BEN JACOBSON
stays a Panther >>page 3
NorthernIowan
2011 The University of Northern Iowa’s student-produced newspaper since 1892
June 10, 2011
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Volume 107, Issue 55
FRIDAY
Cedar Falls, Iowa
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northern-iowan.org
Celebrating the Class of
ADAM PINCKNEY/Northern Iowan
Approximately 1,700 students took part in the spring 2011 commencement ceremony May 7 in the UNI-Dome.
By KARI BRAUMANN Editorial Staff
The UNI-Dome buzzed with the whispers of thousands of attendees as the University of Northern Iowa held its spring 2011 commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 7. Seats on either side of the Dome floor were packed with relatives, friends and onlookers. Originally, UNI was to have three smaller commencement ceremonies this spring. Instead, approximately 1,700 students graduated in a single ceremony so all would have the chance
to hear this year’s commencement speaker, First Lady Michelle Obama. After a welcome from UNI President Ben Allen and David Miles, president of the Iowa Board of Regents, Executive Vice President and Provost Gloria Gibson announced the presentation of the Lux Service Awards. “Each year, the Dean of Students, sponsored by the UNI Alumni Association, presents the Lux Service Award to those undergraduate students who have made a significant difference at the university and who leave a lasting legacy,” Gibson
explained. Each of the three recipients – Darion Watson, an organizational communication major; Jake Rudy, a political science and sociology major; and Adam Haselhun, a political science and political communication major – seemed overcome as President Allen and the first lady presented their awards. Next came the student address, which was delivered by Katie Berge, a double major in biology and the study of religion. Berge reminisced about her grandfather, who always told her, “Remember who
you are.” She highlighted some of her fond memories at UNI, including the fact that “no matter what time of day it is, there is always, always, always somebody vacuuming in the Union.” Berge also urged her fellow graduates to take part in community and government activities wherever they went throughout life. “Remember that you have a say. Remember that you are all Iowans, native or adopted,” she said. Mentioning the nation’s economic problems and other issues facing the United States, Berge assert-
ed that the solutions to these problems “should not and cannot continue to come at the expense of education.” She expressed a hope that this year’s graduates would not forget the effect budget cuts may have had on their education. “As we graduate, if there is one issue that is dear to us and worth our efforts, it is surely the protection of education,” Berge said, drawing applause from the audience. She concluded her speech by encouraging the graduates to always remember their status as Iowans and UNI See COMMENCEMENT, page 4