Graduation speakers announced
By: Josh Kurtz
Issue date: 6/1/07 Section: News
Originally published: 6/1/07 at 1:42 AM EST
Last update: 6/1/07 at 1:42 AM EST
Originally published: 6/1/07 at 1:42 AM EST
Last update: 6/1/07 at 1:42 AM EST
Director explained that he has experienced commencements at other universities where the "reaction before commencement and the reaction after the ceremony were two completely different things." This will be Director's second commencement at Drexel.
"Some commencement speakers are stronger than others. You get a spectrum just like with anything else," said Director. "You don't know what they're going to say until they say it. You don't know how it's going to be delivered until they deliver it… It's not always the case that the person you think is going to give the best talk is the person that ends up giving the best talk."
Director has been pleased with the graduation speakers he has heard at Drexel.
"Last year I was impressed, and I assume I will be this year," he said.
In previous years, Drexel tried holding one commencement ceremony for all graduates, explained Dr. David Ruth, Dean of Students and Chair of the approximately 40-person committee that organizes commencement. The committee is made up of administrators and officials from throughout the University.
Drexel held one graduation at the Civic Center, which Ruth described as being "kind of chaotic." Drexel also had one ceremony at the Wachovia Spectrum, which was then called the Core States Spectrum.
Director said that at Michigan, where he worked before coming to Drexel, there was one major ceremony in the football stadium. Michigan also had separate ceremonies for their different colleges.
"It was very impersonal," said Director. Drexel's commencement "is a much more personal kind of thing. Every student can be called up by name and be recognized."
Director said that as Drexel's student body grows, the ceremony might be moved out of the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
The addition of the College of Nursing and the School of Public Health to this year's ceremonies further enlarges the size of the ceremonies. These two colleges had previously been on the semester system and had a separate graduation. They are now running on the quarter system, said Director.
"Some commencement speakers are stronger than others. You get a spectrum just like with anything else," said Director. "You don't know what they're going to say until they say it. You don't know how it's going to be delivered until they deliver it… It's not always the case that the person you think is going to give the best talk is the person that ends up giving the best talk."
Director has been pleased with the graduation speakers he has heard at Drexel.
"Last year I was impressed, and I assume I will be this year," he said.
In previous years, Drexel tried holding one commencement ceremony for all graduates, explained Dr. David Ruth, Dean of Students and Chair of the approximately 40-person committee that organizes commencement. The committee is made up of administrators and officials from throughout the University.
Drexel held one graduation at the Civic Center, which Ruth described as being "kind of chaotic." Drexel also had one ceremony at the Wachovia Spectrum, which was then called the Core States Spectrum.
Director said that at Michigan, where he worked before coming to Drexel, there was one major ceremony in the football stadium. Michigan also had separate ceremonies for their different colleges.
"It was very impersonal," said Director. Drexel's commencement "is a much more personal kind of thing. Every student can be called up by name and be recognized."
Director said that as Drexel's student body grows, the ceremony might be moved out of the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
The addition of the College of Nursing and the School of Public Health to this year's ceremonies further enlarges the size of the ceremonies. These two colleges had previously been on the semester system and had a separate graduation. They are now running on the quarter system, said Director.
