Spring Break
USS discusses Lefton's plans for graduation ceremonies
Kali Price
Issue date: 11/2/06 Section: News
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President Lester Lefton wants Kent State's commencement to be a huge, community affair, said Ross Miltner, Undergraduate Student Senate executive director.
Miltner met with Lefton yesterday about commencement and then discussed the issue with senate at its public meeting yesterday.
"Currently, commencement is grouped by college," Miltner said. "It makes things very difficult on the university. Something that President Lefton is focusing on doing is creating a unified, one-time event at Dix Stadium."
Miltner said the event would be in May and would bring the university together by having all students graduating at the same time. The event would include an address by Lefton and a keynote speaker. Following the event, each college would go to another location for each name to be read.
"I think it's a really great idea," said Amy Groya, senator for governmental affairs. "The only thing I worry about is finding a space for all the big, individual ceremonies."
A mass graduation in May would eliminate August and December ceremonies. Students who plan to graduate in August will be allowed to "unofficially graduate" at the May event and receive a diploma by mail upon completing their graduation requirements. Students graduating in December would receive a diploma, but be invited back for the May ceremony, Miltner said.
Miltner said he and Lefton discussed graduation being a "big day for the university," in which the ceremony would be an all-day event for the entire Kent State community. The ceremony would allow the university to bring in more well-known speakers and provide more revenue for local restaurants.
Justin Jeffery, senator for community affairs, said he liked the idea, but noted the number of students graduating in August and December has been growing.
The senators also raised concerns about the number of students willing to come back to Kent State to participate after graduating nearly five months before the May ceremony.
"It would be such an event that people would want to come back," Miltner said.
The changes may be instituted as early as the Spring 2007 semester.
Senate may take a stand on Sudan Preston Mitchum, senator for academic affairs, said he thinks it's time for USS to take a stand on national and international issues.
To begin doing so, Mitchum drafted a resolution for USS to voice its opinion on the war in Darfur, Sudan.
"The purpose of student senate was to be the voice of the student body," he said. "I decided to do something new and take a stand on international politics."
If passed, the resolution would prompt USS to send an appeal to the U.S. government and the Ohio Congressional Delegation to intervene in Sudan.
USS decided to table the resolution for discussion at its next public meeting.
Breaking down the budget
Sean Groves, senator for business and finance, presented a report breaking down the funds the Allocations Committee has given so far this semester.
Of the $215,748 the committee had in its budget, $117,503.78, about 54 percent, has been allocated to different student organizations.
Mitchum said he thought the report was beneficial, because the senators who do not sit on the committee do not know where its funds go or how the money is spent.
One of the committee's changes this semester was to have any student organization that receives funding present to USS about the event after it takes place. At yesterday's meeting, Christopher Taylor, vice president of the All-Campus Programming Board, presented a post-program review of ACPB's showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Friday at the Rathskeller. ACPB was allocated $2,074 for the event.
"We filled the Rathskeller," he said. "The movie was absolutely crazy."
The senators discussed the success of the event, as well as the issue of ACPB receiving funds from Allocations.
"This is the kind of event we find very successful," Jeffery said.
Contact student politics reporter Kali Price at kprice@kent.edu.
Miltner met with Lefton yesterday about commencement and then discussed the issue with senate at its public meeting yesterday.
"Currently, commencement is grouped by college," Miltner said. "It makes things very difficult on the university. Something that President Lefton is focusing on doing is creating a unified, one-time event at Dix Stadium."
Miltner said the event would be in May and would bring the university together by having all students graduating at the same time. The event would include an address by Lefton and a keynote speaker. Following the event, each college would go to another location for each name to be read.
"I think it's a really great idea," said Amy Groya, senator for governmental affairs. "The only thing I worry about is finding a space for all the big, individual ceremonies."
A mass graduation in May would eliminate August and December ceremonies. Students who plan to graduate in August will be allowed to "unofficially graduate" at the May event and receive a diploma by mail upon completing their graduation requirements. Students graduating in December would receive a diploma, but be invited back for the May ceremony, Miltner said.
Miltner said he and Lefton discussed graduation being a "big day for the university," in which the ceremony would be an all-day event for the entire Kent State community. The ceremony would allow the university to bring in more well-known speakers and provide more revenue for local restaurants.
Justin Jeffery, senator for community affairs, said he liked the idea, but noted the number of students graduating in August and December has been growing.
The senators also raised concerns about the number of students willing to come back to Kent State to participate after graduating nearly five months before the May ceremony.
"It would be such an event that people would want to come back," Miltner said.
The changes may be instituted as early as the Spring 2007 semester.
Senate may take a stand on Sudan Preston Mitchum, senator for academic affairs, said he thinks it's time for USS to take a stand on national and international issues.
To begin doing so, Mitchum drafted a resolution for USS to voice its opinion on the war in Darfur, Sudan.
"The purpose of student senate was to be the voice of the student body," he said. "I decided to do something new and take a stand on international politics."
If passed, the resolution would prompt USS to send an appeal to the U.S. government and the Ohio Congressional Delegation to intervene in Sudan.
USS decided to table the resolution for discussion at its next public meeting.
Breaking down the budget
Sean Groves, senator for business and finance, presented a report breaking down the funds the Allocations Committee has given so far this semester.
Of the $215,748 the committee had in its budget, $117,503.78, about 54 percent, has been allocated to different student organizations.
Mitchum said he thought the report was beneficial, because the senators who do not sit on the committee do not know where its funds go or how the money is spent.
One of the committee's changes this semester was to have any student organization that receives funding present to USS about the event after it takes place. At yesterday's meeting, Christopher Taylor, vice president of the All-Campus Programming Board, presented a post-program review of ACPB's showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show Friday at the Rathskeller. ACPB was allocated $2,074 for the event.
"We filled the Rathskeller," he said. "The movie was absolutely crazy."
The senators discussed the success of the event, as well as the issue of ACPB receiving funds from Allocations.
"This is the kind of event we find very successful," Jeffery said.
Contact student politics reporter Kali Price at kprice@kent.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Rachel
posted 11/02/06 @ 6:52 PM EST
I don't like the idea of smashing summer,winter, and spring graduations together. Sounds like a bit of a inconvenience and unfair. The university is still bring in a lot of money, don't be so tight with it. (Continued…)
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