By: Mike Garbuzinski
It has been said that all good things must come to an end, and that seems to ring true for seniors at Loyola. The class of 2013 is preparing to move on after four years here, but not without a last hurrah of a week that ends in graduation.
Loyola has worked hard to establish a senior week that bridges the departing class’s time spent at the university with their impending future. Several different events are going to occur in the next week or so, and they are meant to cap off the accomplishments of the graduating students. The festivities start next Tuesday with a senior kickoff event and free dinner on the hillside lawn. On Wednesday the senior gala will be held on the quad from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The event is semi-formal, and will feature food including turkey, roast beef, gulf shrimp, penne pasta and more. The gala is followed the following afternoon by a picnic with alumni and Fr. Linnane at Armiger house. These events all serve as some of the final moments the class of 2013 will get together as a group to frolic and socialize.
Friday will mark the beginning of the academic ceremonies for the graduation class, and it all starts with the special awards and departmental medals ceremony. The ceremony honors the outstanding academic achievements of members of the class of 2013, and is held at 11 a.m. in McManus theater. Later that Friday the baccalaureate mass will take place in Reitz arena. The mass is described as a, “beautiful liturgical ceremony offered in thanksgiving for the blessings God has bestowed upon the graduates and their families”. Graduation week culminates the next day with Loyola’s 2013 commencement ceremony, an event so big it is held at First Mariner arena. The commencement address will be given by Dr. Carolyn Woo, the president of Catholic Relief Services. More than 1600 baccalaureate and advanced degrees will be awarded during the exercises.
Seniors seem to be both ecstatic about their accomplishments and reluctant to leave behind such an important part of their lives. Soon to be graduate Chris McAdam noted, “Its really exciting, but is definitely a little bittersweet at the same time.” The graduating class has a reason to be hesitant about moving on. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the unemployment rate for 20- to 29-year-olds who had graduated from college in 2011 was 12.6 percent”. The site goes on to note that, “the unemployment rates of recent college graduates remains above the rates prior to the 2007–2009 recession.” The class of 2013 hopes to be able to buck that trend of college graduates without work.
It has been an unforgettable four years for the class of 2013 at Loyola and it’s a chapter in their lives about to an end, but it has also been said that with every end comes a new beginning.
The Loyola Maryland Reporter 