2,000 getting ready for spring
Nearly 2,000 graduate candidates will reach the pinnacle of their education next weekend by moving their caps’ tassels to the other side and then moving into the real world.
USU’s 117th undergraduate commencement ceremony will be held Saturday, May 5, at 9:30 a.m. in the Spectrum. Individual college ceremonies are scheduled throughout the day in various locations on campus. Candidates should gather on the Quad at 8:30 a.m. to prepare for the procession to the Spectrum.
The graduate student commencement ceremony is Friday, May 4, in the Spectrum at 1:30 p.m. Candidates will assemble at 12:30 p.m. in the Nelson Fieldhouse. The academic procession begins at 1 p.m.
This year’s commencement speaker, The Very Reverend Frederick Quinney Lawson, is a community, religious and philanthropic leader in both Utah and the nation. He is an ordained priest in the Anglican Communion and has made significant contributions to his faith in Utah and abroad.
He and his family have played a significant role in the success of state arts and education programs. He continues to support the community by serving with some of the state’s leading cultural institutions, including Ballet West, Utah Symphony, Utah Opera and the Utah Arts Festival.
Lawson will be speaking on the importance of stewardship in people’s lives.
“It isn’t every day that I get to address the graduates,” he said. “I really hope they try to enjoy the day and remember it. What a happy occasion.”
Jared Bench, valedictorian for the College of Engineering, was selected by a committee of other valedictorians to be the student speaker.
“(The valedictorians) are all brilliant,” said Tim Vitale, assistant director of university public relations and marketing. “They all could have done a good job.”
Commencement ceremonies at USU have not consistently had a student speaker until three years ago when the late university President Kermit Hall revived the tradition. Vitale said President Stan Albrecht thinks the student speaker is the heart and soul of the event.
Tickets are not required but seating is on a first come, first serve basis. Doors to the Spectrum will be open to the public at noon Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.
Parking is free in lots adjacent to the Spectrum after 12:30 p.m. for Friday’s ceremony and free throughout campus all day Saturday. University Parking and Transportation Services recommend students use the designated drop-off areas before the event.
More than 1,700 students will receive bachelor’s degrees Saturday. Approximately 331 master’s degrees and 31 doctorate degrees will be awarded at Friday’s ceremony.
A picnic lunch will be held on the HPER field just south of the Spectrum from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 5. Tickets are available at the USU Ticket Office for $7.
-jfullmer@cc.usu.edu