Spring Break
U. graduates largest class in school history
By: Craig Eisenberger
Issue date: 6/25/04 Section: News
Originally published: 6/24/04 at 11:39 PM EST
Last update: 6/25/04 at 3:51 PM EST
Originally published: 6/24/04 at 11:39 PM EST
Last update: 6/25/04 at 3:51 PM EST
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"It's a wonderful event for students and families to celebrate several years of hard work, accomplishment and sacrifice," Associate Dean of the College of Media Arts and Design David Raizman said. "It's both an end and a beginning."
Commencement ceremonies were divided into four parts, with ceremonies starting at 8:30 a.m. and lasting into the evening.
This allows each student to be recognized on stage, Raizman said.
"We were very pleased with the commencement exercise this year," Dean of the LeBow College of Business George Tsetsekos said. "Parents and students were satisfied with the speakers and the reception."
Speakers and honorary degree recipients included artists, entrepreneurs, scientists and humanitarians. Victoria Principal, an entrepreneur and television star, and Joseph Jacovini, chairman of the Drexel University Board of Trustees, spoke to the LeBow College of Business.
Richard Goodwin spoke to his namesake college, the Goodwin College of Professional Studies, as well as the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education, along with Lynn Fritz, director of the Fritz Institute, which works closely with humanitarian organizations.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning pianist Peter Nero was the speaker for the College of Engineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health systems.
"What a person gets from an event is dependent on the person presenting as well as the person receiving," Dean of the College of Engineering Selçuk Güçeri said. "There [are] always ways to learn things from the event."
Güçeri added that it is unusual having an artist present.
Suzanne Roberts, an Emmy Award winner, and Eugene Garfield, an information science pioneer, spoke to the College of Media Arts and Design and the College of Information Science and Technology.
"Both of our speakers talked about their own careers, their goals and how their education and initiative led to recognition and achievement in their fields of endeavor," Raizman said. "They congratulated the graduates on their achievement and encouraged them to find fulfillment as they embark upon careers in their chosen fields or wherever their interests and initiative leads them."
"Their achievements were in fields appropriate to our majors and their remarks seem to have been very well received," Raizman added.
"I think Dr. Garfield's theme of being dedicated to your own innovative ideas despite nay-sayers was an important message for the graduates to hear," Dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology David Fenske said. "Some criticism may be valid and should be heeded, but you always have to believe in yourself. Dr. Garfield had that essential confidence and changed the process of scholarly and scientific research."
Tsetsekos explained that the selection of speakers is a collaborative effort between the college and the Office of the President.
Fenske supported this, saying that "the president's office makes the ultimate selection of speakers and honorary degree recipients, but it does so after a process of soliciting suggestions from various segments of the University. IST lobbied enthusiastically for Dr. Garfield's selection for at least two years. We are grateful that our recommendation was accepted."
Tsetsekos added that he expects to present the president and the provost proposed speakers by January 2005. "I am thinking about prominent CEOs of major corporations."
Fenske doesn't have any specific names in mind yet.
"Considering the difficult times in which we live, perhaps a near-future speaker should be a public figure who is deeply concerned with issues of privacy and the protection of personal information, or someone who has built their reputation on the belief open access to information is essential to the welfare of our nation and its institutions."
Güçeri also reported that the biggest complaint he received was directly and indirectly related to the number of tickets.
The Triangle reported June 4 that the number of tickets available for commencement was reduced. Raizman and Fenske said that they didn't receive complaints; Tsetsekos, however, said that students voiced some to him.
"Originally we had received complaints from students who wanted additional tickets; but with the help of Mr. Caneris' office, we were able to accommodate all requests," Tsetsekos said. "Satellite facilities were not used."
Fenske offered some praise for his graduating students.
"I also would like to commend the graduates for the dignity and decorum they demonstrated. Commencement is a gleefully happy time in anyone's life, of course, but it is important to restrain one's exuberance in consideration of others, and I thought the Class of 2004 behaved very maturely in that regard."
