GRADUATION EDITION
MSU SENIORS COMBAT WORRIES OVER JOB PLACEMENT, ECONOMY AS GRADUATION NEARS
By Ria Gupta rgupta@statenews.com
The end of the semester marks the biannual practice of LinkedIn profiles being updated. Headshots become graduation photos, bios are changed to “MSU Alum,” and posts starting with “I’m happy to announce” begin to flood feeds.
Yet, for some in the spring graduating class of 2025, figuring out what comes after acquiring their bachelor’s degree hasn’t been easy, nor something that can be summed up in a LinkedIn post.
During her job search, mathematics senior
Trixie Southwood applied to nearly 50 job postings, but only heard back from one. It was the same experience for other graduating seniors she knew, Southwood said.
Before committing to American University for a master’s in data science in the fall, Southwood applied to both graduate programs and jobs as she prepared for post-graduate life.
Part of the reason for applying to a master’s program was because of her parents, who both have graduate degrees, but also because of “the state of the world.”
Initially, Southwood planned to go into research after graduating from MSU, but “with cuts to research funding, now all
those jobs are gone,” she said.
“I’m kind of buying myself more time by going to grad school, so that maybe in two years, the funding is better and I can go into something,” Southwood said.
However, at graduate school, Southwood is unsure if positions as a research assistant will be available due to funding cuts by the federal government, even with her past research experience interning with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science last summer.
Pursuing data science also gives Southwood the chance to go into finance or economics, but research remains the end goal.
It’s comforting to have something to look
forward to, Southwood said in reference to grad school.
Be that as it may, Southwood continues to stress over her lack of internship for the upcoming summer and fears that opportunities may still be limited after grad school.
Federal funding cuts have also caused worry for fisheries and wildlife senior Molli Thibodeau when it comes to job placement.
“It definitely seems like it’s going to be more difficult to find a job, and there’s not very many opportunities at all right now,” Thibodeau said.
Illustration by Riya Patchava.
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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR SPRING COMMENCEMENT
STATE NEWS GRADUATING CLASS!
By Demonte Thomas dthomas@statenews.com
MSU is preparing to celebrate its seniors at spring commencements from May 2-10 at the Breslin Center and Wharton Center for Performing Arts. From speakers to times of ceremonies, here’s everything you need to know before attending.
TIMES OF CEREMONIES
The ceremony for students receiving doctorate, master’s and Educational Specialist degrees will be held on Friday, May 2 at 9 a.m. The ceremony for graduating doctoral students will be held on that same Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Students receiving their bachelor’s degrees are invited to participate in spring convocation, in addition to their college-level degree commencement ceremony. The convocation ceremony will take place on Friday, May 2 at 12:30 p.m.
The ceremony for graduating undergraduate seniors in the following colleges will also be held on Friday, May 2:
• Veterinary Nursing at the Wharton Center at 12:30 p.m.
• Communication Arts and Sciences at the Breslin Center at 7 p.m.
The ceremony for graduating seniors in the following colleges will be held on Saturday, May 3:
• Social Science at the Breslin Center at 8:30 a.m.
• Nursing at the Wharton Center at 9 a.m.
• Natural Science at the Breslin Center at 12:30 p.m.
• James Madison at the Wharton Center at 12:30 p.m.
• Eli Broad College of Business at the Breslin Center at 4 p.m.
• College of Music at the Wharton Center at 4 p.m.
• Residential Arts and Humanities at the Wharton Center at 7 p.m.
• Agriculture and Natural Resources at the Breslin Center at 7:30 p.m.
The ceremony for graduating seniors in the following colleges will be held on Sunday, May 3:
• Arts and Letters at the Breslin Center at 8:30 a.m.
• Lyman Briggs at the Breslin Center at 11:30 a.m.
• Engineering at the Breslin Center at 2 p.m.
• Education at the Breslin Center at 5 p.m.
The ceremony for graduating medical seniors will be the following:
• May 1: Osteopathic Medicine at the Breslin Center at 5 p.m.
• May 2: Veterinary Medicine at the Wharton Center at 12:30 p.m.
• May 10: Human Medicine at the Breslin Center at 1 p.m.
SPEAKERS
Mat Ishbia, CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, philanthropist and owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, will address the bachelor’s degree convocation.
Deirdre O’Brien, senior vice president of retail and people at Apple Inc., who was named by Fortune magazine among the most powerful women in business, will speak to master’s degree recipients.
James Spaniolo, former dean of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, former president of the University of Texas at Arlington, newspaper executive and former editor-in-chief of The State News, will address doctoral graduates.
LIVESTREAM
All commencement ceremonies will be livestreamed on the homepage of MSU’s commencement website.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• No tickets are required.
• There are no limits on the number of guests per graduate at this time.
• Seating for guests is frst-come, frst-seated.
• Only small, transparent bags not exceeding 12” X 6” X 12” will be allowed into the buildings.
• Food and beverages are prohibited.
• There will be no charge for parking in any lot or ramp during commencement.
Sophia Plantz
Daniel Schoenherr Morgan Struss Clair Ulman
Elma Mehmedovic
Liz Nass Leah Natzic Shealyn Paulis PJ Pfeiffer
Kendra Gilchrist Jaden Hawkins Luke Joseph Shakyra Mabone Amalia Medina
Zachary Balcoff Campbell Berg Jania Clowers Claire Donohoe
Douglas Doty
Matthew Williams
Anna Barnes
An MSU alumnus high fives a professor during the fall 2024 commencement ceremony at the Breslin Center. Photo by Matthew Williams.
COLUMN: CONVERSATION ON THE ‘BEST FOUR YEARS OF YOUR LIFE’
By Liz Nass and Claire Donohoe
lnass@statenews.com cdonohoe@statenews.com
LIZ NASS: Hi, Claire.
CLAIRE DONOHOE: Hi, Liz.
LIZ: Sorry, I’m late. I’m pretty sure this writing session at Haraz is going to be one of the last State News things I’ll ever be late to.
CLAIRE: Well, yes. That’s because we’re graduating.
LIZ: Right, which is something you’ve been talking me off the ledge about for about seven months, actually. I keep saying, “Yeah, I think life ends after this. Like this is it, right?”
CLAIRE: Yeah, you do. Which is concerning because life certainly doesn’t end after you throw your cap in the air, but I can understand how it feels that way – considering the minute you enroll in university you’re told it “goes by so fast” and will be “the best four years of your life.”
LIZ: College happens at a unique place in our life, we’re not exactly young and not exactly grown up. It really does feel like life starts and ends right here.
CLAIRE: I feel like a single college year is actually three regular ones. The growth we experience is so quick and compressed, and the amount of time we spend here passes in the blink of an eye, sure, but it also feels unexplainably long sometimes. Freshman year was both last night and a decade ago. Not to mention, it’s really humbling in a lot of ways, it’s exciting, it’s emotional and it’s incredibly fun.
LIZ: Do you think that’s why our parents and every adult you ever talk to when you’re 17 is always preaching this monotonous, constant tiring concept of the “best four years of your life?” Is it because four years, or what feels like forty lifetimes, of being too dramatic and focused on our own young nihilistic tendencies sounds so attractive when compared to planning a yearly vacation around a 9-to-5?
CLAIRE: I think that could defnitely be a reason, but I hope it’s not universal. I don’t think the whole “best four” thing works. I think it could be the “best four” so far in our young lives, but I reject the idea that it “all goes downhill from here” – something else I feel like I’ve heard from a handful of adults. There’s something deeply special about this time, but I also hope I one day enjoy planning vacations, too.
LIZ: What is the purpose of berating us with this phrase, though?
CLAIRE: I think it’s a bit of a projection sometimes, or, less cynically, just nostalgia hitting the wrong way. I think the majority of people who offer this phrase aren’t mal-intended. They say it to excite wide-eyed 18 year olds who might have hated high school and are ready to leave home. I think they say it to demonstrate how much they loved that season of life, and to comfort whoever they’re speaking to. Or, sometimes, they might just miss it because their post-grad plans didn’t turn out how they wanted. What do you think?
LIZ: I think it’s a fear response, to be the more cynical person in our duo, like always. When you look back at the last time you got to stay up until 4 a.m. just to wake up the next day for a lecture you start to fear that when the word “teen” was at the end of your age was the last time you lived recklessly. No one expects much more of us, and in fact, encourage us to live it up because for some reason or another, that is completely unacceptable for a 32 year old. But the problem is that these kids get told that they’ll have inherit FOMO and the burning need to go out every night is the only way to really make college “count.” Or maybe that’s just me, I love an event.
CLAIRE: Right. And I don’t want to sound like I’m harping on people who say this phrase –I mean, it’s not necessarily their fault. We’re talking about it today because we want to explain
how the sentiment can be more damaging than productive. This phrase, especially with social media’s unfltered access to constant comparison, can cause a lot of anxiety for young people to have this “perfect” college experience – which doesn’t exist, by the way – and dampens the idea that people have the agency to forge their own path post-graduation, too.
LIZ: If it’s not their fault, whose fault is it then?
CLAIRE: I don’t know if there’s a single place to point the fnger, but I don’t blame people who love their college years so loudly. It’s one of the only times Americans are encouraged to live in close community with people of a similar age and rely on each other, engage with their interests in a rewarding way and forge their own paths without thinking too hard about capitalism and being a “productive” member of society all the time. I don’t blame the people saying this phrase, because why wouldn’t they say that? I just want to reframe how we view it.
LIZ: Right, because if we don’t reframe it, then you could be taking your senior pictures at Beaumont Tower, spraying champagne everywhere on the white dress you need to wear in two weeks, and be too focused on “What did I not do?” instead of “What did I do with the last four years? Who did I make connections with? What am I most proud of?” I think this
Illustrations by Jack Williams.
defation of second semester seniors comes from the aesthetic that is prescribed by “day in my life as a senior” social media posts.
CLAIRE: And there’s the whole concept of “proving” it, too, right? Proving this was the best four years of your life by adopting the worshipped aesthetics we see online every day. We have to remind ourselves that college is often not what it seems on our screens – that our peers struggle, too, that we’re all just posting our highlights.
LIZ: One reason it feels like the best four years of your life are staring at you as you hold your high school diploma is because you’re literally 17 years old. Before this, you were gross and going through puberty and being the worst human being before you learned to have morals. Since then, you deleted Life360 from your phone – sorry Mom – and are fguring out who you are outside of whatever high school nickname you had. It’ll feel like life is barreling down on graduation day when you’re 22 years old with no plans because it’ll have been the best four years of your life. Yet.
CLAIRE: Right. This is a classic “you only know what you know” situation – like most things when your frontal lobe is still developing. Life simply can’t end after we graduate. Life as we know it now will, but things can become the best in a
new way, I’d hope. One big thing I’ve learned in college is that many things can be true at once — and this is no different.
LIZ: The way I’ve been coping with it, other than going to Honky Tonk Tuesdays, is reading memoirs. No memoir ends after the college days. It’s usually one of the frst chapters, and it can be the jumping off point to their story, but if anything, it’s usually a mundane introduction for the rest of their lives.
CLAIRE: “Mundane introduction” is oddly comforting. I don’t want to diminish that college is a fantastic time, but I do want to hold close the idea that it can also get good afterwards. And maybe that’s just how I have to cope with the bittersweetness I feel about graduating in two weeks.
LIZ: I think that’s why I’m so passionate about this topic. Because I’ve had such an amazing time and I don’t want to leave East Lansing and it’s eating me alive that I won’t see you, or my roommates, or the newsroom. I like the routine chaos I’ve built here. But maybe I can build that somewhere else soon, too.
CLAIRE: Agreed. Well, everyone, look out for our memoirs in a few years. Certainly, this moment in Haraz will be in the early chapters.
“...I
don’t want to leave East Lansing and it’s eating me alive that I won’t see you, or my roommates, or the newsroom. I like the routine chaos I’ve built here. But maybe I can build that somewhere else soon, too.”
LIZ: This is also a huge prank. We’re never graduating. They can’t make us.
CLAIRE: Right.
LIZ: Another coffee, Claire?
CLAIRE:
FROM COVER:
FINANCIAL WORRIES POST-GRAD
Currently, Thibodeau has been focused on fnding seasonal opportunities while their lease fnishes up over the summer. Regardless of duration, Thibodeau has struggled with getting responses from future employers.
The situation has made Thibodeau nervous as they deal with paying bills and losing “the structure of school,” the senior said.
Graphic design senior Sophie Elrick reassures herself with the thought that she isn’t the only senior going through a similar struggle.
“I think it’s just part of adulthood,” Elrick said. “You have to fnd your footing frst.”
Elrick transferred to MSU in 2020 with a goal: to become a tattoo artist. Five years later, the goal has remained unchanged. After completing a social media and graphic design internship with Wing & Weft Gloves over the summer, Elrick plans to pursue an apprenticeship with a tattoo artist in Ferndale.
It hasn’t always been easy, though. At various points in college, Elrick was confronted with the issue of money and pursuing a corporate design job instead of her passion.
“Everyone talks about the money, and then you’re like, should I be doing something that’s
EDITORIAL: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS DESERVE CERTAINTY
gonna get me more money?” Elrick said.
Elrick stopped entertaining the idea once she imagined herself in a cubicle.
“I have this fear of selling my soul to corporate,” Elrick said.
Elrick also said that conversations around the economy have been “more discouraging than encouraging.”
“I fnd it frustrating when people go into it (saying) the economy’s bad,” Elrick explained. “I feel like when people put their negative opinion into the world, it makes it more stressful going forward. I wish more people would emphasize
International students come to the United States with hope. They come for opportunity, for education and for a future. What they do not come for is fear.
And yet, an unprecedented fear is the reality many international students across the country are faced with. Not due to any of their own actions, but because the rules around them are changing — quietly, unevenly and without explanation.
International students deserve certainty.
Instead, they are receiving warning emails from university offces, providing a ‘Special Weekly Message’ about the potential visa revocations or what protests to avoid. They are being told, implicitly and explicitly, that they are different — that speaking up, participating in political discourse or simply being visible could make them a target. Now, in some cases, they are losing their visas without warning or due process.
The Trump administration has already revoked the visas of at least 12 international students at Michigan State University. The reasons as to why remain unclear.
the positive parts like, ‘Oh, you’re starting stuff,’ instead of, ‘It’s going to be hard to fnd a job.’”
Thinking positively has also helped Southwood with managing post-grad worries, as well as listening to those around her. Southwood no longer felt pressure to fgure things out immediately once she realized that the adults around her also didn’t have a plan.
“You just gotta take the opportunities that you can get,” Southwood said. “At this point, that’s what I try to do, pick the best opportunity that is presented to you.”
“I’m just trying to take things as they come.”
to act with principle. They don’t need to surrender to the actions of a presidential administration at the expense of students. MSU set a precedent of support and advocacy that it now must uphold. Students need clear answers to urgent questions.
What protections exist for students whose visas are revoked mid-semester? Can they continue their education remotely? What guidelines are in place for lawful protest and student expression? Who is being targeted — and why?
These are not theoretical questions. Students are being forced to pack bags overnight. Faculty are left without guidance when students disappear. Others are living in fear that the rug could be pulled out from under them at any moment. The chilling effect on campuses is spreading — fast.
We understand universities are navigating uncharted territory and therefore still lack answers. But while MSU seeks those answers, it must maintain transparency and consistently communicate with the community.
Universities must not become passive enforcers of opaque federal policy. They must be advocates for every student’s education, regardless of nationality.
At The State News, we don’t get enough specifc information about revoked visas or the state of international students’ education for our stories. That frustration is nothing in comparison to the paranoia and anxiety international students feel.
International students do not travel here lightly. For most, accepting an offer from a United States university requires hours of paperwork, immense financial costs and moving to a new location with no established support system. Pursuing an education in this way is an act of bravery and grit.
This is not just an education issue — it’s a civil liberties issue. It is playing out on campuses across the country in a dangerous silence.
To its credit, MSU has taken a stand. President Kevin Guskiewicz wrote a letter to the campus community affrming support for international students, and the university joined an amicus brief, along with 85 other institutions, aimed at protecting the rights of international students to study in the United States by contesting the Trump administration.
These actions are not just a gesture — they’re a model. MSU has shown that universities do not have to wait on Washington
The value of an international education is not just what it gives to those students — it’s what they bring to the university and its community: innovation, culture, perspective and dialogue. They become members of our communities; they make friends, families and build lives here. They deserve certainty.
The State News Editorial Board is made up of editor-in-chief Liz Nass, managing editor Zachary Balcoff, campus editor Amalia Medina, life editor Kendra Gilchrist, sports editor Satvik Shubham, copy chief Claire Donohoe, multimedia editor Brendan Mullin, staff representative Jack Williams and DEI manager Jada Vasser.
A student walks past the sculpture of the globe in the International Center on April 17, 2025. Photo by Brendan Mullin.
Eco-friendly tradition: Michigan State’s graduation gowns made from recycled plastic
By Shealyn Paulis spaulis@statenews.com
Seniors at Michigan State University are busy wrapping things up and saying their goodbyes as they prepare for their commencement ceremonies in May. There is one more thing all students must do before they can cross the stage — buy their cap and gown.
The graduation gowns, required for both bachelor’s and master’s graduation ceremonies, are made of 100% recycled materials, specifcally post-consumer plastic bottles. Despite this being the university’s standard for nearly a decade, many upcoming graduates are likely unaware of this sustainable practice.
The Spartan Spirit Store website boasts that each cap and gown is made from 23 to 27 complete bottles, are softer to touch compared to traditional polyester and are wrinkle resistant.
These styles have been the standard since 2016, said Molly Chrome, retail manager of the Spartan Spirit Shop in the MSU Union. While the Spartan Spirit Shop has been the offcial supplier of caps and gowns for over 25 years, the eco-friendly switch was made nine years ago, when they began working with the company Oak Hall Cap and Gown.
“One of the drivers for selecting them as a vendor was that they made some of their regalia out of recycled plastic,” Chrome said.
Both Oak Hall and MSU have shown systematic commitments to sustainability. MSU is ranked in the top 25 universities globally for sustainability by
Students who are registered as a full time student and paid The State News subscription fee for the current semester may receive a refund of that fee if they do not wish to support the student newspaper. Refunds will be processed during the first 10 days of classes. statenews.com/page/contact
Proof of payment of the fee and a photo ID must be provided. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. (517) 295-1681
You can request a refund starting Monday, May 12, 2025 until Friday, May 23, 2025
Times Higher Education, and hosts regular programs and projects with goals of recycling and reducing waste. Oak Hall provides the university with gowns in their DreamWeaver style, their frst eco-friendly product, and states on their website that “college students are at the forefront of sustainable initiatives.”
This alignment of values reassured master’s of student affairs administration graduate Kennedy Robinson when purchasing her second set of graduation regalia this spring. Initially, she was turned away by the “cheap” polyester, but when she learned it was made of recycled materials, she was impressed.
“Every little thing counts,” Robinson said. “This is defnitely a step in the right direction.”
She added that this is “on-brand” for MSU, as she feels there’s a strong recycling culture. Robinson wasn’t particularly shocked about the practice, but was surprised that she did not know about it sooner.
Master’s graduate of environmental design Alice Finlan said the use of eco-friendly gowns refects her own values, but she also wishes it were better emphasized to students.
“Especially with degrees (like) ours, where we are so environmentally conscious,” Finlan said. “To know that something we’re
required to purchase aligns with what we’re trying to do, it’s really nice.”
After their commencement ceremonies, many students do not have plans for their graduation attire. Some donate it to friends or family, while others let it sit in their closet as a keepsake or for a lack of purpose.
“I think I’ll keep mine,” finance senior Graham Vann Hull said. “I just plan to hold on to it for memories.”
Chrome said students have choices. Gowns can be washed and reused, or repurposed into decoration or carpet. She said one of the less popular alternatives is to be returned to the Spartan Spirit Shop for recycling.
“We don’t get a lot of caps and gowns returned for repurpose,” Chrome said. “But we do offer this.”
Despite these options remaining ecofriendly, Robinson said the required costs make it hard for her to justify donating her gown after a single use. If there were an incentive to return them, students might be more inclined, Robinson said.
“If there was a credit to the Spirit Shop, I would donate it, because they’re expensive,” Robinson said. “Otherwise, that’s essentially free money going back to the university.”
An MSU alumnus waits in line to receive her diploma during the fall 2024 commencement ceremony at the Breslin Center on Dec. 14, 2024. Photo by Matthew Williams.
An iconic pop culture moment for every soon-to-be graduate
By Melody Meyer mmeyer@statenews.com
For the class of 2025, the last four years have been full of incredible memories, both in personal lives and in popular culture. Reflect on some major milestones by seeing which era defining moment from 2021 to 2025 we think corresponds to the college you’re graduating from.
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES: HEIDI KLUM’S WORM COSTUME
Heidi Klum is known for her elaborate Halloween looks, but the world collectively gasped upon seeing her as a giant worm in 2022. Klum said the costume took two years to make and was applauded for her dedication. No matter how scary something seems, Agriculture and Natural Resources graduates, you mustn’t give up on it.
ARTS AND LETTERS: BARBENHEIMER
The two biggest films of 2023, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” were released on the same day, thus dubbing July 21, 2023, as Barbenheimer Day. The glittery fun of “Barbie” paired with the grim World War II retelling of “Oppenheimer” created quite the dichotomy. It was an event as creatively diverse as you are, Arts and Letters graduates!
COMMUNICATION ARTS AND SCIENCES: THE 12-HOUR TIKTOK BAN
Since the dawn of the 2020s, TikTok has been an outlet for creativity and idea sharing. Though talks of it being banned have taken place multiple times, users feared that it had come to fruition during a brief blackout in January 2025. No one is more versed in the nuances of the media landscape as Communication Arts and Sciences graduates.
EDUCATION: THE DUOLINGO OWL DYING
The cartoon mascot for the language education app Duolingo was pronounced dead
in February 2025 via Instagram, cause unknown. How curious that he passed just months before your commencement, education graduates. Maybe this feathered instructor was scared to death of the competition you’re bringing!
BUSINESS: THE ERAS TOUR
Taylor Swift’s nearly two yearlong embark on The Eras Tour boosted the economy in every city she visited as thousands flooded in to see the pop princess. Talk about good business. Wishing you a career full of “Style” and a not so “Cruel Summer,” Broad College of Business graduates!
ENGINEERING:
KATY
PERRY GOING TO SPACE
Katy Perry and her five copassengers made history in 2025 as the first all-female crew to make the trip into outer space. As you
begin your careers, engineering graduates, you too will make history. Unlike Perry’s voyage, your successes will definitely last longer than 11 minutes.
JAMES MADISON: #FREEBRITNEY
After thirteen years under the control of her father, Britney Spears was freed from her conservatorship in 2021. People across the world rallied behind her in the #FreeBritney movement, bringing more attention to the legal battle. Wishing you victories as big as Britney’s on your journeys, probably also in the courtroom, James Madison College graduates!
LYMAN BRIGGS: LIL TAY’S DEATH AND REVIVAL
Lil Tay initially gained fame for her luxurious lifestyle in 2018. Though it was announced that she had passed in March 2023, that was
quickly proven to have been faked and Tay came back better than ever. So don’t fear the unexpected turns in life, Briggs graduates, because there will always be something greater around the corner, and maybe one day with your medical expertise, you can explain her unforeseen resurrection.
MUSIC: COLLEEN BALLINGER’S APOLOGY SONG
When YouTube star Colleen Ballinger found herself under fire in 2023, she resorted to addressing the drama through song. Your creativity and talent will take you many places, music graduates. Hoping that the “toxic gossip train” and “manipulation station” are not on your path.
NATURAL SCIENCE: BRIDGIT
MENDLER’S SATELLITE COMPANY
Bridgit Mendler rose to fame
on the Disney Channel series, “Good Luck Charlie.” Since then she has made a name for herself outside of acting, launching a satellite data startup in 2023. If you have dreams that are out of this world, then good luck natural science graduates!
NURSING: THE SLAP
At the 94th Academy Awards, Will Smith responded to one of Chris Rock’s jokes by walking on stage and delivering him a palm sandwich. While you may not deal with many starstudded injuries as that slap, while you begin taking care of your community, future nurses, remember to work so hard that the people won’t be able to keep your name out of their mouths. In a good way,
RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES: BRAT
Inspired by Charli xcx’s 2024 album “Brat,” Brat Summer was all about fun, creativity and confidence. Each of those qualities is right at home in Snyder Phillips, and RCAH students are known for their artistic ways of thinking. There’s nothing “so confusing” about your success, arts and humanities graduates.
SOCIAL SCIENCE: DEVIOUS LICKS
A “devious lick” refers to an item that students stole from their schools, ranging from signs to sinks. It would have been hard to find a school bathroom with all utilities intact in 2021. Maybe you, the social science graduate, can figure out exactly what it is that results in trends like this in your future careers.
VETERINARY MEDICINE: MOO DENG
Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, earned worldwide fame for her adorableness and her habit of biting her caretakers’ knees in 2024. As you embark on your next chapter, veterinary medicine graduates, don’t be afraid to be a little feisty as well.
Illustration by Morgan Struss.