COMMENCEMENT EDITION
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APRIL 21, 2022 • VOL. 99 NO. 03 • EST. 1924
COMMENCEMENT 2022
WHAT’S INSIDE: COMMENCEMENT NEWS AA1 — AA2 CAMPUS NEWS A1 — A2 SENIOR SPOTLIGHTS BB1 — BB4 REGION | OP-ED/SENIOR COLUMNS CC1 — CC4 SPORTS NEWS DD1 SPORTS SPOTLIGHTS D2 — D3
PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS FROM 2021 COMMENCEMENT
410 graduates to receive diplomas in 2022 Alumni Relations offers advice RACHEL PELLEGRINO Executive Editor
“It is a very proud moment for me,” Waynesburg University President Douglas G. Lee said in reference to the 2022 Commencement. It will not only be a proud moment for President Lee, but also for the 410 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students who will receive their diploma at the 171st Commencement Ceremony. “It is one of the greatest privileges of my life to shake hands with the students at Matriculation as they begin their journey and at Commencement as they are conferred their degrees,” President Lee said. “As I congratulate each graduate, I think about how much they have grown during their time here.” The class of 2022 has not only completed the requirements for their chosen degree, but they’ve accomplished that feat through the unprecedented events coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. From virtual classes to mask mandates, the class of 2022 experienced many changes throughout their years
at Waynesburg. However, after two years, normalcy is beginning to return. For the 2022 Commencement, Waynesburg University will return to pre-pandemic traditions with its annual Baccalaureate Service and two Commencement Ceremonies. There will no longer be separate ceremonies as required by COVID-19 restrictions. “We are incredibly excited to be able to return to full capacity for 2022 Commencement,” according to a prepared statement from the Commencement Planning Committee. “The smaller ceremonies during the pandemic were very intimate due to the size, and that had its own special feeling, [but] there is still nothing better than being all together in the full ceremony setting.” The weekend of events will begin Saturday, April 30 with the Graduate and Professional Studies Programs Commencement Service at 4 p.m. Then, Sunday, May 1, the university will host the Bachelors Programs’ Baccalaureate Service at 11 a.m. in Roberts Chapel
and the Commencement Service at 2 p.m. The Commencement Planning Commi t tee collectively decided to keep these ceremonies separate because they wanted to make each ceremony a special moment for all graduates. In addi tion to celebrating the graduates, President Lee recog-
in attendance, which President Lee points out, saying, “There is a wonderful symbolism to have present faculty, staff, family and friends who, in their own separate ways, have collectively contributed to the achievements of our graduates that we celebrate that day.” Addressing the class
“As I congratulate each graduate, I think about how much they have grown during their time here.” PRESIDENT DOUGLAS LEE
Waynesburg University President
nizes the strength of the community in allowing these in-person Commencement ceremonies to persist. “It will also be a time to celebrate the continuity created by our strong mission that helped us persevere through these last few years continuing the long tradition of in-person commencements with some modif ications, even in the midst of the pandemic,” he said. It will be a time of celebration with several
of 2022 for Commencement will be the Honorable D. Brooks Smith, Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and Laural Ziemba, Director of Public Affairs at Range Resources. Smith will speak at the undergraduate ceremony and Ziemba will speak at the Graduate and Professional Studies Ceremony. Marilyn West, owner and Chief Executive Of f icer of M.H. West and Co. will also address the class of
2022 as the Baccalaureate speaker. According to the Commencement Planning Committee, the previously noted speakers were selected by President Lee for their commi tment to Waynesburg’s mission of faith, learning and service. “All of the speakers for the three ceremonies have a love of WU and live our mission in their daily lives through their vocations,” the Commencement Planning Committee stated. As of right now, the schedule for 2022 Commencement is “tentative.” However, the Commencement Planning Commi t tee does not foresee any changes to the previously published schedule on Waynesburg University’s website. “While we do not expect that to happen, we always must be cognizant and follow our Keep Waynesburg Well guidance carefully for the safety of all graduates, guests and employees,” according to the Commencement Planning Committee. Now that the date is official, graduates can commence the countdown.
MARLEY WOLF Editorial Assistant
“I think the success of any school can be measured by the contribution the alumni make to our national life,” John F. Kennedy said. As yet another wave of Waynesburg University seniors become alumni and set off to make their marks on the world, they will each start their new journeys. W hile they may be leaving Waynesburg, there are many ways for them to keep in touch wi th their now alma mater. To stay connected and remember how they got to where they are today, they can look to Alumni Relations. The Alumni Relations d e p a r t m e nt h e re at Waynesburg University helps graduated students maintain contact with the university. ALUMNI >> AA2