Spring Break
Convocation introduces Faculty Laureate Melinda Mueller
Jessica Leggin/Activities Editor
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: News
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"Joy and happiness in education matters," said this year's faculty laureate.
The Convocation Ceremony took place Tuesday night in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.
The ceremony began with students marching in with various flags from different countries such as the United States, China, Russia, Canada, and many others.
Following the flags, the processional began with professors marching in their regalia.
President Bill Perry was welcomed to the podium where he expressed how happy he was to see the incoming class of 2008.
"I would like to invite the students to look around at each other," he said. "You all are the future of our country and the future of our society."
Perry said the students made a great choice when they picked Eastern as their place of learning.
"You chose a university with faculty who are devoted to excellence," he said.
During the ceremony, Mueller, a political science professor, was introduced as the faculty laureate.
"You will hear from our best," Perry said.
Ann Fritz, faculty laureate for 2007-2008 said laureates in the past have come from diverse fields such as theatre, biological sciences, English and this year, political science.
"We all have one thing in common," she said. "We demonstrate excellence in undergraduate teaching."
As Mueller took the podium as faculty laureate for this school year, she expressed the importance of a liberal arts education.
"Liberal arts will prepare you for that full global citizenship," she said.
Mueller does not want students to take their general education for granted.
She said general education courses are required because they are essential.
"They are the building blocks that link to your major," she said. "You are in for a lifetime to learn freely and deeply."
Mueller said when she was in school she took general education courses such as psychology, art, astronomy and even horseback riding.
"Looking back, they all mattered, even horseback riding," she said.
Mueller also encouraged students to get acquainted with faculty.
"We are not just teaching at you, but teaching with you and learning," she said.
Mueller also told students they would meet other students with drastically different backgrounds.
"Some of you own guns and go hunting every year," she said. "Some of you all are going to be totally freaked out that I used the word gun."
Mueller wants students to get to know each other despite differences and attend campus events.
Keri Carroll, a freshman pre-veterinarian major, said she enjoyed the ceremony.
Carroll said she understood what Mueller said in her speech.
"We should be excited to learn," she said. "We came here to further our education."
Carroll said she was glad when her high school guidance counselor suggested Eastern as a school to attend.
"I like it so far," she said.
In the end, Mueller said it was exciting preparing a speech for the ceremony.
"It was a lot of fun to prepare for and get into words why I like to teach," she said.
Mueller said she has one of the best jobs in the world.
"I get paid to learn," she said.
Jessica Leggin can be reached at 581-7942 or jmleggin@eiu.edu.
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