DONE with all the classes, tests and papers. FINISHED with all the extracurricular activities and "non-curricular activities." Now it's time to walk across that stage and receive that long-awaited diploma. WAIT. This is not exactly true for me or the other estimated 250 students here at Longwood who are graduating in December. For us it's time to start the real world and wait six more months for commencement. True, we still receive our diplomas before May 2009, but if there is one thing I have learned during my time here it's that college is not just about receiving a piece of paper. It's also about the friends and memories. Undoubtedly one of the best memories any college graduate has is his or her final day as a college student ending with a commencement ceremony. So how do December grads feel about coming back on May 9, 2009 so they can participate in this memorable moment?
December graduate Sara Kupferer said, "I told the school I would come back for commencement in May just in case, but because I don't know what I'm going to be doing six months from now. It's kind of hard to say whether or not I really will. I also think coming back for it will be weird because these are the people who are like juniors to me, and the majority of my close friends have already graduated. Also, a December commencement would mean a lot more because I'm so involved in school right now. Longwood does a good thing with the organizational lanyards, but if I can't come back they are sort of a waste. If I do come back, I will have been away from all those organizations for a long time."
Many students who are graduating this month may already have jobs lined up and the beginning part of their future planned out. Coming back to school after already taking the first step beyond college might seem like a step backward for some. In many cases however, parents (mine included) are the main motivators in returning for that weekend in May. Emily Mackowiak is set to graduate in December and plans to come back for May commencement: "I think my parents would fly me to Farmville from wherever I am to watch me walk across the stage, even though my diploma will have come in the mail way earlier than that. They want pictures."
Another reason that future graduates look forward to the end of their time at Longwood is Senior Week. This is the week after spring semester exams where seniors can take part in various activities such as bowling night, bar crawl, and wine and cheese with Dr. Cormier, culminating on Saturday when commencement is held. Many December graduates took part in these activities last semester, but if they didn't they have little to look forward to in the last weeks of this semester. Wine and cheese with Dr. Cormier is being held Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m. in D-Hall, but this is during the final crunch of classes and even conflicts with some students' schedules. Mackowiak said, "They do an entire week in May, and we get one night when classes are still going on. I have class until 6:45 on Wednesday, so I will get nothing until May. I think they should do a little something more to recognize you."
Now for some math. I'm a communications major, so bear with me. Alecia Knox is the interim registrar and she thinks, "Longwood might one day look at adopting a December commencement if the one in May gets too big, but that is just my own opinion." According to Knox, about 997 students will be eligible to walk in May depending on grades and other circumstances. The breakdown of students is as follows: 66 students graduated in August '08, 258 will be finished in December '08 and 673 graduates will be finished in May '09. Clearly the majority of students come from a class finishing their studies in May; however, if you add the summer and fall graduates together, it comes to 324 students, or about one-third of the total number of students set to graduate. I think it is safe to say that a ceremony for these students would be well worth the time, money and effort to allow them to walk across the stage in the same year they finished school at least. The ceremony would have to take place indoors, but Jarman Hall would be a fine choice for a location. Schools like James Madison University and Radford have December graduation ceremonies and are bigger than us, but most likely graduate a similar number of students proportionally speaking.
Not every December grad is disappointed with not having a winter commencement, however. Marina Wichterman said, "I understand that we are a small university, so I can see why they don't want to have a ceremony in December. Also, it is a tradition to graduate on Wheeler Mall, and I think it would feel weird to graduate from Longwood anywhere else on campus."
Either way you look at it, graduating from college is a life-changing event and even if December graduates at Longwood have somewhat of a delayed ending, it still will end on a happy note and the one they set out to achieve four (and-a-half) years prior.
Finally, as a December graduate myself, this will be my last column for The Rotunda. I have very much enjoyed relaying the various stories and opinions to you all and I want to thank those of you who read what I had to say. I also want to wish everyone good luck with the upcoming semester and I look forward to seeing some of you in May when I come back for commencement. Yea, I'll be back. My mom wants pictures.
Wes Organek, Features/Opinion Editor
