2008 Woodie Awards
Speaker calls commencement a milestone in students' lives
Sarah Sole, News Editor
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
More Youngstown State University students attend their commencement ceremonies than students at the University of Akron and Kent State University, according to a survey regarding commencement attendance in Ohio's state universities.
Between 65 and 67 percent of YSU students usually attend their commencement ceremonies, said Pam Palumbo, director of events management.
During fall 2006 commencement, 60 percent of Akron students attended their commencement ceremony. Similarly, 59.5 percent of students attended fall 2006 commencement at Kent.
There are 624 potential graduates for this semester's commencement, Palumbo said.
Chad Miller, who serves on Student Government Association's executive committee, will be the student speaker for the event, she said.
This year's commencement speaker will be Chad Wick, who is chair of the Ohio College Access Network and president and CEO of Knowledge Works.
Though the speech will be relevant to the students' lives, Wick plans on keeping his comments brief.
"It's not gonna be a State of the Union or some philosophical speech," he said.
Rituals such as commencement are important to respect, Wick said, adding that they provide opportunities to spend time with the special people in one's life.
Wick said that he also respects faculty attendance, since professors get to watch a milestone in the lives of the kids they guided.
"This is one of the major rituals of life," he said.
Wick's own commencement was marked by his realization that he now had to depend on himself, rather than on others.
Current graduates have many opportunities that did not exist when he graduated from college, Wick said.
There is now much more of a distinction between college grads and those that did not attend college, Wick said.
Between 65 and 67 percent of YSU students usually attend their commencement ceremonies, said Pam Palumbo, director of events management.
During fall 2006 commencement, 60 percent of Akron students attended their commencement ceremony. Similarly, 59.5 percent of students attended fall 2006 commencement at Kent.
There are 624 potential graduates for this semester's commencement, Palumbo said.
Chad Miller, who serves on Student Government Association's executive committee, will be the student speaker for the event, she said.
This year's commencement speaker will be Chad Wick, who is chair of the Ohio College Access Network and president and CEO of Knowledge Works.
Though the speech will be relevant to the students' lives, Wick plans on keeping his comments brief.
"It's not gonna be a State of the Union or some philosophical speech," he said.
Rituals such as commencement are important to respect, Wick said, adding that they provide opportunities to spend time with the special people in one's life.
Wick said that he also respects faculty attendance, since professors get to watch a milestone in the lives of the kids they guided.
"This is one of the major rituals of life," he said.
Wick's own commencement was marked by his realization that he now had to depend on himself, rather than on others.
Current graduates have many opportunities that did not exist when he graduated from college, Wick said.
There is now much more of a distinction between college grads and those that did not attend college, Wick said.
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