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| Vol. 19, No. 1 | Sept. 2, 1999 |
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| Vol. 19, No. 1 | Sept. 2, 1999 |
Mark Huddleston (left) congratulates John Boyer, 1999 Alison Award recipient.
In a unique Convocation address to the members of the Class of 2003, Lesa Griffiths, associate dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, captured the attention of the 4,052 new students with tales of people and pigs.
Griffiths urged students to seek out people with a passion and illustrated her point with endearing tales from her swine production class.
"The greatest resource you have at the University of Delaware is the people that you will meet," she said. "You will meet some by chance, some by choice and others because you are forced. My little piece of advice to you is to take the opportunity to seek out, to find, people with a passion."
Starting with professors, Griffiths said, "You can actually feel the energy in a classroom when you have a professor who is passionate about what he or she is teaching-no matter what the subject." She urged students to talk with professors about their research or undergraduate clubs or sports they may advise. She also encouraged students to explore undergraduate research opportunities.
People with a passion are elsewhere on campus Griffiths said, in service and support units, the library, computing centers, dining halls and residence halls.
Students can learn from each other, Griffiths said, and in swine production class, they can even learn from pigs.
In quoting from student journals, Griffiths recounted several lessons learned from pigs:
"Bertha taught me that if anyone stands in the way of something you really want, you should just push them over."
"Pickles taught me to make as much noise as it takes for someone to notice me."
"Spike escaped from her pen today and opened every bag of feed in the barn. I learned that, even if you only have a few minutes of freedom each day, you should take full advantage of it."
"I learned from Xena that attitude is everything-it can earn you respect and even make you quite endearing to those that get to know you."
And finally-"I learned from Lucy that you should never, never be afraid to get dirty, it always washes off."
"Passion is infectious," Griffiths concluded. "It spreads from teacher, mentor, adviser, to students and from one student to another. Find the time to take that course you have heard so much about, make an appointment to visit the leader of a nationally recognized research program, join an undergraduate organization. Seek out the people of the University of Delaware-for we are as excited to have you here as you are to be here."
Also participating at the Convocation ceremony, University President David P. Roselle welcomed the new class that represents 16 foreign countries and includes a 76-year-old and a 15-year-old. After reminding the class to conserve water and take short showers, the president wished happy birthday to 10 students born on Aug. 30 and welcomed seven pairs of twins, 40 valedictorians, 31 salutatorians, 200 students with perfect 4.0 high school grade point averages, 73 Jennifers and 85 Michaels and quipped, "I wanna be like Mike."
The president also reminded the class of their responsibility to give back, quoting the proverb, "To whom much is given, much is expected."
Howard Cosgrove, newly elected chairman of the UD Board of Trustees, also welcomed the students, saying he looked forward to their shared freshman year.
Mark Huddleston, professor of political science and international relations and president of the Faculty Senate, presented the Francis Alison Award for faculty excellence to John Boyer, E.I. du Pont Professor of Marine Biochemistry/Biophysics.
Huddleston said Boyer "embodies the Faculty Senate's ideal of a scholar," calling him an educator who excels across the board, a noteworthy influence on colleagues and students." He also cited Boyer's distinguished research career and his influential career as a mentor.
Boyer said he was overwhelmed and honored by the award. He thanked his wife, Jean, for "thirty five years of encouraging" and thanked the College of Marine Studies for creating exciting opportunities for research.
He encouraged the new students to take advantage of all the opportunities offered at Delaware and wished them the greatest success.
"The College of Marine Studies where I work creates an exciting and encouraging atmosphere discovering the secrets of the oceans and their organisms. Each of you will have the opportunity to learn about these secrets. There are courses in oceanography, a summer intern program and a semester-in-residence program in Lewes. Similar activities await you in many other departments at the University. The next few years can be an exciting adventure.
"Rev. Alison would be pleased to see you taking this adventure. You will learn what others knew and how they used their knowledge, what we know now and how to discover new knowledge, and what we can do to understand and help others. This is the knowledge that shapes our world. Welcome to the University! "
Andrea B. Hinchey, president of the Delaware Undergraduate Student Congress, a senior marketing major from Dover, also welcomed students and urged them to get involved in campus activities.
Hinchey presented the Class of 2003 Flag to freshman representative Jenny J. Ellis of Wilmington, who will major in music.
Another music major, Michael LaRoche, a senior from Wilmington, lead the singing of the alma mater.
Also at convocation, James H. Gilliam Sr. was presented with an honorary doctorate. 
-Beth Thomas
Photos by Jack Buxbaum
