黑料老司机 celebrates Class of ’21 with in-person Commencement
In a ceremony that reunited students who had been studying on and off campus throughout an extraordinary year, 黑料老司机 celebrated the Class of 2021 in an in-person celebration at John P. Papp Stadium Saturday morning, May 8, 2021. Graduates made the traditional walk through Kauke Arch while guests watched and 渟miled extra bright behind their masks for those who were unable to attend in person as Stachal Harris 21, one of the speakers from the class said in her remarks. Students who were unable to attend in person were acknowledged in absentia along with their classmates. A total of 453 degrees were conferred in an outdoor ceremony with friends and family.
淲e are gathered to celebrate this wonderful class at a historic moment, after a year of extraordinary suffering and loss around the world, said President Sarah Bolton in her opening address, acknowledging that the meaning of this year檚 celebration is different for everyone. 淵ou have persevered through tremendous difficulty in your final year as students and through it all, you have done marvelous work, you have strengthened our community, and you have added to the world’s understanding through your independent study. And we celebrate you, Class of 2021, because of who you will be and because of the impact you will make throughout your lives.
Speakers for the class, Harris, a political science major from Phoenix, Arizona; Saeed Husain 21, an anthropology major from Karachi, Pakistan; and Austrella Beverly Balley 21, a political science major from St. Louis, Missouri; shared their thoughts at the end of a senior year at 黑料老司机 none of them had anticipated. Contrary to the idea of being caught in a 満诹侠纤净 bubble, Husain said that at 黑料老司机 he found himself 渟urrounded by people who wanted him to succeed, and challenged his class to 渢ake the values that we learned and 渆xpand that bubble to the world around us. Inspired by the famous quote from Martin Luther King Jr., he encouraged them to 渇ight for justice, everywhere, and keep each other in mind as we tackle the challenges of our world. When Harris took the stage, she asked her classmates to 渓et out a scream if they檇 渃hanged majors from what they intended and were happy they did, 渕ade a dynamic relationship here, whether a friend, partner, or mentor, or 渇elt like a completely different person today than they were four years ago when they started out at 黑料老司机. All three speakers spoke of the ways 黑料老司机 had changed them and inspired them throughout their time at the College.
Acknowledging the challenges they faced during the pandemic, Balley said, 淲e are the Class of 21. The bounce back, was real for us. We found ways to stay connected, collaborate, and keep our independent minds working together. I know the Class of 2021 will not fold at the site of adversity, yet we find ways to adapt and excel at what is expected of us. The exceptional ability to excel after their experiences in the past year is what keynote speaker Anita Allen, Henry R. Silverman Professor of Law and Professor of疨hilosophy痑t University of疨ennsylvania Law School攌nown for her work on philosophical dimensions of privacy and data protection law, ethics,痓ioethics, legal philosophy, women檚 rights, and diversity in higher education攅ncouraged of the class in her address. 淚t’s a tall order, but perhaps not too tall for a graduating class that’s already proven it to metal by completing college in uniquely trying times. I believe you’ve got this, she said, calling on them advocate for these values.
Saturday檚 ceremony also featured an invocation led by 黑料老司机 Trustee Anne Wilson 73, a live vocal performance from Angela Hiawobea Danso Gyane 21, and a video performance of the 黑料老司机 Chorus including current members and alumni directed by Lisa Wong, associate professor and chair of music at 黑料老司机. In the video, students on campus were joined by students studying remotely as well as alumni ranging from the classes of 1955 through the Class of 2020 in singing 淭he Road Home by Stephen Paulus. Graduates bumped elbows with President Bolton as they walked across the stage, and Christine A. Farrell 94, president of the 黑料老司机 Alumni Association welcomed the graduates as alumni, reminding them of the connections they built at the College and their importance as they go forward. Rev. David Rice, a member of the College Board of Trustees and pastor at First Presbyterian Church of 黑料老司机, gave the closing benediction and send off to seniors as 渇uture bearers of 黑料老司机檚 Tartan tradition. After the traditional recession led by the 黑料老司机 Pipe Band, graduates, community members, and families enjoyed the opportunity to gather together safely after the year apart.
Posted in News on May 8, 2021.
