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Bethel Graduates 340 In Fall Commencement

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McKENZIE (December 7) — Bethel University awarded 340 persons with an associate, bachelors, or master’s degrees during the Saturday, December 7 ceremonies inside the Crisp Arena on the home campus in McKenzie.
John Everett Williams, a judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, was the commencement speaker.
Williams and Bethel President Walter Butler are lifelong friends and classmates at Huntingdon High School. Both reside in Huntingdon.
Williams said he was giving the shortest commencement speech, to which he drew great applause. He said family and friends were gathered to honor those graduating. None drove even two blocks to hear him speak, he joked. He said he could not love the graduates more than the people who came to see them, and he could not educate them anymore. He said he would be remembered as an old judge who looks like Colonel Sanders.

He directed the graduates to look to their left, their right and their front, touch the person there, and say three things: “We made it, congratulations, and good luck.
President Butler said graduations are “What it is all about.” The ceremony was part of a great week in which Renaissance had sell-out performances, students enjoyed pancakes with the president, and students took final exams. “It has been a great week.”
Local graduates include: McKenzie: Payton Strawser, Chantell Lawson, Tristan Wood, Hannah Mills, Terry Lee, London Martin, Natalie Marvel, Michael Carter, Christian Nunnery, Anna Johnsonius, and Ty Winkler from the College of Arts and Sciences.
From the College of Professional Studies were: McKenzie - Matthew Foster, Timothy Stone, Latoya Cavette, David Fitzgerald, and Luis Espinoza; Atwood - Stacey Lewis, Timothy Lewis; Gleason: Denise Sanders; Hollow Rock – Billy Joe Sauls; Huntingdon – Brenda Jamison and Jacqueline Allen; Lavinia – Michael Sullivan.

Bethel, BU, Graduation, Commencement, Fall, 2019