For students and guests, one of the most anticipated aspects of graduation is the guest speaker.
This year’s commencement on May 16 is sure to bring much excitement for the graduates and all who attend, not only because of the special and memorable occasion, but also because of what there is to look forward to at the ceremony.
The process of choosing the commencement speaker each year is long and well thought out.
“Each year we meet with the officers for the rising senior class, and try and work with the senior officers to identify a speaker that they would like and then our office makes the invitation,” said Executive Vice President Joe Holt. “We encourage them to meet with classmates and come up with a short list of anywhere from three to five names of people that they would like us to start working on, and we also ask them to be realistic.”
As is expected, there are names on the potential list of candidates that are ‘reaches,’ and unless there is someone in the senior class who has a connection with these suggested speakers, it is unlikely that he or she will be pursued for fear of running out of time in the search process.
One aspect of Washington College’s selection process that makes finding a speaker more challenging is the fact that “we do not pay the commencement speaker at Washington College. This has just been a long-standing practice. We provide an honorary degree and cover transportation expenses, however we do not pay a speaking fee,” said Holt.
Some colleges will budget between $25,000 and $50,000 just to bring in a big name speaker; while this would facilitate the process, “that’s not an appropriate expense to pass on to students, because that’s where it would come from: your tuition dollars.”
Holt also said that the college has done very well over the years without having to provide monetary compensation, bringing in speakers like John F. Kennedy, Jr. (his commencement speech at WC was his last public speech before he was killed in a plane crash).
What can students expect at commencement this year? Holt said that it can take anywhere from six to eight weeks to work through one candidate, as the process involves a formal invitation to bring the desired speaker to WC.
“The speaker choice for commencement 2010 is well in the works at this point, and will soon be announced once a very important aspect of the process takes place. I think we’re on to somebody who’s now at least talking to us in a way that makes it sound like they’re seriously under consideration. As soon as we get a formal acceptance, then we’ll put the word out into the school newspaper,” said Holt.
The speaker must first be presented to the Board of Business and Governors and be approved for an honorary degree before he or she can be secured. This is set to occur on Feb. 20.
While the announcement for this year’s commencement speaker is much anticipated, Holt said that “you’ll remember very little about what that person said to you. You’ll remember which of your family members were there to celebrate the day with you, you’ll remember who you were sitting next to in line when you got your diploma. Those are the things you’ll remember. You won’t remember what the commencement speaker says. Out of all the things that people remember from the experience, that’s not the memory that people take away with them.”
“It’s not about the celebrity,” said Senior Class President Caroline Grier. “It’s about whether or not they will deliver a good, positive speech.”
The hope for commencement this year is that the entire senior class makes it over the finish line with diploma in hand, and that the ceremony is outside under clear, beautiful skies.
“There’s nothing wrong with commencement in the field house, but there’s nothing like having the commencement on the front lawn,” said Holt. “If we have those two things, I think it’s a great commencement.”
300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 | 410-778-2800 | 800-422-1782