Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!

UMM Graduation 2008

45th Annual Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 17th of 2008

What a beautiful day! It was a sunny warm Saturday afternoon to have this year's graduation outside on the campus mall. I (Sal) can't remember the year when we last had it outside. We would have some wind at times, which I feel it was from God to keep all of outside be cool down at times. I got to the campus mall early because I've learned from previous graduation ceremonies that you need to get a good seat. I was able to get a spot behind the choir stands to preview the graduates fall on line when they get their diplomas.

Schedule of Events
# Friday, May 16, 2008 Native American Honoring Ceremony, Oyate Hall, 4 p.m. Dinner follows.
# Honors Recital, 5:00 p.m., HFA Recital Hall
# Parent Reception, 6:00 p.m., Turtle Mountain Cafe
# Student Honors and Awards Ceremony, 7 p.m., Edson Auditorium
Saturday, May 17, 2008
# Buffet lunch and division receptions 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Student Center
# Students assemble approximately 1 hour before ceremony
# Commencement ceremony, 2:00 p.m., Campus Mall (rain site PE Center)
# Commencement reception in Oyate Hall follows ceremony

"The UMM Symphonic Winds, under the direction of Martin H. Seggelke, assistant professor of music, provided the pre-commencement concert, as well as music for the Commencement processional, the recessional and throughout the ceremony.

Ceremony

-Walk
UMM Graduation Ceremony-Walk

"I caught some footages of the ending of the "walk" as the UMM Graduation Ceremony was going to start. It was another beautiful sunny, but windy day! Thus, it was traditionally held on the Campus Mall of the University of Minnesota-Morris.... https://www.angelfire.com/mn2/goodnewsumm/graduation.08.html or http://www.morris.umn.edu Please feel free to contact me about purchasing ($10) a whole 1 hour footage of this graduation in DVD. 10% of your purchase will be donated to the UMM Alumn Fund to continue the mission of one of the "finest Best Public Liberal Arts College"

National Anthem

-Welcome
UMM Graduation Ceremony 08'-Welcome

"Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson does her "Welcome Greetings" in her second UMM Graduation Address since being Chancellor last year...."

Music

UMM Symphonic Winds at Graduation 08'

"The "world renown" UMM Symphonic Winds performs a great music piece. They do this during a windy graduation ceremony of the University of Minnesota-Morris. It was held at the Campus Mall.."

Alex Carlson UMM Commencement Speech 2008

'University of Minnesota, Morris Commencement 2008 "

UMM Graduation Ceremony 08'-Indian Tribute

"A traditional annual tribute to the Native Americans as the land where this campus now exist started out as an Indian Boarding School in the late 1800's"
*see more on GoodnewsEverybody: Native- American

"Congressman Keith Ellison, who has represented Minnesota's 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since January, 2007, will address this year's graduating seniors. Congressman Ellison is the first African American from Minnesota to serve in the U.S. Congress and the first person of the Muslim faith to serve as a U.S. Congressman. Previously, Ellison served two terms as a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), from 2003-2007. Photo by Eric Miller for Reuters."
UMM Graduation Ceremony 08'-Keith Ellison

"Minnesota Congressmen, Keith Ellison, shares a story from the Bible! He talks about the miracle (one of many!) of feeding the 5,000!...."

Related Links:

  • Ellison's UMM address stresses generosity, inclusion Morris Sun Tribune Published Sunday, May 18, 2008 By Tom Larson

    • "Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison told University of Minnesota, Morris 2008 graduates that they need to be the leaders in the politics of generosity and the politics of inclusion.
    Ellison delivered the Graduation Address to a packed UMM Campus Mall on a windy Saturday afternoon.
    UMM conferreddiplomas on 356 graduates on a day when many of them had to hang on to their caps and smooth down gowns that billowed to their waists.
    In addition to musical selections from the UMM Symphonic Winds, the UMM Concert Choir and the Treble Makers, the graduates and audience heard remarks from UMM Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson, University of Minnesota Regent Maureen Cisneros, U of M Senior Vice President Robert Jones, and 2008 UMM graduate Alex Carlson, the recipient of the Curtis H. Larson Award.
    Cisneros made light of the blustery conditions, saying that with UMM’s reputation in alternative energy research, that Saturday was “a good wind energy day.”
    Carlson gave a humorous address, and he noted that “the passion UMM students have for their work is contagious.”
    Carlson said that in keeping with his recent role in the UMM production of “Seussical,” that he would end his address with a quote from Dr. Seuss’s poem, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!”:
    “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
    Ellison spoke of a teetering economy and how life in America has become extremely difficult for most of the working class. He talked of the injustice of many millions living without health care -- which he said “should be a right for all Americans” -- and that almost as many people live below the poverty line.
    Ellison said he believed in markets and that the graduates should, too. But wages have remained stagnant for dozens of years while productivity has increased. No longer can the leaders of companies take large sums of money while workers scrape by with meager raises.
    “But we must slice the economic cake for working Americans differently in the future.”
    Ellison told the story of being in Haiti earlier this week and seeing rioting over food, and that “the forces that brought food riots to Haiti are at work all over the world.”
    He likened speaking before them as he being a worker coming before a boss -- the graduates. He encouraged a new entrepreneurial commitment and “new politics rooted in generosity and inclusion.”
    Ellison spoke of the biblical story of Jesus distributing loaves and fishes to a throng that his followers couldn’t believe would feed them all. Ellison said couldn’t speculate on how that was possible, but it’s a circumstance that should resonate with the graduates.
    “There was enough then, there is enough now,” he said."

    Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand"

    "13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
    15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
    16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
    17"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
    18"Bring them here to me," he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children."

    ...see GoodnewsEverybody: Health-Foods

    UMM Commencement

    Reception


    After the ceremony, many went to the Student Center-Oyate Hall for a reception (cake and beverages):

    Other Sites:

    Andrea's Graduation Day

    "Andrea's graduation day, May 17, 2008"

    UMM Alumn Official 08'Graduation Photo Gallery

    Thank you for visiting GoodnewsUMM! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at goodnews_usa@yahoo.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website.

    Return Back to Good News UMM's Graduation Homepage

    Thank you for visiting my page at Angelfire. Please come back and visit again!