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2008 Spring Commencement



Date:
Sunday, May 25, 2008, 2:30 pm

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Location: Tacoma Dome Arena, Tacoma, WA   

Download Commencement Program (2.9MB PDF) 

Order of Events

Academic Processional
Members of the University Symphony Orchestra

Invocation
Nancy J. Connor, University Pastor

Greetings
Loren J. Anderson, President
Robert Gomulkiewicz ('83), Chair of the Board of Regents

Faculty Retirements
Loren J. Anderson, President
Assisted by Provost Killen


Recognitions
President Anderson
Assisted Board Chair Gomulkiewicz
Ann C. Kelleher, Professor of Political Sciene
Paula H. Leitz, Associate Professor of Instructional Development and Leadership
Honorary Doctorate
Joyce A. Barr (`76), Former U.S. Ambassador to Namibia
Executive Director of East Asia & Pacific Foreign Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Musical Selection
Lord God, You Have Called Your Servants, by J. Aaron McDermid
Beautiful Savior, arr. By F. Melius Christiansen
Choir of the West
L. Richard Nance, Associate Professor of Music, conductor
Reflections
Candice A. Hughes, Bachelor of Science, Geosciences

Commencement Address
Joyce A. Barr
Conferral of Master’s Degrees
President Anderson
Assisted by Provost Killen,
John Y. Lee, Dean, School of Education & Movement Studies
Terry W. Miller, Dean, School of Nursing
Douglas E. Oakman, Dean, Division of Humanities

Norris A. Peterson ('75), Dean, Division of Social Sciences
Conferral of Baccalaureate Degrees
President Anderson
Assisted by Provost Killen


Closing Comments
President Anderson

Prayer and Benediction
Dennis G. Sepper, University Pastor
Recessional


Pacific Lutheran University Mace

For centuries, in academic and ecclesiastical processionals, a mace has been carried by the marshal to symbolize the official opening and closing of a formal event.

At the base of the walnut staff is a silver pine cone, made from a casting of a cone found on the PLU campus. Its head has a descending dove, representative of the harmonious presence of the Holy Spirit within the learning community.

The cradle bears a plaque which will carry the names of the current and subsequent presidents, as well as the following inscription from Proverbs 4:7, "Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore, get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding."

Designed and created by Tom Torrens, former PLU artist-in-residence.

The Mace was a gift from President-Emeritus and Mrs. William O. Rieke and family, presented at Commencement, 1976.

Pacific Lutheran University Seal

PLU SealThe Pacific Lutheran University Seal was adopted for use when the institution became a university in September 1960. The PLU seal appears on official university documents, including the diploma. The design incorporates elements that symbolize the university’s heritage and function. The elliptical shape symbolizes the close relationship between the university and the church, which owns and encompasses the school. The ellipse is an ancient Christian sign that indicates the relationship between God and human. The name of the institution and the date of its founding are appropriately placed along the border.

Central to the design is the ancient "Chi Rho," a sign designating Jesus as the Christ and drawn from the cross of the Calvary. The "Chi Rho" is planted in the book, which stands for both the Bible and for the chief tool of the student. Such signs were in common use in the early development of the Christian community. The lamp of learning is traditional in the Western civilization that is our heritage and symbolizes the human search for free knowledge and wisdom. The flame of the lamp illuminates the book. The evergreen tree, perhaps the greatest natural resource of the Pacific Northwest, ties the university to its locale and is symbolic of the abundance of the natural surroundings, as well as our dependence upon it.




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