Convocation Speech 2005
Advancing
Our
Culture
of
High
Expectations
Convocation
Speech
given
by Dr.
Beverly
Daniel
Tatum,
August
25, 2005
Convocation
2005
Photo
Gallery
Page
1 of
5
Thank
you,
Sarah,
for
your
lovely
introduction.
It
is
great
to
stand
here
with
a
member
of
the
Class
of
2006,
my
very
first
class
at
Spelman College,
and
you
are
doing
a
great
job
already
as
SGA
president.
Good
morning,
to
all
of
you!
Welcome
to
our
newest
students – our
Gateway
students,
transfer
students,
exchange
students,
and
the
Class
of
2009 – and
welcome
back
to
our
returning
students,
especially
our
seniors,
members
of
the
class
of
2006– this
convocation
marks
the
beginning
of
your
final
year
at
Spelman
College!
Welcome
to
our
faculty,
staff,
alumnae
and
special
guests.
I believe
we
have
among
us
some
new
faculty
and
staff
for
whom
this
is
their first Spelman
convocation.
Please
stand
so
we
may
acknowledge
you
as
well.
We
have
with
us
today
some
special
faculty
members,
recipients
of
some
very
special
awards.
We
will
hear
about
those
later,
but
I want
to
say
welcome
to
my
platform
companions.
I
also
want
to
extend
a special
welcome
to
our
Community
Service
honoree
this
morning,
Ms.
Hattie
Dorsey,
as
well
as
to
her
family
members
and
friends.
Thank
you
for
being
with
us
today.
It
is
wonderful
to
be
here
back
in
historic
Sisters
Chapel,
so
wonderfully
renovated.
Some
of
you
may
know
that
we
received
an
Urban
Design
Architectural
Award
this
spring
for
the
historic
preservation
of
this
building – and
certainly
Mr.
Danny
Flanigan
and
his
project
management
team
along
with
the
architects
did
a fabulous
job.
Let
us
congratulate
them
on
their
fine
work!
Sisters
Chapel
is
often
referred
to
as
the “heart” of
the
campus
because
so
much
of
what
is
special
about
Spelman
has
taken
place
here – whether
it
is
the
resonance
of
the
organ
played
by
our
wonderful
organist,
Dr.
Joyce
Johnson
or
the
angelic
sound
of
the
Glee
Club,
or
the
powerful
messages
of
the
many
distinguished
speakers
who
have
addressed
Spelman
students,
or
the
memory
of
Rev.
Dr.
Martin
Luther
King,
Jr.
laying
in
state
in
this
sacred
space – or
the
energy
of
first
year
students
dancing
to
the
sounds
of
African
drums
as
they
separate
from
their
parents
and
enter
their
new
Spelman
community
- in
so
many
ways
the
Spelman
experience
is
represented
by
the
energy
of
this
special
place.
New
students,
respect
this
space – not
only
because
of
its
religious
character
but
because
of
its
cultural
meaning
in
this
community
we
call
Spelman
College.
The
first
time
I spoke
from
this
podium
back
in
2002
I told
the
story
of
my
first
visit
to
Spelman
College – I
had
been
nominated
for
the
presidency
but
before
deciding
whether
to
pursue
the
opportunity
I wanted
to
visit
the
campus
unescorted,
so
I could
see
if
this
was
the
right
place
for
me.
So
I made
a secret
visit,
walking
around
the
campus
in
anonymity.
While
walking
around
the
campus,
I stepped
inside
Sisters
Chapel
and
instantly
felt
the
positive
energy
in
this
space.
It
was
very
powerful – and
I invite
you
to respect the
power
that
is
here.
Bring
your best
self into
this
space – and add to
that
positive
energy, leaving it
even
better
than
you
found
it.
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