Spring Break
Letters To The Editor
Issue date: 1/25/08 Section: Commentary
The Shame Of
A Lost Graduation
Cancelling the December graduation ceremony was a travesty. It is a student's right to have a commencement so they can move on to the next part of their life. How would you like to go through all the studying, classes, tests, paperwork and hefty tuition payments only to have your big hurrah swept aside? After four-and-a-half years, I, along with every December graduate am qualified to say that we have paid our dues and earned a ceremony.
Commencement is meant to symbolize a beginning. But, it's pretty hard to start at the beginning when UConn won't grant us an end. I don't think I'm being overdramatic either. I know that all my hard work is worth it for the almighty diploma. In simple terms, you work for what you get and graduation is the payoff for going to college. But what happens if the payoff gets taken away?
Offering December graduates a place in the May graduation is a slap in the face. Forget the fact I may not be in Connecticut come May. Forget that my GPA is as solid as the next graduate's, that my degree requirements and gen-eds are just as full and that my bursar balance is a lovely goose egg. How can the administration forget that we have done our part? Isn't the legitimacy of a degree-granting institution broken if it doesn't recognize its own students' achievements? We've done our part, and now the university needs to hold up its end of the bargain.
To me, the failure to re-schedule the ceremony is a terrible insult. The top-ranked public university in the Northeast, a research I institution, owner of the largest land grant in Connecticut state history, UConn, a great pick, can't re-schedule an event for its own paying members. For those graduating in the future, try to imagine having given money to this place and meeting the expectations only to have your ceremony cancelled. Worse yet, the email notifying you doesn't even say congratulations. There will be no family, friends, pictures or handshake. If this administration doesn't amend this complete letdown of its graduates, why should future graduates feel safe in the knowledge that when it's all said and done, their name will be called and there will be a stage for them to walk across?
-Noah Turner
Class of 2007
A Lost Graduation
Cancelling the December graduation ceremony was a travesty. It is a student's right to have a commencement so they can move on to the next part of their life. How would you like to go through all the studying, classes, tests, paperwork and hefty tuition payments only to have your big hurrah swept aside? After four-and-a-half years, I, along with every December graduate am qualified to say that we have paid our dues and earned a ceremony.
Commencement is meant to symbolize a beginning. But, it's pretty hard to start at the beginning when UConn won't grant us an end. I don't think I'm being overdramatic either. I know that all my hard work is worth it for the almighty diploma. In simple terms, you work for what you get and graduation is the payoff for going to college. But what happens if the payoff gets taken away?
Offering December graduates a place in the May graduation is a slap in the face. Forget the fact I may not be in Connecticut come May. Forget that my GPA is as solid as the next graduate's, that my degree requirements and gen-eds are just as full and that my bursar balance is a lovely goose egg. How can the administration forget that we have done our part? Isn't the legitimacy of a degree-granting institution broken if it doesn't recognize its own students' achievements? We've done our part, and now the university needs to hold up its end of the bargain.
To me, the failure to re-schedule the ceremony is a terrible insult. The top-ranked public university in the Northeast, a research I institution, owner of the largest land grant in Connecticut state history, UConn, a great pick, can't re-schedule an event for its own paying members. For those graduating in the future, try to imagine having given money to this place and meeting the expectations only to have your ceremony cancelled. Worse yet, the email notifying you doesn't even say congratulations. There will be no family, friends, pictures or handshake. If this administration doesn't amend this complete letdown of its graduates, why should future graduates feel safe in the knowledge that when it's all said and done, their name will be called and there will be a stage for them to walk across?
-Noah Turner
Class of 2007
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Not worth it anyways
posted 1/25/08 @ 4:26 PM EST
I guess you haven't seen a prior graduation at UConn. It's not that great to begin with. So many graduates, they don't call your name, you sit for 97% of it. (Continued…)
kashaw
Katrina
posted 1/27/08 @ 10:46 PM EST
Agreed. It's not a big deal, especially if you're a local.. But graduation is special to some.. I remember counting the people I could see sleeping through the ceremony. (Continued…)
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