Four Years in a Day

May 8, 2011: the culmination of 1353 days of classes, relationships and assignments for 617 undergraduate students.

Undergraduate Degree Distribution

For 105 undergraduates, this day will serve as a security for the work they will complete over the summer. 59 others who completed their degrees in the fall semester will have the opportunity to walk with their class.
 
110 graduate students will spend slightly less time concluding their efforts of one to three or more years of work on their graduate degrees the previous day.

The commencement exercises, lasting a few hours, harbors different meanings to different graduates. For Teige Weidner, graduating with a Masters in Business Administration, the commencement serves as the opportunity to show his family what he has accomplished.

Graduate Degree Distribution

Saturday, the commencement day for Graduate students, will also be the culmination of Weidner’s seven years at the University of Portland. During his time on campus, Weidner earned degrees in Music and Spanish in the spring of 2008, worked as a Resident Assistant (RA) in Villa Maria Hall his junior and senior years, helped lead the Villa Maria Drum Squad for Soccer matches, worked for Campus Ministry and served as Assistant Hall Director for Shipstad and Villa Maria Halls over the last three years.

For Bob Alger, a Mechanical Engineering major, Sunday will serve as a last opportunity to interact with friends before they all split off to follow their career paths. “[Graduation] will be a culmination of my 18 years of schooling (including kindergarten and preschool) but the ceremony does not mean much to me personally.”

Kyle Kearney, graduating with degrees in Computer Science and Math, also shares the feeling of ambivalence toward Commencement, considering it “such a small part of the last few weeks of the semester (Founder’s Day presentation, finals and saying goodbye to friends.)”

Brian Burger, a Drama major, is glad to walk on Sunday but not looking forward to the lengthy ceremony he believes could last up to five hours.

Bobby Manson, graduating with Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering, has his fear toward the ceremony but also reminds himself he has had 22 years of preparation for this day, so he hopefully will not be as afraid once he claims his degree.

Biology Major Sam Luty has chosen to view the weekend as the culmination of hard work but also “crazy exciting and wonderful.”

For some graduates, they will leave this weekend knowing what they will be doing. Kearney will take a few weeks off to visit his friend in Montana and relax in San Diego, his hometown, before starting work at the Beaverton, Ore. branch of Cypress Semiconductor, a company manufacturing and designing products using semiconductors.

Alger will try his luck finding work either in Portland or Seattle in the field of robotics. He hopes to work either in dark factories, locations operated solely by robots, on military drones or another branch of robotics that has practical application and room for future expansion. Over the summer Alger will work on staffing concerts and working with his father’s company Seattle Sports Science, producer of the SideKick®, a soccer equivalent of baseball pitching machines.

Tamara Caruso, graduating with a Secondary Education Degree, will walk on Sunday but will be sticking around for the next few weeks as her student teaching comes to a close.

Other graduates have no or little clue. Weidner is hoping to remain in the Portland area near his girlfriend and has been applying all over the area, but he will continue his search around here and up in his Woodinville, Wash. community, in case his Portland job search comes up empty.

What to expect at Graduation (Rob Finch, The Oregonian)

Brian Burger is looking forward to focus solely on Theater and acting rather than worrying to worry about different subjects.

This weekend also means large amounts of relatives will be visiting campus and descending on the Chiles Center for the ceremony featuring an address from the Honorable Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, a member of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, valedictory words from Valedictorian Sean Frederick, and procession lasting up to 35 minutes according to UP’s Commencement page.

Among those waiting for 35 minutes are those who received graduation tickets.  Each graduate receives six general admission tickets for family and friends. Some graduates use their entire allotment; others sell their excess to those who need more. Either way the Chiles Center will receive one final influx of people for the 2010-2011 school year.

Not only do students' families attend graduation, but professors do as well. “I always attend graduation. It is very rewarding to see your students graduate – particularly when it is someone who you have taught in several classes since their first year, and you have seen their development,” Philosophy professor James Baillie said.

Professors are with students their whole college career, some since their freshman year. “It's like watching your own children grow up and mature before your own eyes. It's very rewarding to see my student’s blossom from "clueless"/"deer-in-the-headlights" freshmen into mature, confident adults at commencement, ready to take on the world. I am very proud of them, indeed," School of Engineering professor Peter Osterberg said.

“It’s sort of sad to see them graduate but it beats hell out of the alternative,” Environmental Science department chair and professor Steve Kolmes said.

Regardless of their future plans, those graduating have beaten the alternative.

Right photo: Clockwise: Sara Jackman '11, Alex Dowling '11, Dustin Matinkhah '11 Erik Oreschak '11, Kassi McCluskie '12
Left photo: Top: Rachael Hartz '11, Emily Rizzo '11, Kamuri Yeh '11. Bottom: Kim Troy '11, Madeleine Sweet '11, Caty Walsh '11

Graduate School Commencement will start at 1pm Saturday, May 7th and Undergraduate Commencement will start at 2pm Sunday, May 8th.
 
We asked six seniors who is in their six, what graduation means to them and one of their most memorable moments from their four years.

University of Portland Students Relay for Life

This year’s Relay for Life event at the University of Portland was a bit shy of its overall goal of nearly $55,000, but did raise a total of $38,045 as of May 2. Although the teams did not reach their expected goal, event organizers still see the event as a success.

“Overall, we definitely accomplished what we set out to do,” Locke Bielefeldt, UP junior and Relay for Life logistics coordinator said. “We were able to spread the word about Relay for Life to the UP community and still raise quite a bit of money.”

Participants in Relay for Life join together on teams to more effectively raise money. Each team member sets a personal fundraising goal to help his or her team reach its desired goal. The idea is based on community empowerment and the more people involved the better, according to the Relay for Life website and mission statement.

Nearly half of the 52 teams fundraised over $500, 13 fundraised $1,000 or more.

“Fundraising can be very difficult on a college campus” senior Danielle Castro said. “You are often going to the same people when soliciting donations and you really have to become creative in the way you fundraise. You can only hold so many bake sales within a year.”

Castro knows how much effort it takes when fundraising. She volunteered her time this year for two non-profit organizations in the area, while also participating in Relay for Life.

“Although this year’s Relay for Life didn’t raise as much money as expected, the event was still a success," Castro said. "You can’t just look at things based on money – there was a lot of energy behind the people who did participate and the organizers will be able to build off of that for next year.”

According to UP junior Caitlin Yilek, team captain of Save Our Ta-Ta’s, Relay for Life participants had to be persistent this year in their fundraising.

Yilek’s team raised over $5,400, which was the most money fundraised this year by any team.

"Our original goal was $1,000," Yilek said. "I never expected my team to raise over $5,000. But, I kept pushing my team to send emails and make phone calls to their families and friends."

According to Yilek, Save Our Ta-Ta's sent hundreds of emails to family and friends asking for donations over the course of the school year.

"Not everyone is going to donate," Yilek said, "But if you are enthusiastic about the cause and bringing awareness to it, you can raise a lot of money."

What is Relay for Life?

Relay for Life is an overnight event where participants agree to raise money and awareness for cancer research and advocacy. The event takes place on a track or other walking arena where people can continually participate in laps working to advocate for cancer research.
Relay for Life’s overall mission works to empower participants, cancer survivors, care givers, loved ones, and advocates to unite and fight back against cancer. Through Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society’s work people have the power to advocate for research funding, access to care, patient’s rights, and other issues critical to eliminating the pain and suffering that cancer creates for people.

Why do UP students 'Relay?'

Every person that participates in Relay for Life has his or her own reason for attending the fundraising event.

“I relay to fight back,” Event Chair Chris Vennes said.

Cancer has affected many of Vennes’ family and friends. Like Vennes, Relay for Life is a very personal event for Brie Colangelo, a UP junior nursing major.

“I relay because cancer is such an evil disease that greatly affected my family,” Colangelo said. “I don’t want to see anyone suffer the way my family had to suffer.”

Colangelo’s dad died two years ago from lung cancer.

For some participants it is about raising money to fight against a disease that has personally impacted them. For others, it is about supporting a noteworthy cause and calling attention to a disease that does not yet have a cure.

Meridee Kaiel, an administrative assistant at UP, has been participating in Relay for Life for the past five years.

“For me, Relay for Life is a great opportunity to be involved with what students are doing here,” Kaiel said. “It’s a great organization and raises a lot of money for an amazing cause.” “I can’t find a better way to be involved than through this.”

Where do Relay for Life donations go?

With hundreds of Relay for Life events occurring across the country, not just at UP, the question is often asked, “Where does all the money go that is raised?”

The Relay for Life website provides information on where different donations could be used and provides a brief assessment of how each donation can truly impact someone.

Although the event took place on April 16 and 17 on the University of Portland campus donations are still being accepted for the University of Portland's Relay for Life.

For more information visit Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.

by Caitlin Yilek, Roya Ghorbani-Elizeh, Colin Dorwart and Katie Scally