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Show wvwforu mfortnightIy.com its 4MM fMttv V Students, faculty, staff wish farewell to longtime school historian Nick Christenson StaffWriter Nick 1 arlier this year, The Forum ran a story about Office of Student Life Senior Administrative Assistant, Karen Hendry, retiring. On Thursday, April 14, Westminster faculty and students held a formal reception in the Kim T. Adamson Alumni House in Hendrys honor. The event featured several speakers, a student band, a student video and was attended by dozens of students, faculty and staff, including several who had previously retired from the college. The event commemorated all of Hendys many contributions to the college. Hendry spent 25 years, 5 months, and 9 days at the college said Susan Heath, associate provost of Student Development and a speaker at the reception. Thats how long Karen has been with us, she said. Heath went on to say that Hendry has been one constant amidst a sea of change, noting that hundreds of faculty members have come and gone while Hendry has remained. Other speakers, including Dean of Students, Mark Feme, and President Michael Bassis, noted that Hendry did so much more than secretarial world" known on camHendry pus for acting as the colleges official, and unofficial, historian. She knows something about every person in this room, noted one faculty member. And you probably dont want to know what it is. If you ever had a question you needed answered, Karen would be the one to ask, said Associate Provost for Institutional Research Sc Assessment, Paul Presson. As soon as she began working for the college, Hendry began to collect and record information about the goings-o- n in around the college, including archival information about faculty, policies and publications. If you wanted to know who was school ambassador in 1993, you asked Karen, said Heath. She knows everything there is to know about Westminster, said Junior Chemistry major Elisabeth Anderson. Adding, She was always there when I needed her. Shes the one person in the Office of Student Life whos not crazy all the time. Shes very relaxed. Along with being the college historian, Hendrys poetry is also popular among students and faculty, Shes our poet Laureate, said Basis. One long standing tradition that Hendry has maintained over the years is writing a farewell poem to and about each departing faculty member, every year. i l ChrlstensonTbe Forum is well Retirement reception for Karen Hendry in alumni bouse Several faculty jokingly complained still plans to be actively involved in the that they were upset they would not Westminster community. Hendry, in a humble way, accepted the thanks but brushed aside much of the praise, joking that the college would be better off without her, and that, if nothing else, the Office of Student Life would be cleaner. be getting one of Hendrys poems. Many students and faculty shed tears, thanked Hendry repeatedly and lamented that the college just wont be the same without her. But they also took comfort in knowing Hendry f Graduation celebration Nicole Karfakis StaffWriter v With May graduation fast I i t- - jr ap- proaching, seniors, faculty and staff are preparing themselves for the upcoming festivities. There is a lot put into the graduation ceremony and the events associated with it, says Karen Hendry, senior administrative assistant of Student Service Administration. Every office on campus is involved one way or another. Its definitely a large group effort. The graduation ceremony will be held Saturday, May 28 at 1:45 p.m. The ceremony takes place off campus at the Maverik Center on 3200 S., Decker Lake Drive. While the ceremony was originally held on campus, the amount of students attending Westminster has grown over the years and the campus is no longer big enough to host the ceremony. Graduating classes got too large and we redid the soccer field and now its artificial turf and you cant drive tent sticks into it to set up tents, says Hendry. Its also hard to say how much weight it can take with trucks driving in and with seating. The new Astroturf on the field also has been recorded at getting up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which would make for an uncomfortable environment. Although the graduation ceremony is held off campus, traditions from the original graduation continue. Even though the ceremony is off campus, we have tried to keep a sort of Westminster feel to it, says Hendry. Before every graduation ceremony, the college hosts a brunch in the com- - . mons from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Students bring their families to eat and mingle with the faculty and staff. We get the family in the commons and that helps to tie people in with the idea of the campus, says Hendry. After the brunch, students head over to the Maverik Center to prepare for the ceremony. Hendry suggests guests follow closely in order to get good seats. To kick off the ceremony, a recording of the Converse bell is played, which is a tradition that has been passed down from when graduation was held on campus. , Graduation used to be out on the ' soccer field and wed always signal to , everyone that we were ready to start by ringing the bell, says Hendry. We recorded it in order to continue that tradition. After the bell ringing, the ceremony is introduced by bagpipers. We pretty much have always had bagpipers lead in and out which most people love, except for the people who hate it, obviously, says Hendry with a laugh. The bagpipers originated back when Westminster College was a Presbyterian school. While Westminster is no longer religiously affiliated, the bagpipes are a tradition that has continued through the years. As the ceremony commences, the platform party consisting of senior administration, honorees, board of trustees and faculty take the stage. They are followed by the class of 2011 and once the class is seated, graduation begins. Three different awards are given to students: Trustees Character Award, Presidents Leadership Award and Neisen R. Bank Memorial Award. Awards are presented as a surprise to the student picked. In the past, the graduation ceremony has lasted anywhere from two to three hours. This year, there have been a few changes to cut back time, but no major changes compared to last time. We are hoping to cut time this year, but we still hope people with small children will leave them with a babysitter, says Hendry with a laugh. The ceremony can be very long and exhausting. At last years ceremony, an enthusiastic brother of a graduating student jumped up in the middle of the ceremony, ran on stage and grabbed the microphone in order to gush over how proud he was of his sister and the fact she was graduating. That left the crowd stunned, says Hendry. We were all so stunned, we didnt even know how to react. The ceremony, while it may take awhile, marks a new beginning for the graduating class of 2011. My most favorite thing of course is just the excitement of being there as all these people reach their current or education life goal, says Hendry. Its fun to share that. 0 |