SAC HONORS GRADUATES WITH COMMENCEMENT WEEK 2009
June 6, 2009
Contact: Allison Spara
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University Student-Alumni Council (SAC) serves on a committee headed up by the Ohio Union to organize Ohio State’s Commencement Week. Commencement Week is held during the final week of Spring Quarter. It is a week of events to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating seniors and to thank them for everything they have done during their time at Ohio State, sending them off with a final farewell. The Student-Alumni Council continues to develop events to connect graduating students to alumni in hopes of forming lasting relationships with their Alma Matter.
This year the week’s events include Chalk the Walk, where students are asked to sign the Long Walk on the Oval after their last exam, the Things You Never Got to See Tour, the Time and Change Tailgate and the Commencement Eve Ceremony. The Things You Never Got to See Tour features 23 hidden treasures of campus that most students never knew about, including a tour of the recently renovated Main Library. Tours are held at various times and locations from June 10 to June 12. The Time and Change Tailgate will be held on Friday, June 12, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. immediately after Commencement rehearsal at the Recreational Physical Activities Center (RPAC) Northwest lawn. The event is sponsored by the Ohio Union, The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Coca-Cola, Campus Dining, and the Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB). Members of The Student-Alumni Council, The Ohio State University Alumni Association, The Office of Student Life and Ohio Staters Inc. are volunteering at the event. The tailgate is meant to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere to celebrate graduation with music , food, games and prizes, while providing an opportunity for seniors to talk with The Ohio State University Alumni Association staff members about staying connected to the University.
The Commencement Eve Ceremony is on Saturday, June 13 at 9:00pm on the Oval the night before graduation. It is a special candlelight ceremony that all graduating students and their families are invited to attend. There are various speakers, including Dr. Gee, Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston, Vice President for Student Life, OSU alumna and 48 Hours correspondent, Erin Moriarty, who will also receive the Distinguished Service Award Sunday, and Deb Van Camp and Mark Torrez, two graduating seniors. There is also a slide show and a powerful candlelight rendition of “Carmen Ohio” by the Men’s Glee Club. This event is meant to allow seniors to reflect on their journey at Ohio State and the only event where students can receive their official Class of 2009 pins.
Finally, on the morning of Commencement, Sunday, June 14, member s of The Student-Alumni Council will pass out buckeyes to the graduates as they prepare to enter the stadium for the ceremony. Each first-time Ohio State graduate also receives a complimentary membership to The Ohio State University Alumni Association.
The Student-Alumni Council is a student advancement organization dedicated to serving Ohio State students past, present, and future through the support and coordination of university and The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc. events. A member of the Association for Student Advancement Programs (ASAP) and its parent organization, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), SAC strives to advance The Ohio State University through programs which enhance the student experience, promote student-alumni interaction and establish a spirit of loyalty to the university.
