Missouri Western State University held its Spring Commencement ceremony outdoors at Spratt Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 10, just the fourth time commencement has been held outside and the first since 1980. A total of 538 undergraduates and 35 graduate students received their degrees.
During the commencement ceremony, an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree was presented to Carol Roever, professor emerita of business and the first dean of Missouri Western’s Craig School of Business.
Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president, presents an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Carol Roever, professor emerita of business and the first dean of the Craig School of Business.“I believe we are here for the students, and it is a privilege and an honor to have that opportunity,” Roever said after the degree was conferred by Dr. Robert Vartabedian, Missouri Western’s president, and Steven Craig, benefactor of the Craig School of Business.
Derek Thompson, vocal music major from Omaha, Neb., was selected as the student speaker.
“We may go out and start new lives outside of St. Joseph, but we will always have a home at Missouri Western,” Thompson said.
In years past, the Spring Commencement was divided into two ceremonies in the M.O. Looney Complex. Moving commencement to Spratt Stadium allowed all graduates to participate in a single ceremony. It also allows for the introduction of several new traditions, including:
Derek Thompson ’14 starts his commencement speech with a selfie.- March to Commencement: Students and faculty were led by drummers from the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex to the Spratt Stadium field. In the GISC, faculty passed by applauding students as they left for the field. The faculty lined up on the field and greeted students as they took their seats on the field.
- Phi Sigma Kappa cannon: A staple of Griffon football games, members of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity cheer on the Griffs with a resounding blast from “The General” after every home score. At the conclusion of the ceremony, The General sounded to celebrate the newest Missouri Western alumni.
- Griffon for Luck: It is said that those who ask for the mighty Griffon’s protection will be watched over on their quest for education. When prospective students first come to Missouri Western, they are told they can ask for the Griffon’s protection by rubbing the head of a Griffon statue in the Office of Admissions. During commencement, the statue was placed on the field so that students left the university as they came in; with one last request for protection and luck on their next quest.
The last commencement ceremonies held in Spratt Memorial Stadium were in 1979 and 1980, when the stadium was brand new. One other commencement ceremony was held outdoors, the very first one on the current Missouri Western campus in 1970. There was no building large enough to hold the ceremony at the time, so it was held in front of the library, now known as the Hearnes Center.
Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu.