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North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina 27804
December 16, 2021
CAMPUS LIFE
Viewpoint:
By Mary Cat Davis
Senior Staff Writer
NC Wesleyan’s December 2021
graduates are receiving their diplo
mas, but they will not hear “Pomp
and Circumstance” until May 2022.
The college returns to hold
ing one graduation ceremony
per academic year this semester
after 2020’s Covid-safe winter
commencement. Despite the
college’s formal decision, the
December 2021 class hopes the
administration will reconsider
for next year’s winter graduates.
A December 2021 graduate
myself, I wondered how local and
international students felt about
this decision. Our class is the first
one to be affected by the change,
which has been a common topic
of conversation among my peers. I
asked President Evan Duff to share
the factors that led to this decision,
while presenting thoughts from my
classmates during the interview.
Dr. Duff said the administration
decided to transition back to one
commencement in the late summer
of 2019. Administrators considered
the approaches of similar-sized in
stitutions, finding that most moved
to one formal celebration while
allowing students to complete their
degrees throughout the year.
December 2019’s graduation
was supposed to be the last fall
ceremony, but Covid-19 forced
postponement of the May 2020
ceremony until the following De
cember. “That’s the only reason we
did a December commencement
last year,” Dr. Duff said. “It was
technically to bring back the spring
graduates but we also allowed De
cember graduates to participate.”
Dr. Duff said that elimination of
fall commencement enables the
college to funnel resources used for
two commencements into a more
elaborate ceremony in spring. This
includes high-profile speakers,
alumni gifts for graduates, and
“other aspects of the students’
experience.” “It was a decision
we made and communicated two
years ago,” Dr. Duff said. “But
this is the first time that December
graduates feel the change.”
When applying for graduation,
students are responsible for a $120
fee. Dr. Duff said 30 to 40 percent
covers the student’s regalia,
while the remainder goes toward
processing fees, the printing of
The
since 1960
“of, by, and for the Wesleyan community. ”
STAFF
Senior Staff Writers
Mary Cat Davis
Staff Writers
Mary Alice Butler
Savannah Ekland
Joel Inzerillo
Staff Photographer
Jaden Randolph-Schoneck
Faculty Advisor
Dr. William Grattan
179 Braswell • Phone: 985-5336
Email: WJGrattan @ ncwc.edu
Students Lament End of Fall Commencement
diplomas, and the commencement
ceremony itself. “The college
probably puts in more than 50
percent that’s not covered by the
graduation fee,” he explained.
A December graduate himself,
Dr. Duff said he understands how
the winter class feels. He noted
that his son plans to graduate with
Wesleyan’s class of December
2022. “I have a personal opinion
about it,” he said. "But, looking
at the big picture , looking at what
our peers are doing, and looking
at the other ways that we could
benefit the students, that's why
the decision was made.”
Dr. Duff confirms that students
were not included in the 2019 deci
sion. He said this transition does not
prevent students from moving for
ward with their plans and he hopes
to see December grads return for the
official commencement in May.
Wesleyan students may finish
their degrees in August, December,
and May, Dr. Duff noted, pointing
out that there has never been a com
mencement for August graduates.
The president believes students
would want ceremonies at all three
times. “I think we know what their
opinion would have been, but some
times you have to make tough deci
sions for reasons that not everyone is
going to understand,” he said.
Dr. Duff’s assumption aligned
with the eight students interviewed
for this article. Tobias Borzel, a
business administration and mar ¬
TR AD ITI0 N S from pg 1
one of my mother’s closets and
I saw the Xbox. I was super
happy on the one hand, but a
bit sad on the other.”
His family serves traditional
food at the Christmas Eve
dinner and lunch the next day.
Italians emphasize both meals,
Pupuleku explained, “because
it’s important to spend a lot of
time with the family, eating a
lot and enjoying the time spent
together.”
He related that at the Christ
mas Eve dinner many Italians
eat fish, but that his family tends
to serve meat dishes. Meals
begin with
appetizers
and sliced
baguette
with cheeses
(e.g., grana
padano)
and salami,
as well as
skewers of
mozzarella Halzyd Pupuleku —
balls, cherry tomatoes, basilicum,
olives, and salami.
Traditional drinks include
blonde beer, white wine and
Italian aperitifs: Spritz and
Hugo. The Spritz is a drink
comprised of the Aperol liquor,
prosecco, and sparkling water,
while the Hugo is a drink done
with elderflower cordial, prosec
co, and a top of sparkling water.
The first course is lasagna alia
Bolognese. The second course
is roast veal with roast potatoes.
During the meal, his family serves
red wine or beer. For dessert there
is more panettone, consumed with
an espresso coffee or grappa.
Pupuleku said that last year
during the pandemic, his family
followed its usual traditions,
except for attending Mass. This
year he intends to spend the
holiday in Florida, where he’ll
celebrate with his uncle’s family.
keting major, said he’s disappoint
ed that there will be no December
commencement. He will head
home to Germany after fall semes
ter, unable to return in May due
to the expenses associated with
travel-it would cost $1,000, he
estimates-and the retention of his
visa. “I’ll be working during that
time," he said, “and the biggest
problem I have is the finances.”
Borzel said commencement
is a special occasion for interna
tional students, whose families look
forward to celebrating on campus.
Commencement ceremonies are
not as common in Germany, mak
ing graduation a long-anticipated
event for Borzel, who expressed
his sadness about leaving his
classmates without a traditional
celebration. “I would have liked
to share that moment with family
and the friends that I made here at
NCWC,” he said. “It feels disap
pointing leaving this place without
an actual commencement and I
wouldn’t want other students to
face the same situation."
Though he realizes this decision
cannot be reversed at the conclusion
of the semester, Borzel hopes that the
administration will consider alterna
tives for next fall's class. He suggests
utilizing The Dunn Center as an al
ternative venue to the Rocky Mount
Event Center. He said the senior class
would not need a ceremony as large
as the usual May event, adding he
was willing to pay a higher gradu-
Cadeyrn Rendle
Cornwall, England
Cadeyrn Rendle begins the
Christmas holiday by watching
the film “The Snowman” with
his dad, mum and brother. “It’s
my mum’s favorite,” he said.
Christmas Day is full of
socializing, as Rendle and his
family drive around his home
town, visiting and exchanging
gifts with family and friends.
“We wish everyone a happy
Christmas and New Year,” he
said. “We do that before we
open our own gifts at home.”
Rendle said his most memorable
Christmas gift was a push bike. It
was special because it allowed him
to take rides with his father. “That
Christmas day, my father and I
could go outside and ride together,”
he said, relishing the memory.
During a typical Christmas
morning, Rendle said, his fami
ly enjoys eating chocolate. Then
at 2 p.m., they eat their big holi
day meal; this always involves
extended family, he said. In his
house, traditional foods include
turkey; stuffing; crispy, golden
roasted potatoes; and various
vegetables—“all taste better on
he said. For Rendle
Christmas,
a highlight
is pigs-in-
a-blanket-
-sausage,
wrapped in
bacon and
covered
in gravy.
Adults
drink
champagne
while kids
have soda.
Cadeyrn Rendle
Last year’s holiday was
subdued, due to the pandemic.
Rendle said the family was not
able to socialize, instead exchang
ing gifts among themselves at
home. “This year, we’ll be return
ing to our old ways,” he said.
ation fee to help defray the costs.
Rocky Mount native Latarsha
Powell shared the same sentiment,
saying she would pay additional
fees to make winter commence
ment possible. She wondered
why Ilie Dunn Center was not an
option. Powell said she has wit
nessed several commencements in
Minges Auditorium and would be
satisfied with that. She feels the ad
ministration’s reasoning is a “little
bit of a cop-out,” especially with
access to an on-campus venue.
“We want the same experience as
spring graduates,” she said. "We
want the pomp and circumstance.”
A religious studies and psy
chology major, Powell added she
was unaware of the change until
staff informed her on a trip to the
registrar's office. Powell said her
friends and family were hurt that
she would not experience a winter
ceremony, as she doesn’t plan on
participating in May. She intends
to begin her master’s program in
March and expressed little interest
in walking with another class.
“I’m upset that I spent $120 on the
graduation fee, $40 on a stole, and
$8 for my tassel just for it to sit
in my closet,” she said. “I don’t
want to celebrate next year. I
want to celebrate today.”
Powell hopes the administra
tion will take the feelings of next
December’s class into consid
eration. She suggests asking the
group about their interest in holding
an additional ceremony and then
using existing resources to pay for
it, adding that she never expected
an event at Rocky Mount Event
Health Services Director Gives
Covid-Related Guidance for Holidays
Despite decreases in Covid cases viral upper respiratory infection, bronchi ¬
in the area, Wesleyan Health Services
Director Jessica Brys-Wilson urged
members of the college community to
exercise caution during the holiday break.
She was interviewed in late No
vember. (Editor's Note: This was be
fore the advent of the omicron variant.
As of early Decembers, health experts
were still studying its virulence and
transmissibility).
Q: From a personal perspective, what
was this fall like for you?
A: This semester has been much more
manageable for me. We’ve had fewer Co
vid cases, and we’ve been able to get test
results rapidly this semester. Along with
the updated quarantine policy, that has dra
matically reduced the number of students
who needed to quarantine on campus.
Q: As of Thanksgiving, what are the to
tals when it comes to number of Covid
cases among members of the NCWC
community since fall semester began?
A: As of November 22, we’ve had 35
student cases and 11 employee cases
this semester.
Q: Have there been any hospitaliza
tions this fall, due to Covid?
A: We had one student hospitalized
prior to fall semester check-in.
Q: Have any students had to drop out
this semester due to Covid—either
before or during the semester?
A: I’m aware of one student who was
diagnosed and hospitalized just before
check-in. That student had a more
severe case than what we have typi
cally seen and was not able to return
to campus for the semester.
Q: What are the latest vaccination
totals for students?
A: For students, the total is 01.4 per
cent partially vaccinated (estimated),
and 55.3 percent vaccinated
Q: Who should get a booster vaccine
for Covid? And where can you get one?
A: The Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) now recommends booster
shots for all adults age 18 or older
who received a mRNA vaccine (Mod-
erna or Pfizer). In the local area, Wal
greens, CVS, the Nash County Health
Department, and UNC Nash Health
Care are all giving booster shots.
Q: What other illnesses have you
treated this fall in the health center?
A: When it comes to contagious illnesses,
we have had a stomach virus, tonsillitis, a
Center, where May 2021 graduates
walked. “We paid just like every
one else, and we did the work like
everyone else,” Powell said. “At
least get a perspective of who wants
to hold a December ceremony.”
Angela Groeneveld said she under
stands the administration's desire to
create a more formal May commence
ment. but argued that eliminating a
December ceremony is not the solu
tion. She said that a small celebration
without a speaker would be enough
for her. “I believe something would
be better than nothing,” she said.
Groeneveld will soon return
home to the Netherlands and her
student visa is set to expire. The
psychology and criminal justice
major said she prefers a winter
commencement due to travel con
cerns stemming from Covid-19.
Obtaining a tourist visa for herself
and her family would be difficult
and it is unlikely she can return in
May. Groeneveld expressed her
disappointment that she will not
have her moment to celebrate her
har’d work. “I don't care much
about the attention or recognition,”
she clarified. “But it’s the one mo
ment where my parents and family
can look at the graduation and be
proud of the person I became.”
Bailey native Kayla Hawley
agrees that December graduates
should have a separate commence
ment, especially for students like
Groeneveld and Borzel who can
not return in May. She urges the
administration to consider students
like them. What would they want
for their children if they were
See COMMENCEMENT pg 3
tis, pneumonia, and flu.There have also
been secondary bacterial infections like
sinusitis and ear infections.
Q: Who should get a flu shot?
A: Most experts are expecting a very
active flu season. We’ve already seen
some on campus. 1 recommend that
anyone who doesn’t have a contrain
dication get a flu shot this year.
Q: As students prepare to head
home, what are some important steps
to take to ensure wellness during the
winter months and while spending
time with family and friends?
A: Students should monitor themselves
for any symptoms prior to gathering
with others, especially the elderly or
those with underlying medical condi
tions. They should encourage others
not to attend if they are sick. They
should wash hands frequently, gather
outside when possible, and social dis
tance when possible. Eating a healthy
diet and getting enough rest will help
keep their immune systems work
ing their best. If they haven’t already
received their Covid and flu vaccines,
they should consider that as well.
Q: Let’s talk about the Christmas and
New Year’s holidays. What are some
important considerations—for Wesleyan
staff as well as students--in determining
whether to gather with family and friends?
A: I think that everyone should con
sider the vaccine status of the people
with whom you're gathering, whether
the gathering is inside or outside,
and whether social distancing will be
possible. You may want to consider
wearing a mask, even if not required
by the venue/host, to protect yourself.
Q: What's the latest from the state
and CDC on what kind of winter we
should expect in terms of Covid?
A: It looks like North Carolina is see
ing a decline in cases here lately while
other places in the country are seeing
their delta wave just beginning. With
colder weather and the holidays ap
proaching, it’s likely that we will see
a bump in numbers as people gather
indoors, particularly in areas with
lower vaccination rates or that are just
now experiencing their delta wave.
Hopefully, though, with more people
having been vaccinated and already
infected, we’ll see numbers generally
decline over the next few months.