PROVIDENCE — “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1” was barely heard over the applause and cheers that erupted as Providence College’s Class of 2014 filed into the Dunkin’ Donuts Center for the school’s 96th commencement ceremony on Sunday.
Before the celebration began, several graduates said that while they were eager to earn their degrees, they are also going to miss not only their friends, but also certain aspects of the school.
For Joseph Ferrara, who studied psychology and business, the chapel, along with the friars, have been important to him throughout his college years.
“It transformed me,” Ferrara said of his time at the chapel. “The friars showed me who Christ really is; they showed me unconditional love.”
Hailing from Philadelphia, Ferrara said he would like to stay in Rhode Island. He’s applying to employers and studying for the MBA entrance exam.
While many others are also hunting for work and gearing up for graduate school, some are beginning internships or taking the year off. According to the college’s office of public affairs, 25 percent have already secured employment.
One graduate has hoop dreams. Bryce Cotton, who attended the school on a basketball scholarship and earned a degree in sociology, is hoping to play in the NBA.
“I’m preparing for the draft, which takes place towards the end of June,” said Cotton.
With a Big East Tournament championship, an NCAA Tournament appearance, as well as a diploma under his belt, he feels blessed.
“I have a firm faith in God, and that’s the only reason I made it this far,” he said. “When I was younger, I never thought I was smart enough to graduate from college, so it’s a wonderful feeling.”
In July, he’ll marry fellow graduate, Simone Tubman, who studied political science and sociology. The couple met four years ago on the first day of school.
Cotton and Tubman were among 1,252 students who earned degrees, including 962 undergraduates, 221 graduate students and 69 students who received diplomas for their work in the continuing education program.
No matter the degree, world renowned autism activist, animal scientist, and best-selling author, Dr. Temple Grandin, advised every recipient to, “Get out there. Do some real projects. Get some real stuff done, not abstract stuff.” Her commencement address, which was presented at the tail-end of the ceremony, was met with a standing ovation.
Grandin, who was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in science, is a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University. Despite the fact that she was diagnosed with autism when she was two-years-old, she used what she described as an ability to “think in pictures” to develop dramatic improvements in the livestock industry, as well as become a source of inspiration for people with autism.
“The world needs people with all kinds of different minds who can live and work together,” she told students during her speech, noting that too much emphasis is spent on people’s deficits, and not enough on their strengths.
Prior to the ceremony, she told reporters that she views the attention she receives from speaking at graduations as a responsibility.
“I hope to motivate young people to problem solve and fix things,” she said. “Also, I want to see the kids that are different, and often get labeled, to get out and make contributions to society. I’m seeing too many kids who are quirky and different get labeled handicapped.”
And shortly after Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans offered the invocation, PC President Father Brian J. Shanley chose to forgo citing “great and lofty thinkers” to hinge his remarks on. Instead, he did something he’s never done before: He quoted song lyrics from “Closing Time,” the 1999 hit by American alternative rock band, Semisonic.
The last line, he said, is the most appropriate.
“‘Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end,’” he quoted, going on to say in his own words, “Endings and new beginnings are what make a good life…Your best years lie ahead of you. Go with our — and God’s — blessing.”
