By Tom Ganser
Correspondent
Dec. 13 was a chapter-turning day in the lives of more than 840 students who graduated at UW-Whitewater’s Winter 2014 Commencement.
In welcoming the audience to the ceremony in Kachel Fieldhouse, Chancellor Richard J. Telfer began by celebrating the learning, accomplishments and success of the graduating students as well as the accomplishments of faculty who have mentored the students along the way.
“The experiences you’ve had here, the knowledge you’ve gained here, and the lessons you’ve learned here, have made you more prepared to embrace the many opportunities and challenges you will face in life,” Telfer told the students.
Diplomas were awarded to 722 undergraduate students and 124 graduate students, including 144 non-traditional students, 20 international students, 17 military service veterans and 48 students who have taken advantages of the services offered by the Center for Students with Disabilities.
Although most students come from hometowns located within about 80 miles of campus, Telfer pointed out they come from different background and differ communities.
“They are proud of their backgrounds and of their home communities, Telfer said. “On campus, students share their experiences, learning from others and helping others learn from them.”
The student speaker was Samantha J. Zaddack, from Shawano, who graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and career aspirations to become a professional actress.
“Excellence. Passion. Success. Tradition,” Zaddack began. “These are just a few of the words used on a daily basis to describe the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.”
Since UW-W’s founding in 1868 (as Whitewater Normal School for training teachers), Zaddack said: “Our campus has evolved and grown into the successful university with the many wonderful traditions that we know and are part of today.”
“We are scholars, athletes, performers, teachers and a multitude of other impressive titles – and we are what make Whitewater so amazing,” Zaddack continued. “We are the thinkers, dreamers, and doers that are ready to take a social responsibility to improve the world we live in. And UW-Whitewater prepared us for just that.”
Zaddack said the graduates would be walking out the door today with “so much more” than a college degree.
“Go out there and show the world exactly what it means to be a UW-Whitewater graduate,” Zaddack concluded. “Follow your dreams, touch lives, travel, fall in love, explore, create, learn – just do whatever makes you happy. Because you are a UW-Whitewater graduate – that means you are successful and can be and do whatever you desire. And always remember these four words: excellence, passion, success, tradition. Because we are Warhawks, now and forever.”
James B. Miller III – a resident of Whitewater since he was 5 and is affectionately known as “Mills” – was the commencement speaker.
Miller offered a shout-out to Telfer, his friend and colleague for more than 30 years, who recently announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2015.
“He’s the eighth chancellor that I’ve been associated with,” Miller said. “When they write the chapter on Dr. Telfer, history will show that he was one of our great chancellors moving us forward in the 21st century.”
Except for four years working as a physical education and driver’s education teacher, and coach at Fort Atkinson High School following his graduation in 1965 with a Bachelor of Education in social studies from the then Wisconsin State University-Whitewater, Miller spent his entire career at UW-W.
Miller began his career at UW-W after quitting his job in Fort Atkinson and taking a $2,000 pay cut to become the equipment manager for Warhawk athletics so he “could sort jocks and socks.”
Miller would go on to work as sports information director, director of Warhawk Stadium, head basketball and later head baseball coach with a school record 416 wins over 17 seasons, and an assistant professor and chairperson of the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching in the College of Education.
In honor of his service to UWW and intercollegiate athletics, in 2009 the UW System Board of Regents approved naming the baseball facility in his honor – Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium.
Miller admitted that more than 45 years of wandering through Williams Center and, more recently, the Kachel Fieldhouse, did little to prepare him for the packed audience he was addressing.
Referring to his favorite TV show “Nashville,” Miller said with a deadpan comic delivery that is his trademark, “It’s kind of like you’ve been playing the Bluebird Café forever, and now you’re doing Opryland.”
Comparing life as a UWW student in the 1960s to today, Miller described how different things were.
Whereas today’s students, Miller said, have “their cell phone surgically attached to their ear,” back in the ‘60s “The telephone or the mail were the only two options you had. And the telephone was one phone at the end of the hall that you shared with everybody on the floor. If you were any place else you had to find one and put money in it to call.”
“When women went to class, they had to wear a skirt or a dress. There were no exceptions,” he told the audience. “Today’s women go to class dressed however they please, and quite frankly I think we’ve seen it all.”
Miller told the graduates: “My formula for success is this. Establish a set of goals for yourself, and you’ve already reached one of the most important ones. You are soon to be a graduate of UW-Whitewater.”
“Have a plan. Don’t be afraid to take chances along the way. Stay the course and stick with it until the goal has been accomplished. Position yourself so that you can be in the right place at the right time. Timing can be everything,” he added.
Miller’s final piece of advice was characteristically straightforward.
“No one goes through life without disappointments and setbacks. You may have disappointments. You may have setbacks (but) you need to prepare yourself to deal with adversity. Whatever comes your way, remember if that happens, reset your goals, have a plan, and take chances,” he said.
