Christopher Simpson of Farmington, a cum laude graduate with a bachelor's degree in management and a master's in business administration....graduation speaker

148 graduate

from Thomas College

Staff Writer

Sunday, May 13, 2007

WATERVILLE -- They were classmates in 2004 when the Boston Red Sox achieved their first World Series championship in 86 years. They were classmates for two New England Patriots' Super Bowl championships.

And on Saturday, they were the first class at Thomas College to graduate from the new Harold Alfond Athletic Center on campus.

They are the Class of 2007.

A total of 148 students marched to "Pomp and Circumstance" during the graduation ceremony, which included 118 undergraduates and 30 graduate-degree students.

In his address, Christopher Simpson of Farmington, a cum laude graduate with a bachelor's degree in management and a master's in business administration and representing traditional day division students, said Saturday was the close of a lifetime of education.

"So this is it," he said. "This is what 16 years of education looks like -- we are what 16 years of education looks like. And I know that's a scary thought for Jim Love who chaperoned our senior trip, who witnessed what 16 years of education acts like."

Simpson said he found a book in the graduation gifts section of a local store recently. The title was "Everything I Needed to Know I Learned In Kindergarten."

"I didn't read the book, but the mere title left me wondering one question -- where the heck was that book 15 years ago?" he said.

Simpson thanked his mother, especially, and with Mother's Day the next day, he called for a round of applause for all the mothers of all the graduates.

Ceremonies opened under bright blue skies Saturday with a procession of graduate candidates and faculty lead by Herb Wilson on bagpipes.

The faculty marshal was former Waterville Mayor Nelson Madore.

Following an invocation by the Rev. Cynthia Lepley, Thomas College President George Spann introduced commencement speaker John Rowe, chairman, CEO and president of Exelon Corp. one of the nation's largest electric utilities, with $15 billion in revenues.

Rowe is the former CEO of Central Maine Power Co. Forbes Magazine ranked Exelon the No. 1 utility company in the United States for the second straight year in its 2005 list of The World's 2000 Leading Companies.

In his remarks, Rowe joked that the graduation speech is like the head on a stein of beer -- no one drinks the beer for the head and no one comes to graduation to hear the speaker.

But he did have a valuable message to the class.

Remembering the important word "plastics" from the 1967 motion picture "The Graduate" Rowe said there are now two new words with as much punch.

"I thought of two words that I think will both haunt and bless your generation of graduates -- those two words are diversity and climate," he said.

He said diversity in today's world requires people to get along and to coexist in order to survive and bring about peace and prosperity.

"Coexistence is a very complicated thing," Rowe noted. "Even people who wish to coexist have enemies."

As for the word "climate," Rowe said it clear now that the climate is changing and that there is a human contribution involved.

"It's a challenge almost everyone wants to meet. The problem is almost everyone wants someone else to meet it," he said. "The greatest opportunities lie in the more efficient use of energy.

"That might mean tighter regulations, which most people don't want to live with ... or it requires much higher prices."

Speaking on behalf of the continuing education division Saturday was Stephen Mattice of Winthrop, who received his bachelor's degree in business administration. Representing the graduate division was Elizabeth Barron of Waterville, who received a master of business administration degree.