Grads, university set for 88th Commencement

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Nancy Owens, a candidate for three degrees at this week's Commencement, found inspiration and guidance from her adviser, Juan Felipe Herrera, and his teatro class.

by Tom Uribes

When Marie Logan received her bachelor's degree 25 years ago, she walked through commencement five months pregnant with her second child, Jennifer.

Now, after raising her family and returning to school in 1995, Marie will receive a master's at Fresno State's 88th Commencement this Saturday in Bulldog Stadium, and Jennifer will again be there - this time at her side, graduating with two master's degrees.

Marie's degree is in special education with an emphasis on the severely handicapped. Jennifer Logan-Sotelo, who teaches part-time in the Music Department, will be awarded degrees in piano performance and music composition.

This unique mother-daughter team's tale is just one of the many intriguing stories unfolding this week.

And while the students take the spotlight, many faculty and staff are working long hours behind the scenes to ensure a memorable week for thousands of families.

Jennifer and Marie are among 3,861 Fresno State students who will be awarded degrees.

Of that total, five students will receive doctoral hoods and 712 will receive master's hoods at the Hooding Ceremony set for Friday evening.

The Class of '99 is about 500 smaller than last year's class, said Gary Nelson, student leadership and activities adviser, who chairs the university's commencement planning committee for the Division of Student Affairs.

The committee consists of about 25 representatives from various offices who arrange details for the annual event that draws about 20,000 to Bulldog Stadium. Another 40 Student Affairs personnel will serve as marshals that day.

But it takes many more than 65 to make the occasion a success - closer to 250, Nelson said. "University staff and faculty step up big time to present the best possible commencement ceremony for our students and their families," Nelson said.

Offices such as Plant Operations, Athletics, Procurement, the Health Center, University Relations, and the Police Department provide support for several days of events

In addition to the Friday evening Hooding Ceremony for graduate degree recipients, cele-brations include the African American program on Friday evening, and the Chicano Commencement Celebration Saturday evening.

Consuelo Sterling Meux, a business administration professor at Fresno Pacific University and Fresno State alumnus, will be the keynote speaker at the African American event.

Dr. Antonio R. Flores, president of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), will be the keynote speaker at the Chicano celebration.

Nelson noted that this year the Western Athletic Conference baseball tournament is being held May 19-22 in Beiden Field, which may affect Friday night and Saturday night activities in the stadium but should not affect the Saturday morning general commencement.

Most schools, and several departments, will hold their annual convo-cations on Friday, while the Fresno State/COS Center Celebration is this Wednesday in Visalia.

A new event this year was the Reentry Graduation Program, held May 15, when 191 students participated. Three graduates are over 60, said Angie Cisneros, director.

One of those, Nancy Owens, is a 61-year-old mother of seven, grandmother of 24, and great-grandmother of 20. She has completed three bachelor's degrees in different majors: graphic design, Chicano/Latino studies, and liberal studies.

Owens returned to school in 1993, earning an associate of arts in liberal arts at Fresno City College before transferring here in 1996.

Chicano Studies professor Juan Felipe Herrera, a poet, author and director of a teatro class, was her adviser.

"She literally gave 1,000 percent, like when she baked goods and sold them in the Joyal and Thomas Buildings earlier this semester to raise funds for the teatro's tours," Herrera said.

When Owens' husband became ill with Parkinson's disease a few years ago, he refused to let her quit school. He died last October. After 47 years of marriage, the loss of her most avid supporter was difficult, she said. But Owens credits staff at Reentry with helping her through tough times.

"My husband [said] that if I quit school, he would come back and haunt me . . . but if I succeeded, he would be the angel on my shoulder at gradation," Owens said. "I am going to wear an angel pin on my shoulder when I walk through graduation."