Front PageHome | Archives | Vol.1, Issue 49 | May 7, 2013

Meredith to Hold Commencement May 11

Approximately 500 Meredith College students will receive degrees when the College holds commencement exercises on Saturday, May 11, 2013, in Dorton Arena.

 

International affairs scholar Anne-Marie Slaughter will deliver the commencement address. Slaughter was recently named the president of the New America Foundation. She will assume this new role on September 1. The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that invests in new ideas to address the next generation of challenges facing the United States. Slaughter is currently a member of the faculty at Princeton University, where she serves at the Bert G. Kerstetter, ’66, University Professor of Politics and International Affairs.

 

As the Class of 2013 listens to Slaughter and other commencement speakers, these students will most likely reflect on their Meredith experience. 

 

Sarah Beno, ’13, and many of her classmates value the relationships she’s built with Meredith faculty and staff.

 

“My relationships with faculty and staff have enriched my experience at Meredith. I know where my professors came from, what they like to do for fun, and their academic interests.  They know these things about me, too,” said Beno, who will pursue a Ph.D. in food science at Cornell.  “My science professors are supportive of my dancing and come to the shows.  Likewise, the dance faculty are eager to hear about my research on Tylosema.”

 

Kristin Kirby, ’13, who will begin a master’s degree in child development and family studies at East Carolina University, agrees with Beno about the importance of faculty and staff support at Meredith.

 

“Whenever I get a chance I always highlight how the faculty and staff at Meredith have been my biggest cheerleaders,” Kirby said. “The relationships I have formed with many members of the faculty and staff at Meredith will last me a lifetime and makes graduating from Meredith bittersweet for me. So much of what I have accomplished and who I have become is a testament to these strong relationships at Meredith.” 

 

Commencement on Social Media
Meredith’s 2013 commencement will have a strong presence on social media. Here are some ways to connect with commencement coverage:

  • Follow @meredithcollege on Twitter, and post about commencement using #MCGrad13
  • Tag commencement-related photos on Instagram with @MeredithCollege and #MCGrad13
  • Comment on commencement photos and posts on Meredith’s Facebook page: facebook.com/meredithcollege
  • To view the latest commencement videos, including profiles of the Class of 2013, subscribe to the College’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/meredithcollege.

Commencement Weekend Events
Commencement weekend will include many traditions, the most notable of which is Class Day. This event, held in McIver Amphitheater at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 10, is an opportunity for sophomores to honor their senior big sisters, and the seniors to highlight their College years.

 

Meredith employees are invited to attend in support of the Class of 2013. During this special tradition, class historians recall and depict key events of the graduating class’ four years at Meredith. The sophomore and alumnae sister classes sing traditional songs to the seniors. At the conclusion of Class Day, the daisy chains prepared by the sophomore class are used to form the class numerals of the graduating class. The seniors then go onto the island, form a circle, and celebrate with their classmates.

 

On Saturday, May 11, a Baccalaureate service will be held at 11 a.m. in Jones Auditorium. Speaker is Linda McKinnish Bridges, ’75. Bridges, Wake Forest University associate dean of admissions, is an accomplished theologian who has written several books based on her research in Biblical studies and theology. In addition to her Meredith undergraduate degree, she holds an M.Div. and Ph.D. from Southern Theological Seminary and an MBA from Wake Forest.

 

At 4 p.m., a reception for graduates and their families will be held in Johnson Hall Rotunda. Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend this new commencement weekend event.

 

The main event, commencement exercises, will begin at 7 p.m. at Dorton Arena. Transportation will not be provided for Meredith employees; ample parking is available at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

 

Faculty will need to assemble promptly at 6 p.m. on the west side of Dorton Arena for the processional.

 

For more information, visit meredith.edu/commencement.

In this Issue:

 

Have you presented research or attended a professional meeting recently? Has your department earned an award? Share news of these accomplishments and more with the Meredith community. Faculty and staff are invited to email items to Melyssa Allen, “Campus Connections” editor, at allenme@meredith.edu.