Matriculation Ceremony

by President John C. Reynders

August 22, 2003

To the members of the faculty, staff and most of all, to the members of the class of 2007 and your families and friends, welcome to Morningside College and to this ceremony, which marks the beginning of what I hope will be a life long affiliation with this school. Today, each of you officially becomes a Morningside student and joins an alumni population that numbers over 14,000.  

You are about to begin a new chapter in your life. One marked by independence, exploration, and engagement in the life of the mind. Seize this opportunity. Profit from the wisdom and caring of this extraordinary faculty and staff. Learn from the uniqueness of your fellow students and give back from your many talents.

We live in such a dynamic era. New students, in YOUR lifetime, we have seen the explosion of technology, the internet, e-mail, MTV, ESPN, cloning, cell phones. Watched the Iron Curtain fall, the term terrorism assume a more personal significance and witnessed a supreme court decide who would be President.  

You, the class of 2007, are the difference makers of the future. It is unfathomable what technological, business and medical advances lie ahead in the next 20 years. But each of you has the opportunity to shape that future. Our mission statement says it well,

"The Morningside College experience cultivates a passion for life-long learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility."

We, the faculty and staff, of this fine school want to challenge you intellectually, help you mature socially, and embrace with you a responsibility to your community and your country.  We believe that doing so will prepare you to be engaged citizens, steeped in a strong sense of values and well equipped to deal with such a dynamic future.

Today, you become part of a college community that has done this quite well! Morningside College makes a real difference in the quality of life in the Midwest. For over 100 years, Morningside graduates have distinguished themselves in the business area, such as Norm Waitt, co-founder of Gateway and now CEO of Gold Circle Films, which produced the hit film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". Many have used Morningside to go onto graduate and professional schools, such as Dr. Bob Hilker who performed the very first heart angioplasty in 1953. And still many more make a difference in their community as K-12 teachers, and United Methodist ministers.  

Often, I am asked about our church affiliation. What does it mean to be a United Methodist school?  

•  First and foremost, United Methodism is recognized as a Christian denomination. One that seeks to respond to the needs of the people of the world and to promote social justice.  

•  In and out of the classroom, at Morningside we are committed to educating our student body about the reality of the need for social justice. On campus, we offer programs that address issues such as human suffering, the care and proper stewardship of the world and the challenges to peace and justice.

•  Through our church relationship, we are able to partner with both Protestant and Catholic churches to better meet the faith needs of our college community as we seek to be more intentional about offering opportunities for spiritual growth, and...

•  Recognizing that not all members of our campus family are of the Christian faith, we are able to benefit from the inter-faith dialogues between Methodism and the world faith traditions such as Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. On Morningside's campus, this means we actively address issues such as diversity, faith, freedom, and moral responsibility as we prepare our students through education and experience to better understand one another and the world in which they live.

Let me close with some short and simple words to students and parents. First to the students--in a few short moments, many of you will say goodbye to friends and families and truly be on your own. You'll be on your own to decide what and when to eat, when to study, whether or not to clean your room or yourself...if your roommate will tolerate it. Part of what you learn here is to make choices and live responsibly. We have great confidence that you can do that.  The next few years will be filled with excitement, challenge and opportunity, but an education is not a passive event. There is no osmosis here! You must actively be engaged in your education. You must take advantage of the wonderful faculty and staff and the wealth of information and knowledge they eagerly await to share with you.

To the parents, friends and families--this can be a tough day, filled with a mixture of emotions. We raise our children to be independent yet when they reach this moment to spread their wings, our natural inclination is to hold on. You must trust them to make good choices. You have done well to get them to this point. Trust that they and we will work to build upon the lessons you've taught. Give them the room to make mistakes, to explore new thinking, and challenge their beliefs. In the end, they will remember the lessons you taught them and be inspired and motivated by the lessons we will teach them here. This is a caring place...a good place. All of us at Morningside are committed to helping your sons and daughters grow and continue to learn building upon the wonderful foundation that you've provided them.

So class of 2007--welcome! We are delighted to have you here. I look forward to getting to know each of you and may your next four years be filled with intellectual growth, personal fulfillment, and a lot of hard work!