bs122103@ohiou.edu
The 2005 school year came to an end for the senior class of Ohio University on Saturday. Whether they walked at 10:00 in the morning or 2:30 in the afternoon, Saturday, June 11, 2005, will be a day many graduates always will remember.
As the ceremony began, The Convo erupted with whistles and hollers as graduates entered the floor. One notable grad was OU President Roderick McDavis, who earned his degree in 1970, but never walked. The commencement in 1970 was cancelled after the university closed because of student riots.
Nadine Wise, president of the class of 2005, followed McDavis. She thanked her parents, honorees, friends and fellow seniors for a memorable college experience. She spoke about being a member of the first class to go all four years in the post-September 11 world. Wise emphasized optimism and hope for the future.
This year's guest speaker Arlene Phoebe Beasley, a graduate of the class of 1965, was given an honorary doctorate of fine arts for her accomplishments in art. Phoebe is the only artist to be awarded the Presidential Seal on her artworks by two U.S. presidents: George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
Beasley looked back on her experiences at Ohio University -dating, living in the dorms and being away from home for the first time. She recalled her outdoor commencement on College Green in the middle of a locust invasion. In closing, she encouraged the graduates to put their dreams in play.
Cari Armstrong, who graduated from the College of Communication, said she would miss the camaraderie of college life
knowing your closest friends are only five minutes away and 24-hour delivery.
Two of this year's graduates have made the journey from high school to college and now to the working worlds together. Kevin Lewis and Katie Slife graduated from Lakewood High School in 2001. They said struggling with roommates that did not respect their privacy, being so far away from home and making friends are what they remember most about their first year.
I will miss the freedom of living on my own the most Lewis said. He is moving back into his parents' house until he finds a job in criminal justice. Slife, who earned a bachelor's degree in human and consumer science, said she will never again find a place where daily showers were optional.
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Ben Strick
