News

Logos photo by Kaitlin Sutcliffe Don Harms of Cooper Cap and Gown measures Samantha Hicok for her cap and gown.

Graduates to march May 7

Morgan Muhlenbruch
Staff Reporter

NIACC students have been working their way down the path of life. That path has led the students at NIACC to get a high school diploma or GED, and then it led them to college or work or both. Either way, they ended up at NIACC.

On May 7, the path will lead approximately 695 NIACC students to graduation. About 135 of these graduates got their degrees in December of 2009, and the rest will finish their degrees this spring or summer.

Some graduates will be graduating with more than one degree. Among the 695 graduates, 780 diplomas will be given out.

The graduates should try to attend the commencement ceremony on May 7. Attending commencement is one of the requirements to receive a degree from NIACC. If it is not possible for a student to attend the commencement ceremony, the student could have submitted a written statement to the Records Office before April 22.

Another requirement of the graduates is a post-test. The test was to be completed before the last week of classes.

Caps and gowns are available for graduates too. The caps and gowns can be picked up on May 3 or 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the gym lobby.

Before the ceremony, the Alumni Association sponsors a graduation reception in the Muse-Norris Conference Center. This ceremony will be held from 5 - 7 p.m. Decorations will be hung, there will be a place for photo opportunities and refreshments will be provided during this reception.

The graduates should be in the Activity Center by 7 p.m. for Commencement that starts in the Gym at 7:30.

“The doors open at 6:15,” Mary Wendt, Assistant Registrar/Records Research coordinator, said. “The gym usually fills up pretty quickly, so you might want to get there early.”

Graduates are allowed to invite whoever they want. Since there is no limit on the number of guests, parking may be a problem for people who arrive after 7 p.m. Parking may be available in the parking lot west of the Buettner Careers Building. Guests who are attending may expect traffic to back up on Highway 122.

The gym will not hold all of the graduates’ family and friends that will attend the ceremony. The ceremony will be televised on the local cable station, and the broadcast will be available on televisions in the auditorium and in the Activity Center.

“It’s a wonderful ceremony,” Wendt said. “NIACC Singers and the orchestra and two student speakers are involved in the ceremony.”

During the ceremony Borden Plunkett, Communication Skills instructor, will be announcing the names of the graduates as they cross the stage. If graduates want to, they have the opportunity to discuss the pronunciation of their names with Plunkett. Plunkett’s office is located in the Beem Center, room 205, and his phone number is 641-422-4123.

Also, during the ceremony a professional photographer will be taking a picture of each graduate as he or she receives the diploma cover. The graduates will have the opportunity to purchase the pictures.

A DVD copy of the commencement ceremony will be available for graduates to order. Jay Square Company Videography will be recording the ceremony. Orders of the DVD will be shipped to the homes of anybody who wishes to have a copy after graduation.

“The graduates take pride in their accomplishments, and we take pride in our ceremony,” Wendt said. “Some students don’t transfer, so this is their only graduation ceremony.”