Degrees, diplomas
conferred; two
awards presented
Excellence in Teaching award
William B. Sowell, right, professor in the Department of Graphic
Communications, received the Excellence in Teaching Award
from President Bruce E. Whitaker during the 1986 Commence
ment Exercises. Sowell, who was selected for the award by vote
of the faculty, has completed 31 years of teaching at Chowan and
also serves as coach of the golf team.
Provides music
for graduation
exercises
The Commencement Ensem
ble, under the direction of Pro
fessor Robert W. Brown, per
formed at both ceremonies on
graduation day. The music pro
vided by the ensemble, com
prised of the Ridgecroft School
orchestra and several musi
cians from the community, is
one of the highlights of the ex
ercises.
Chowan College closed its 138th
year May 18 with commencement
exercises in the Helms Center
honoring 144 graduates.
The students received their
diplomas and degrees from Presi
dent Bruce E. Whitaker, assisted
by Dean of the College B. Franklin
Lowe, Jr., and Registrar Darrell
Nicholson,, during the commence
ment program. Professor Harden
gave the invocation for the
ceremonies.
Dr. Whitaker presented two
awards. William Sowell, professor
in the Department of Graphic
Communications since 1955,
received the Excellence in
Teaching Award. The Distinguish
ed Alumni Award was presented
posthumously to Mrs. Julian W.
Porter of Severn and received by
her son, Julian P. Porter, Jr., of
Richmond, Va.
One of the Associate in Science
degrees, cum laude, was also
presented posthumously and
received by Mr. and Mrs. Johnny
Byrum of Murfreesboro. Their son,
William Jeffrey, was the victim of
an April 29 plane crash that also
claimed the lives of three other
Murfreesboro men.
Moment of Silence
As a commencement marshal
presented the degree to Mrs. Joyce
Byrum, sitting on the front row
with family members in the spec
tator’s section, first the faculty and
staff, then the graduates, followed
by the entire audience, stood for a
moment of silence to honor Jeffrey
Byrum.
The commencement speaker.
Dr. John E. Johns, president of
Furman University, Greenville, S.
C., spoke on “Crabgrass is
Forever.” He said, “I am using the
symbol of crabgrass to represent
all of those activities which we
fight daily and which have to be
done over and over again, whether
we want to or not. And so it is with
all human activities—we must
strive constantly and forever to
keep our lives ordered and to keep
our bearings straight.”
“Don’t Pass the Buck”
He continued, “One of the ways
to train yourself to do your best is
to not pass the buck because the
world does not need even one more
buck passer. Don’t make excuses
to yourself or to others. If you can’t
blame anyone else then this has to
be the surest way to leam to take
responsibility for your own ac
tions.”
Dr. Johns told the graduates
they have choices as to how they
will live and what they will do with
their lives. “For better or for
worse you have that control. It is
your burden, your challenge and
your opportunity.”
In concluding he said, “Yes, I
can assure you that the crabgrass
is in your yard and in mine.
Sometimes I think I can even hear
it growing! It is your problem and
my problem. The question is what
shall we each do about it? I believe
God’s purpose is that we should not
let the jungle consume us but that
we should build a city—and so—I
wish for each you a glorious life in
a beautiful city.
“Live in the Present”
“You would be quite a class and
long remembered in this world if
each of you decided today that you
would live your life in the present
and not in the past or future, that
you would use your uncommon
talents to the best of your ability
and that you would do good with
your life. The crabgrass is forever
in our lives but each of you
represents added value in
mankind’s effort to overcome it.
“Good luck, and may God bless
each of you.”
The baccalaureate address was’
delivered by the Rev. Rowland S.
Pruette, who retired at the end of
the current school year as chair
man of the Department of Religion
and Pfiilosophy.
Speaking on a “Well-Rounded
Life” based on Luke 2:40-52,
Pruette challenged the graduates
“to continue yourlife of growth and
maturity.”
He told them to pattern their
growth after Jesus who grew in
tellectually, physically, spiritually
and socially.
The speaker said the word best
used to describe spiritual growth is
faith, “for it is through faith, a
most powerful force for life, that
we respond to God.” He answered
the objection that faith can not be
proven. “If you love another per
son deeply you would be incensed if
someone said tfiat love was not
real because it could not be seen or
experienced by one of the four
other senses.
Social growth is also important,
Pruette said. In thinking of Jesus
we should “remember a joyful side
of his life, one of his reaching out to
other people positively and joyfully
... He brightened every scene he
entered with his love and accep
tance of people.”
Added Pruette, "True religion
does not demand of us today sad,
anti-social withdrawal from life,
but a reaching out in love and joy
to people all around us.”
He concluded by wishing the
graduates that “your Uves be rich,
useful, and abundant as you grow
in wisdom and in stature and in
favor with God and man.”
&
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The Chowanian May-June 1986—PAGE 3