The Rustorian

Issue date: 11/30/09 Section: News

Keynote speaker Rev. James W. Hare, '01, middle, with Mass Comm faculty and staff. L-R: Bobby Johnson, Wayne Fiddis, Hortensia Dean, Sharron Goodman-Hill, Dr. Sylvester Oliver, Humanities division chair, and Dr. Debayo Moyo, Mass Comm. dept. chair.

Randy Paige,'86, president, Paige5Productions, shares media business insight with current students during the 6th Mass Comm Week.

Jabari Oliver,'05, of MemphisRap.Com/HipHopRx.Com, narrates to students what drives his success in the digital media business endeavor.

In light that he began his college education late in life, a freshman at 57, Rev. James W. Hare, never lost focus on what brought him to Rust College in fall 1997.

The United Methodist Church minister now in charge of UMC Enterprise circuit was back on campus, Oct. 29, as the assembly keynote speaker for the 6th annual Mass Communications Week.

Hare, a 2001 broadcast journalism graduate, encouraged the student audience to strive for excellence. He said if he made it through college, so can everybody else, the students. Hare titled his presentation "Trust the Shepherd," and he used biblical references to drive home his message.

He raised interesting questions to the students, such as, "What are you doing to graduate?" and "What are you going to do after graduation?" He emphasized it is not where they are from or what they don't have that matter, after all, he was also "just a little country boy", but what counts is where they are going after they graduate.

Hare spoke with excitement and inspiration as he explained his journey through college at such a late age in life. He expressed his thoughts with conviction. "Feeling good about what you are doing, setting goals and keeping God first," is what Hare believes will help the students become successful.

He showed his preacher side in a captivating way by giving students the secret formula for success. He counseled the road to success is not going to be easy but if they stay determined, they will make it despite detours.

Hare said the students are going to have obstacles such as, "speed bumps called friends, red lights called enemies, caution lights called families, and flat tires called jobs."

However, in spite of the obstacles, he said one should not stop there because, "you have a spare called determination, an engine called perseverance, insurance called faith, and with a driver named Jesus, you can make it to a place called success."

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