Dana College
Opening Convocation
August 31, 1999
Keynote Address by Dr. Larrie E. Stone
email:  lstone@acad2.dana.edu

PREPARING FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM

I can't begin to express in words what it means to me to be here with all of you this morning. For 37 years the beginning of a new school year has meant something very special to me--this year it is somewhat with heavy heart that I enter the fall season. However, being here this morning with the Dana students that I dearly love and enjoy, and the faculty, staff, and administration that I have grown to honor and respect makes everything seem normal and unchanging.

We are here this morning to launch another school year in Dana's long and illustrious history. However, it is a very special and significant year, since it will launch not only a new school year, but it will lead us into a new decade a new century, and a new millennium. This is a very exciting time to be alive, since only a small segment of humanity ever gets an opportunity to enter a new millennium. It is also an awesome experience for the human race, since we are beginning a technological revolution that will dwarf in magnitude and significance any previous revolution that humankind has experienced. Therefore, each of us must ask our self some important and self-searching questions; "What do I expect to get out of life? Am I properly prepared for the next decade? Will I be able to meet the challenges of the new century?" I hope that all of you will be winners in whatever you endeavor to do.

Winning in life requires both excellent educational skills and a positive attitude. The famous Green Bay Packers football coach, Vince Lombardi, once stated that, "winning is a habit--but unfortunately so is losing." You will make some mistakes--but if you are well prepared you can learn from them. It has been said that to err is human, but when the eraser wears out before the pencil, you're overdoing it.

What will the new century bring to each of us? Many people are speculating, but no one can simply look into a crystal ball and foretell exactly what the 21st century will hold in store for you or me. However, there is one feature of the 21st century that I can guarantee will affect each of us in ways that can't even be imagined yet--it is CHANGE. The way you live, the way you earn a living, the ways you experience the rest of the world will all change often and rapidly in the next century. The human race has experienced numerous inventions and innovations that have dramatically altered the way we live and do business. The use of fire, the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, the atomic age, the jet age, to name only a few.

At the present time we are ushering in a scientific revolution that is universal, awesome in scope, and unprecedented in the impact that it is bringing to the daily life of everyone. We have been experiencing the effects of rapid and significant scientific advances for several decades. However, we are just beginning to feel the effects of two major human achievements that will forever change not only how we think, live from day to day, and earn our livelihood, but also how we interact and live with the billions of other people living all over the world. These two aspects of the scientific revolution are the computers with all of its yet unidentified potential and the advances in DNA technology with all of its implications for medicine, agriculture, and life in general. We will definitely face a new society that will be characterized by VERY RAPID scientific and technological change. These changes will affect your daily life, your career, and your future in ways that can't even be imagined today. We are currently experiencing just the tip of the iceberg as we see the needs of the work force changing almost daily. As a student you have to ask yourself a tough question-"Will the job I am training for today be there when I am finished with my formal educational experience?" A recent National Research Council report stated the following, "Rapid shifts in the labor market are creating a paucity of jobs in some areas and exciting new opportunities in other areas. This dynamism in the labor market is putting a premium on students who have a broad knowledge of different subjects, skills in synthesizing and communicating information, and the ability to work in teams. Students educated with a narrow disciplinary focus and in solitary learning styles can have difficulties adjusting to such an environment. Indeed, such difficulties are a dominant theme in the complaints voiced by business leaders about contemporary undergraduate education." Where do you stack up? Are you ready for the next century? Are you willing to expand your educational horizons? Are you willing to work hard on subject areas that currently don't seem to hold any relevance for you?

Each one of us must make plans to meet the new and unforeseen challenges of the next century. Each of today's students must be prepared to either change careers, shift around in the career area they have chosen, or even more likely be prepared to change to a totally new career area that hasn't even been thought of yet. I can assure the students here today that you have chosen a great home and atmosphere in Dana College in which to make your preparations for the next century. The legacy of Dana College is very impressive. The administration and staff are very caring and work very hard to provide an arena where you can exploit all of your potential talents. The faculty at Dana is exceptional. They are a group of very caring individuals who are eager and committed to help you reach your fullest potential. Now it is up to you to be equally eager to learn and grow --to do so you must exploit this reservoir of talent and commitment to the very best of your abilities. The Dana College catalog lists the basic requirements that must be fulfilled in order to receive a diploma. These basic requirements outlined in the college catalog should not be looked upon as roadblocks, but rather they should be viewed as challenges that will allow you to grow and be prepared for all of the changes you will experience the rest of your life. Don't ever get in the mindset of trying to rationalize your lack of interest in something because you think it is never going to be relevant for you. The general education program is trying to expand your base of knowledge as well as teaching you how to learn. Learning is going to be a life long experience for you, and you need to gain experience on all the different ways you can learn and assimilate new material. This will be critical in overcoming the challenge of change that you will experience throughout your life.

And, speaking of your life, another factor in your education is preparing for both a career and a LONG meaningful and productive retirement. Statistics are showing that you can expect to live longer than people in any other society in the history of humankind. Your prospects of living to be a 100 years old or more are getting better each day. The new DNA technology will undoubtedly increase your chances of living even longer. Will your education provide you the background and skills that will make these extra years enjoyable and productive?

There is no question but that your major is very important to you and should be a top priority. However, you still need to put a significant effort into the general education portion of your program. It provides the background that will allow you to discover who you are, where you are, and how you fit into the bigger picture of life. The general education program will provide you with the tools necessary to build the confidence you will need in order to meet the challenges and changes you will encounter in the 21st century in order to live a successful and meaningful life.
In talking to students I have sometimes used the Liberal Arts Reading Program to demonstrate to them how they may be short changing their educational endeavors, because they don't take their non-major courses seriously enough. Students sometimes fail to see any relevance in a particular book, they may deem the book too hard to read, or for whatever other reasons decide it is not worth the time or effort to read. I have read a large number of LARP books in my 37 years of teaching at Dana, and I can say that some were very hard to read, some weren't always in my area of interest, and sometimes it was tough finding the time to read with lab preps, exams to prepare or grade, or a multitude of other teaching and personal obligations staring me in the face. However, I can tell you unequivocally that reading all the different books and discussing them with students has provided me with information, background, and ideas that have proven to be valuable to me time and time again--and even more important the effort of reading and understanding difficult material has provided me with reading skills, organizational skills, and discussion skills that have helped me in everything that I do. It is impossible to put a price tag on those kinds of skills, since they will help you in ways that will probably not always be recognized by you. I have always been struck by the observation that good athletes, musicians, and other performers spend countless hours honing the special skills they need for their activity. Yet some of these same people will not go to any great effort to improve their communication skills--skills that are a key factor in a successful life and career in today's highly competitive world. Speech, writing courses, LARP, term papers, reports, class discussions, etc. are all important in your educational development. They all provide useful background information, listening skills, verbal skills, organizational skills, and writing skills. All of these are things you will need in order to be successful in the 21st century.

In addition to this strong, broadly based educational background you will need one more important ingredient to insure success in the new century. This is the ability to approach every thing that you do with ENTHUSIASM. Henry Ford once said,

"You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes rise to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait, the grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas. Enthusiasts are fighters. They have fortitude. They have staying qualities. Enthusiasm is at the bottom of all progress. With it, there is accomplishment. Without it, there
are only alibis.,, Whenever you are interviewed for anything, remember that enthusiasm is one of the best selling points that you can have in your favor. It will also help you in sports, music, theater, and all other kinds of extra-curricular activities.

This is truly an exciting day for everyone--it is the start of a new school year--the chance to begin anew--to correct old habits--to make new goals and priorities--to decide on how much effort you are willing to put into your future. For the seniors this is probably your last undergraduate experience--a few months to complete your degree program before launching your little barks on destiny's deep sea. For the rest of you students your day of graduation will approach far too quickly --- you will be faced with many very important choices to make, skills to hone, and a great deal to learn. For generations students have been told of the unlimited opportunities that lie before them. The author of the phrase "Opportunity knocks but once at every door,,-- never dreamed of the coming of the revolving door. It is still true, however, that opportunity knocks only a few times at best --- however, it is also true that temptation tends to lean on the doorbell. Today there is a great temptation to get by with only the minimal amount of education and effort in order to make the greatest amount of money in the least amount of time. Many simply equate an education with the means to make a living, and forget about the fact that a well rounded education is essential if one is to have a life that has meaning, purpose, stability, and quality. Education is a very strange commodity because one can lead what is perceived as an adequate life without ever knowing what could have been with just a little extra effort somewhere along the line. A lost or poorly developed educational opportunity may prove to be a weakness you possess that prevents you from getting that special job, that big promotion, or that opportunity you have been waiting for all your life.

Are you willing to put forth the needed time and effort to be prepared for the new millennium? When you launch you little barks on destiny's deep sea are you going to be prepared to take control of change when it comes into your life? Or are you going to let change rock your boat and disrupt your life because you lack the background and skills to take charge over the changes you are going to encounter?

Let's take a moment and review what I would like for you to remember from this morning's talk:

1) We are going to see tremendous changes in the new millennium that will affect our lives in ways we can't even imagine today.
2) If you want to be in control of these changes, then you will need to have a well-rounded educational background and strong communication skills --- these are your VISA card for a successful future.
3) The difference between being just average or great will be a little extra effort right now during your undergraduate days at Dana College.
4) Always strive to be positive and full of enthusiasm for what you are doing --- this will pay countless dividends in the future.
5) In Dana College you have chosen a great place to be for doing the very best job in preparing yourself for the new millennium.

Thank you very much for letting an old man ramble. I would like to close my remarks with two quotes that I hope might inspire you in some way to give a little extra effort to your educational experience.

Abraham Lincoln once said "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Try to be positive in everything you do--it will pay huge dividends.

And secondly "Strive to be a leader: remember the lead dog in a sled team is the only one with a decent view." Don't sit back and let everyone else control your life.

To all of the faculty, staff, and students I give my most sincere best wishes for a happy, productive and successful 1999 - 2000 school year.