New graduates will define 21st century

Before my retirement, I served for many years as a faculty marshall at Drury College commencement exercises. Marshalls get to carry batons and lead graduates and faculty as they enter and exit commencement ceremonies. Now I'm the "honorary" marshall. Honorary is a kinder and gentler way of saying "old."

Although it would have been a bit tacky, the commencement program this year could have listed me as the "old geezer" marshall. Whatever they called me, I enjoyed myself. Once again I donned academic regalia you know, funny looking hat, doctoral hood and robe with the stripes and bells and whistles.

I'd forgotten the good feelings surrounding the trappings of formal academia. I guess it's only when we stop doing something that we realize we liked it more than we let on at the time. I'm pleased to have been asked to suit up and get back into the game. I'll keep on doing it until I become the "senior honorary" marshall, which means "really old geezer" marshall.

Beyond good feelings about getting back in harness, I realized that once a teacher, always a teacher. Watching those bright and shiny, brand new, liberal arts college graduates, I was barely able to contain myself. I wanted to leap up and deliver one last lecture. I had one in me.

The 21st century is no longer a figment of science fiction writers' fertile imaginations. Depending on how you count, the new century is either half a year or a year and half away. The future is here. The groundswell of technology that has driven the 20th century is slam-dunking us into the 21st. There need be no barriers to the potential for human accomplishments.

The teacher in me wanted to tell these students what a truly fantastic time this can be to be alive, young and well-educated. I would have said:

"Graduates, education is the empowering ingredient in life's formula. Because you are well-educated, your potential is limited only by perimeters you impose. Your education can, and hopefully will, enable you to help define the 21st century.

"Truth be told, graduates, the new century has the potential to be the best years the world has ever known[[In-content Ad]]