The academic year at McPherson College kicked off officially Friday, Aug. 28, at Opening Convocation with a celebration of the MC community and “Bulldog Pride.”
Dr. Bruce Clary, vice president for academic affairs, welcomed the entire campus to the convocation, saying he enjoyed convocations as times that the complete McPherson College campus comes together. Then McPherson College President Michael Schneider welcomed the crowd, and officially kicked off the school year.
He talked about an MC alumna he spoke with recently who will be returning for her 50th class reunion at Homecoming this fall. He said that while many alumni come back to see each other, the faculty, and the staff, there’s another significant reason alumni return.
“The reason they come back is because of you,” he said to the students. “There’s something romantic about imagining yourself being in your 20s again. The challenge to you is that when you come back, you don’t have any regrets.”
He referenced new “Bulldog Pride” T-shirts that have been seen around the campus and McPherson community and gave reasons for pride in McPherson College: The “Chronicle of Higher Education” naming MC a 2015 “Great College to Work For,” entrepreneurial students working for Etch or preparing their senior research, and recent graduates landing their first job or getting acceptance to graduate school.
“This is truly a place to test your ideas and challenge others’ ideas,” Schneider said. “You have a chance to serve; a chance to lead. Go out and do something good and make this a great day to be a Bulldog.”