Applause and organ pipes sounded off yesterday evening in McFarlin Auditorium as faculty, staff and family showed their support for this year’s honor students and award recipients.

Ross C. Murfin, provost and vice president for academic affairs, gave the convocation address for the 8th Annual Honors Day Convocation ceremony. In his address, Murfin reminisced of his college days at Princeton University comparing the mentality of most students his age to those today. He expressed some concern and worry that students today think too much alike and do not value humanitarians as an important part of an education.

“I don’t see enough people willing to waffle off the straight and narrow path,” Murfin said, then encouraging students to explore their education from time to time.

“Remember what your best teachers taught you,” Murfin said, adding that his best teachers taught him to be a “full human being.”

Following his speech, he inducted more than 100 students into six different honor societies and presented departmental and school awards to recipients. Hyer Society, named after the first SMU president, honored 31 students. Phi Beta Kappa, a society that inducts seniors in the top 10 percent of their class and juniors in the top one percent of their class, honored 57 students in total. Kappa Tau Alpha, a communications and arts honor society, honored19 students. Pi Kappa Lambda, a music and academic honor society, honored seven students. Beta Gamma Sigma, the highest business recognition for students, honored juniors in the top 7 percent of their class and seniors in the top 10 percent of their class, 44 in total. Tau Beta Phi, the distinguished scholarship recognition in engineering, honored 11 students.

Murfin, who arrived at SMU in 1996, created the Honors Day Convocation ceremony in 1998.