlisle of Due West and C. Jan Westmoreland of Waynesville, N.C. Both were awarded doctor of humanities degrees. Carlisle is a graduate of Newberry College who served Erskine first as an assistant professor of history, then for 35 years as chief financial officer, helping to guide three capital campaigns. His extensive community service includes planning and fund-raising for the Due West Retirement Center, where a nursing center was named in his honor in 1999. Westmoreland, a native of Greer, is a 1959 graduate of Erskine College who achieved distinction in a career in public affairs with Pfizer Inc., retiring in 1993. In 1997, he established the Westmoreland Performing Artist Program at Erskine and now serves as honorary chairman of the Memorial Hall project to renovate and expand Erskine's music facility. The Memorial Hall project is part of the Gold Campaign, Erskine's current capital campaign. Graduates included: Bachelor of ArtsMay 14, 2005: Bruce Edward Alexander, Clemson; David Scot Andrino, Anderson: Rebecca Jannie Ashley, Abbeville; Charles Brandon Auten, Rock Hill; David Andrew Bate, Six Mile; Radha Shanmugha Bharathi, Chennai, India; Jesse James Biondi, Walhalla; Polly Singleton Brown, summa cum laude, Abbeville; Daniel Justin Coates, Greenwood; Hannah Brea Collier, magna cum laude, Columbia; Cody Frank Rory Conway, Maysville, Ky.; Tabitha Anne Cook, magna cum laude, Charleston; Kristina Grace Curtiss, Acworth, Ga.; David William Dangerfield, magna cum laude, Moncks Corner; Jason Bradley Davis, Kernersville, N.C.; Lauren Elizabeth Elliotte, Gastonia, N.C.; Amy Ann England, Johns Island; Benjamin Lee Fowler, Beaufort; Matthew James Gore, Due West; Admas Goshu, Silver Spring, Md.; Tiffany Richelle Harris, summa cum laude, Marietta, Ga.; Thomas Lee Henderson, Troutman, N.C.; Ryan Alan Heritage, Anderson; Chaquinta Monique Isom, Anderson; Amy Lew Jones, Chipley, Fla.; Timothy Elliott Kinney, West Columbia; Jarvis Donnell Lamb, Columbia; Kelli Elizabeth Lamb, Lake Wales, Fla.; Leslie Lynn Mann, Fort Meade, Fla.; Rene Christine Marshall, magna cum laude, Greensboro, N.C.; Whitney Roark Martin, Gainesville, Ga.; Jacob William McMaster –Bigum, Dalzell; Elizabeth Louise Miller, cum laude, Lexington; Mary Julia Constance Moore, summa cum laude, Athens, Ga.; Joshua Benjamin Ness, Bamberg; Stephanie Alice Pearl, magna cum laude, Lexington; Jessica Jan Pott, Irmo; Matthew Curtis Rabe, Greenwood; Lucas Wilson Rhoad, Bamberg; Emily Christen Rogers, Asheville, N.C.; Julie Katherine Russell, Rock Hill; Jonathan David Ruth, Lexington; Emily Lynn Scism, Spartanburg; Keith Jared Shiver, Monroe, Ga.; Sarah Lindsey Simpson, Greenville; Tara Beth Stone, Honea Path; Allen Fellers Taylor, Greenville; Mary Elizabeth Tuggle, Athens, Ga.; Lori Frances Ward, Mullins; Patricia Ann Ward, magna cum laude, Tampa, Fla.; Sara Rebecca Wojtkowski, Due West; Jonathan Wayne Womack, Charleston. Candidates Aug. 15, 2005: Joshua Benjamin Bowser, Due West; Sarabeth Susan Shoger, Moreland, Ga. Bachelor of ScienceJan. 28, 2005: Steven Anthony Cormier Jr., Laurens; Mildred Joanne Culbreath, Aiken; Whitney Holland Gaillard, summa cum laude, Anderson; Elaine Terese Gillespie, Tampa, Fla.; Salvatore Anthony Licari, Utica, N.Y.; Idris Rashard Mayo, Hillsborough, N.C.; Rickey Dwayne McMullen, Catawba; Joseph Pinckney Noblitt IV, Anderson; Amanda Anne Rice, Belton; Freddy Wojtkowski, Ware Shoals. May 14, 2005: Tracey Melissa Ammons, summa cum laude, Columbia; Brandi Leah Ashbrook, Inman; Lori JoAnna Baird, Clover; Jennifer Glace Boggs, Hodges; Lilla Michelle Briggs, Columbia; Shantika Rochelle Britt, Awendaw; Julie Kathleen Brown, Danville, Va.; Lauren Rebekah Cartledge, cum laude, Mountville; Melissa Irene Casey, Greer; Franklin Craig Causey II, Surfside Beach; Corey Emanuel Chapman, Belton; James Henry Corley III, Aiken; Jana Deann Craft, Belton; Alan Dix, Mt. Pleasant; Lillian Rose Ferguson, magna cum laude, Abbeville; Casey Alexandra Frontz, Columbia; Lindsey Alanna Gaffney, cum laude, Kings Mountain, N.C.; David Caleb Gamble, Anderson; Carol Anne Gojan, Greenville; Kimberly Nicole Gunter, Batesburg; Ashley Brook Hall, magna cum laude, Greenville; James Elgin Hawthorne III, Greenwood; Harmony Anne Hicks, Townville; Perri Elizabeth Hiott, Hopkins; Audra Estelle Irick, Ware Shoals; Kathryn Louise Jennings, Bogart, Ga.; Amanda Elizabeth Johnson, magna cum laude, McConnells; April Brooke Johnson, Prosperity; Natalie Brooke Johnson, summa cum laude, Simpsonville; Amber Carisa Jones, Greenwood; Tammy Nicole Knox, summa cum laude, Union; John Robert Lauman, Lawrenceville, Ga.; Dorothy Elizabeth Leonard, Clemson; Todd Andrew Lyda, Hendersonville, N.C.; Rachel Lyons, Due West; James Brent Mahaffey, Greer; Stacey Elaine Mars, Piedmont; Jessica Marie Martin, summa cum laude, Gainesville, Ga.; Jamie Lynn Maxwell, Laurens; Melanie Sue Miller, magna cum laude, Mauldin; Rachel Elizabeth Morgan, Groveland, Fla.; Anna Marie Mullinax, Anderson; Kevin Allen Parker, Boiling Springs; Crystal Nicole Perkins, Beaufort; Jennifer Lynn Peters, Florence; Kwesi David Peters, Arima, Trinidad; Isaac Moore Porter, Powdersville; Mary Sims Pressly, cum laude, Columbia; Jennifer Leniva Prince, Laurens; John Thomas Propst, Greenville; Kayla Marie Richey, Iva; Mark Edward Ridgeway, Anderson; Jennifer Lynn Roberts, magna cum laude, Anderson; Christina Marie Ryder, Cowpens; Alyssa Jean Sattler, Chester; Alisha Renee Scott, Westminster; Chrystal Jordain Sears, Starr; Ashley Michelle Simpson, Greenville; Joseph Carroll Sisiam, Donalds; Garreth Elizabeth Smoak, magna cum laude, Greenwood; Benjamin Rush Stoner, magna cum laude, Greenville; Christy Emeline Stowe, Gastonia, N.C.; Amanda Kaye Sweeney, cum laude, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Michael Kenneth Todd, Gastonia, N.C.; Mary Margaret Tricebock, Charlotte, N.C.; Susan Elizabeth Turner, Hartsville; Adam Charles Twitty, Anderson; Esther Cairns Udall, Lindon, Utah; Joshua Bela Veres, summa cum laude, Pelzer; Sarah Anne Welch, Lancaster; Robert Bryan Whetsell, cum laude, Irmo; Kathryn Welch White, magna cum laude, Columbia; Andrew Brooks Whiteside, Columbia; Beverly Ann Wood, Mullins. Candidates Aug. 15, 2005: George Gallman Corley, Clinton; James Edward Cox III, Greensboro, N.C.; Joseph Page Grace Jr., Greenville; Terry Edward McCoy, Honea Path; Evans Napoleon Robinson, Greenville. |
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