December 2017 Commencement

Saturday, Dec. 16, 201710 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Holmes Convocation Centermap

A total of 1,123 undergraduate students and 352 graduate students will receive their degrees as Appalachian State University holds Commencement ceremonies. Two ceremonies will take place and both will feature student speakers:

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

Live streaming

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AppTV will be streaming commencement ceremonies via Facebook Live.

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AppTV is broadcasting the commencement ceremony live on Charter Cable ch. 198, Skybest ch. 20/1020 and on Facebook Live.

Live streaming is also available at http://commencement.appstate.edu.

Parking

Parking and shuttle service is available in the Raley Hall Circle, Stadium and Hill Street parking lots. Shuttle buses will transport to and from these lots before and after the ceremony. Additional parking is available in the Rivers Street Parking Deck (#31), but will not include shuttle service. Please follow the yellow event parking signs on campus. A map of parking locations (PDF 8.48M) is also available to illustrate the locations of the parking lots (in orange). The Holmes Convocation Center can be seen in the bottom right-hand corner (#34).

Parking for individuals with disabilities will be available in the lot adjacent to the Holmes Convocation Center. Traffic control personnel will be at the intersection of Rivers and Hill streets to direct persons with disability placards displayed to the appropriate parking area.

It is suggested that you are parked at least 45 minutes before Commencement is scheduled to begin to allow you enough time to get from the parking lot to the Convocation Center and find seating. While every effort is made to ensure timely arrival and departure of shuttle buses between the Convocation Center and the parking lots, please be sure you have appropriate cold weather dress, footwear and umbrellas in the event of inclement weather.

Student speakers

Emily G. Arbour: Emily G. Arbour is a Vocal Performance major from Apex. After graduation from Appalachian, she plans to earn a Master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance with the desire to develop a career as both a performer and teacher. She has had several memorable moments during her undergraduate studies, but the one that sticks out the most is opening night of the Appalachian Opera Theatre’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. This was the first time Emily had been cast in a full production, and it was a moment that confirmed her desire to pursue performance. The show was a beautiful culmination of all she had learned and the work that had been put into making it a great performance. She recalls that the best part was being able to experience it with her friends.
Talana J. Bell: Talana J. Bell was born in Statesville and earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting at Appalachian in 1986. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she successfully earned her CPA license and pursued a career in health care accounting. In 2015, she retired as CFO of Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Alabama, and returned to Appalachian to earn her Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Accounting degrees. While at Appalachian, Talana served as Vice-President of Executive Impact Club, worked as a graduate assistant, was invited to serve and/or participate with various groups and committees, and most recently was named Executive Assistant to the Dean of the Walker College of Business. In addition, she serves on ASU’s Foundation Board of Directors. Talana plans to remain in Boone and work at Appalachian with aspirations of teaching.
Patrick G. Campbell: Patrick G. Campbell was raised in the suburbs of South Charlotte. He is a candidate for a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics, Secondary Education and will be graduating Magna Cum Laude. As an undergraduate, Patrick pursued a degree in Physics spurred by a natural curiosity of the world and soon developed a love of teaching. Patrick has been involved in several internships at both high school and elementary school levels throughout his education degree. He has worked closely with several physics teachers at the high school and university level, with the goal of finding inquiry-based teaching practices. This past semester, he student taught at Grimsley High in Greensboro. There, Patrick gained experience applying what he has learned throughout his academic career. After graduation, Patrick plans to teach Physics at a private boarding school in Suzhou, China. He looks forward to bringing a new global perspective to North Carolina education following his return from China.
Monica B. Gudger: Monica B. Gudger is from Denver, North Carolina. She is graduating with her Master of School Administration degree and has successfully completed nine additional credit hours of master level Exceptional Children classes. This is Monica’s twenty-second year in education. She is currently an Exceptional Children Program Specialist and would like to become a Director of Exceptional Children in the future. During her graduate studies at Appalachian, Monica participated in a study abroad trip to Russia. While in Russia, Monica partnered with Dr. Barbara Howard to present at an international education conference hosted by Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University (NovSU). She and her graduate student travel companions also presented at Appalachian’s 2016 Global Symposium about their experiences in Russia. She is married to Robert, her husband of thirty years, and they have three children: Kerrigan, Cory, and Christopher.
Jillian (Jill) Kocsis): Jillian (Jill) Kocsis was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and moved to North Carolina after high school. She completed an Associates of Science at Wake Technical Community College (while working full-time!) before transferring to Appalachian in 2015. At Appalachian, Jillian quickly became involved in a research project lead by Dr. Martin Root in the nutrition program, studying the phytochemical compositions of North Carolina heritage apples. Through this research, she has worked on a clinical study at the Bernhardt Furniture Factory, collaborated with scientists at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, and presented at both the ASU Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors Symposium and the Winthrop University Human Nutrition Centennial Celebration and Student Research Symposium. She has also served as an officer in the Appalachian Student Dietetics Association and completed a clinical dietetic undergraduate internship at Danville Regional Medical Center. After graduation, Jillian plans to continue following her passion for food research in graduate school.
Dayne O. Shelor: Dayne O. Shelor grew up in Cary. He majored in Public Relations and minored in Appalachian Music. Dayne was heavily involved in the local music community during his time in Boone. Following graduation, Dayne plans on moving to Durham to pursue music professionally while building a tiny house.

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 2017 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.

Appalachian Today