December 2019 Commencement

Friday, Dec. 13, 201910 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Holmes Convocation Centermap

Appalachian State University will host two ceremonies Dec. 13 in the Holmes Convocation Center for the more than 1,300 students who have applied to graduate in December. Both ceremonies will feature remarks from students.

10 a.m.* — College of Arts and Sciences, Hayes School of Music and Walker College of Business at Holmes Convocation Center (Processional begins at 9:45**).
2 p.m.* — Beaver College of Health Sciences, College of Fine and Applied Arts and Reich College of Education at Holmes Convocation Center (Processional begins at 1:45**).

*Graduate students will attend the college ceremony represented by their major field of study.

**Each commencement ceremony will be preceded by a processional of the students, faculty and platform party. The processional will begin 15 minutes prior to the ceremony start times listed above.

Livestream

Archived streams

The following December 2019 Commencement streams have been archived by AppTV:

10 a.m. ceremony
College of Arts and Sciences, Hayes School of Music and Walker College of Business
2 p.m. ceremony
Beaver College of Health Sciences, College of Fine and Applied Arts and Reich College of Education

Parking

Parking information is available here.

Information and accessibility

Ceremony, seating, accessibility and other information is available here.

Student presenters

Walker College of Business: Luis Eduardo Abreu Messina is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He has been a North Carolina resident for the last 10 years, working in the telecommunications industry. He is graduating from Appalachian with a Master of Business Administration. While attending Appalachian, Messina became a lifetime member of Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. After graduation, Messina will continue working at Corning Optical Communications in product line management in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Beaver College of Health Sciences: Koria Johnson was born and raised in Pinehurst, North Carolina. She is receiving a Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in sociology. While at Appalachian, she worked at Plemmons Student Union. In fall 2019, Johnson served as a full-time intern at Appalachian’s Blue Cross NC Institute for Health and Human Services, where she assisted with coordinating clinical services, outreach and research related to holistic health and well-being for individuals in Boone and the surrounding area. Following graduation, Johnson plans to gain professional employment experience before pursuing her Master of Social Work.
College of Arts and Sciences: Panagiotis “Pete” S. Lagusis, a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, has called North Carolina home for the last 15 years. He is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in history with minors in Africana studies, philosophy and political science. During his time at Appalachian, he has earned membership to both Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society) and Phi Alpha Theta (National History Honor Society). When not on campus, he spends his free time volunteering as a youth basketball coach during the winter and summer leagues with the City of Lenoir Parks and Recreation Department. Following graduation, he plans to apply to graduate school and will pursue his Ph.D. in philosophy. Eventually, he plans to teach.
Reich College of Education: Juan E. Ramirez ’13 is from Medellin, Colombia, and Hickory, North Carolina, and is earning a Doctor of Education in educational leadership. He works as a program manager for App State Online and site coordinator for the Appalachian Center at Caldwell in the Division of Educational Outreach at Appalachian State University. As an educational inspirator and critic, Ramirez sheds light around the intersection of race and ethnicity with higher education and advocates the cultivation of collaborative spaces in which all are teachers and learners. Ramirez also serves on UPCEA, an international leading professional organization for professional, continuing and online higher education in the diversity and inclusive excellence efforts, and the South Region Emerging Leaders Leadership Program as co-chair. He is excited about being part of the reimagination of higher education. In his spare time, he cherishes time with family, friends and the community, traveling, adventure and good food, and he is exceptionally passionate and curious about learning.
College of Fine and Applied Arts: Nora Smith, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is graduating from the Honors College at Appalachian with a B.S. in communication, journalism, and a minor in graphic arts and imaging technology. During their time at the university, they served as editor-in-chief and graphics editor of The Appalachian, the campus student-run newspaper. In 2019, Smith was selected as a Dow Jones News Fund multiplatform editing intern and worked on the copy desk at the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia. They were also awarded the David L. Adams Apple Award for Copy Editing from the College Media Association. As a student, Smith was also a member of The Peel literary arts review, worked on The Appalachian Weekly News for AppTV, was an officer for the Appalachian Honors Association and served on the Student Affairs Leadership Advisory Council.
Hayes School of Music: Miriam F. Tart, MT-BC, completed her undergraduate degree in music performance at Corban University in Salem, Oregon. Her primary instrument is piano. Prior to entering the equivalency/Master of Music Therapy program at Appalachian State University, Tart worked in the audio/visual industry as an analyst and project manager for five years before returning to school to pursue her master’s degree in music therapy. Tart completed her music therapy internship training at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina. She views the opportunity to work with her clients as a gift and finds joy in being with clients as they move toward their goals. Her clinical experience includes working with children with communication and developmental delays, older adults in a rehabilitative center, adults in acute psychiatric care, at-risk youth in the community and adults in substance abuse treatment programs.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.

About Academic Regalia

The tradition of academic costumes probably originated in the traditions and necessities of the Middle Ages, when people dressed in keeping with their class and for their needs. Warm cloaks and hoods were needed because many of the buildings where scholars taught were cold. From the various traditions that grew up surrounding academic costumes, a code was established and subscribed to in 1894 by most universities and colleges in the United States. Now that academic costumes are prescribed, audiences can identify the institutions awarding degrees, the nature of the degrees and the faculties awarding them.

The Bachelor of Arts gown is black, closed in front with long pointed sleeves. The square Oxford cap and tassel are black. The bachelor’s hood is rarely worn.

The Master of Arts gown is black with long closed sleeves and a short slit near the elbow to free the hand and forearm. The gown is frequently worn open but may be worn closed. Both cap and tassel are black.

The doctor’s gown, usually also black, is worn open or closed, and has velvet panels five inches wide extending down the front edge to the bottom and three horizontal bars on each sleeve. Panels and bars are often black but may be a color indicating the faculty granting the degree. The doctor’s costume also includes the square Oxford cap with a gold tassel worn on the left side. Hoods show the greatest degree of symbolism. Hoods are black with velvet borders in the color of the faculty in which the degree is granted. Thus, for the B.A. the border is white; for the B.S. it is golden yellow; for the B.D., purple; and so on for all faculties. The lining of the hood is silk in the colors of the institution granting the degree.

The bachelor’s hood is three feet long, with a two-inch velvet border; the master’s is three and one half feet long, with a three-inch velvet border. The doctor’s hood is four feet long, with a five-inch velvet border.

About The Mace

The Appalachian State University mace is carried by a senior faculty member in all academic processions. Traditionally, the mace bearer precedes the chancellor of an institution, both upon entering and leaving a ceremony. The mace serves as a symbol of authority just as it did during the Middle Ages when a mace bearer accompanied an official taking office or opening court.

The Appalachian Mace symbolizes the University’s mountain heritage, the rustic location and the sophistication of an emerging, national leader in higher education. Its design, as a walking stick with a base constructed of roughhewn log and finished molding, is appropriate to the natural environment of the area. At the top of the mace is a soaring, red-tailed hawk, native to the area. The hawk symbolizes power, authority, as well as the empowerment of education. The talons are grasping a sphere containing two quartz crystals. The first crystal represents the global nature of the University, its educational programs, alumni and students. The second quartz crystal within the sphere is a reproduction of Grandfather Mountain.

The letters ASU reliefed within the pine cone are done in black enamel and are gold plated. The various bands represent the flora and fauna native to the area. The black walnut, one of the strongest of woods, was used to symbolize the staying power of the University.

The mace was constructed by Carolina Bronze of Asheville. Fittingly, two Appalachian students and an Appalachian graduate were involved in the production. It was commissioned by the Appalachian Alumni Association in 1994.

About The Medallion

As symbols of events and affiliation, medallions date back to antiquity. In academic regalia the use of medallions is traced to religious orders of the Middle Ages, when a number of orders had as a badge an oval medallion. Since many orders, societies and universities utilized in their medallion designs the circle, star, oval or cross, detailed artwork in the center of the medallion was adopted to differentiate the medallions. Colleges and universities have traditionally used both ceremonial and commemorative medallions. As part of the 95th anniversary of Appalachian State University, a commemorative medallion was commissioned in 1994 and is worn by the chancellor on ceremonial occasions.

About the International ‘Green Ribbon’ Graduation Pledge

Congratulations and many thanks to all of our 2018 graduates who have committed to the Graduation Pledge, as denoted by those wearing green ribbons.

“I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences, and the civic and community responsibilities, of any job or career I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.”

Are you now an alumnus? Alumni can still take the Graduation Pledge.