The Graduate Who Moved 'The Brick'

From left, President James Gaertner, Vice President Thelma Douglass, graduate Carrie McDowell, commencement speaker Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, Vice President David Payne, and 'the brick.'

Graduates at Sam Houston State University's 2003 Summer Commencement exercises Saturday may not remember what their speaker said, but many will remember "the brick" that she placed on the podium.

Graduate Carrie McDowell certainly will, and has a souvenir to go along with her new bachelor of science degree in multimedia authoring and communication.

Rep. Lois Kolkhorst and 'The Brick'

State Representative Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) told the graduates that they should be doers. She illustrated her point by placing a brick, later to become known as "the brick," atop the Johnson Coliseum podium, explaining that someone would have to take the initiative to remove it.

"It takes someone behind every action," Kolkhorst said. "Be a doer. Don't go through life saying 'Someone else will do it.'"

Kolkhorst gave her speech and used "the brick" during both the morning and afternoon ceremonies. During the afternoon ceremony, after "the brick" had been removed from the podium and while the graduates were being recognized as they walked across the stage, McDowell became a doer.

"During the speech I decided 'I'm going to get it,'" McDowell said. "The guy beside me dared me to do it."

As she walked across the stage, receiving congratulations from President James Gaertner, and a gold cord for graduating summa cum laude (3.86 to 4.00 grade point average), McDowell plotted her strategy and planned her getaway.

She found "the brick" and made a quick snatch.

"Where's 'the brick'?" the guy who dared her asked as they walked back to their seats.

"Right here in my robe," she said.

After the ceremony, she hunted down the university officials and the speaker, got their blessing to keep "the brick," and their autographs.

President Gaertner told her he thought it was a great idea--an interesting sidelight to the summer commencement ceremony. Kolkhorst told her she was glad McDowell hadn't been in the morning ceremony, or she would have had to find another prop for the afternoon.

McDowell is from Humble, and has already begun work in the LBJ Student Center at Southwest Texas State University--soon to become Texas State University-San Marcos, where she begins study for a master's degree this fall.

"It was cool," McDowell said of the ceremony and her heist. She plans to save "the brick" for when she has her own home, she said, and will put it in "a special spot."

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SHSU Media Contact: Frank Krystyniak
Aug. 12, 2003
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