McDaniel College Celebrates 147th Commencement May 20

From McDaniel College: College historian James E. Lightner is the Commencement Speaker Procession begins from McDaniel’s Baker Memorial Chapel at 9:45 a.m. with the Commencement Ceremony beginning at 10 a.m.in Gill Center In conjunction with Commencement, several events also take place Friday, May 19:

• Green Terror Battalion Army ROTC program Commissioning Ceremony at 10 a.m.
• Candlelight Processional through Ward Memorial Arch to Baker Memorial Chapel starting at approximately 6:45 p.m.prior to the Senior Investiture and Honors Convocation
• Senior Investiture and Honors Convocation at 7:30 p.m. with graduating seniors receiving academic, activity and leadership awards, including the Bates Prize for the most outstanding male graduating senior and Mary Ward Lewis Prize for the most outstanding female

WHAT: McDaniel College celebrates its 147th Commencement.

WHEN/WHERE: McDaniel College 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

Commencement Ceremony: Saturday, May 20, at 10 a.m., in Gill Center

• Students assemble at McDaniel’s Baker Memorial Chapel at 9 a.m. (Note: rain location is Old Gill Gym)
• Procession begins at 9:45 a.m. from Baker Memorial Chapel to Gill Center. (In case of rain, students proceed to Gill Center from Old Gill Gym.)
• Immediately following the ceremony, the new graduates have the opportunity to ring the Old Main bell located in Memorial Plaza signaling the completion of their degrees. (Students also ring the bell as freshmen on move-in day.)

WHO: McDaniel College awards degrees to more than 600 undergraduate and graduate students. College historian James E. Lightner, who has served the college for six decades as a 1959 alumnus, professor emeritus of mathematics and current trustee, is the Commencement speaker to kick off the college’s 150th anniversary, which will be celebrated in the 2017–2018 academic year.

Lightner penned the history of McDaniel (formerly Western Maryland) College in his more than 700-page book, “Fearless and Bold.” Winners of two undergraduate awards are revealed at Commencement. The Argonaut Award is given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative grade-point average and The Edith Farr Ridington Writing Award is awarded to the graduating senior who writes the best paper.

Two graduate awards are also presented. The B. Jill Brooks Hodge Professional Development Award is given to a graduate student who has demonstrated academic excellence with a strong compassion for individuals with special needs and an interest in serving the deaf or disabled. The Joan Develin Coley Award for Excellence in Education is awarded to a graduate student with the best record in the study of literacy theory and practice.

ADDITIONAL COMMENCEMENT-RELATED EVENTS: In conjunction with Commencement, several events take place on Friday, May 19. These events are free and open to the public.

McDaniel’s Green Terror Battalion Army ROTC program Commissioning Ceremony occurs at 10 a.m. in Baker Memorial Chapel with nine graduating seniors from McDaniel being commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Retired Lt. Gen. Otto J. Guenther, a 1963 alumnus and the highest-ranking military officer ever to graduate from the college, is the guest speaker. Guenther is a current McDaniel trustee. At 7:30 p.m. in Gill Center, graduating seniors receive academic, activity and leadership awards at the Senior Investiture and Honors Convocation, including the Bates Prize for the most outstanding male graduating senior and Mary Ward Lewis Prize for the most outstanding female graduating senior.

A Candlelight Processional with seniors walking through Ward Memorial Arch to Baker Memorial Chapel starts at approximately 6:45 p.m. prior to the Senior Investiture and Honors Convocation. MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.mcdaniel.edu/commencement for more information about McDaniel’s Commencement. A live video stream of the ceremony will also be available online (www.mcdaniel.edu/commencement).

For more information, visit www.mcdaniel.edu or call 410-857-2290.

Photos courtesy of McDaniel College