Rain can't douse graduates' spirits
C of C seniors, families wait out showers to keep ceremony at Cistern
Sherry and Craig Beeler arrived at The Cistern at 10:30 a.m. Sunday with hopes of grabbing front and center seats to watch their daughter, Betsy, graduate from the College of Charleston.
But when commencement was scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m., the Beeler family huddled together on a couch inside Alumni Memorial Hall. A passing thunderstorm delayed the college's outdoor graduation ceremony for nearly two hours, causing the already-seated family members of 1,553 seniors to vacate their places and temporarily seek indoor shelter.
The Beelers, who drove to Charleston on Friday from their home in Knoxville, Tenn., said they hoped to reclaim the same seats once the rain passed.
Sherry Beeler said her daughter's graduation — even with a delayed ceremony — made for an ideal Mother's Day no matter the family's seating location.
"Betsy's graduation is still the best gift I could ever get," she said.
Although the later-than-expected commencement ceremony might have ruined many Sunday night dinner reservations, spirits still ran high among members of the class of 2007 once the procession began after 4 p.m.
Several graduates said they appreciated the decision by college officials to keep the ceremony on campus rather than moving it to North Charleston Coliseum, which was designated as the alternate rain location. About 30 members of the college's grounds crew frantically worked to dry seats and even used leaf blowers to clear puddles after the rain fell and before commencement began.
"No one wanted to do the Coliseum," graduate Iana Arsova said. "We'd rather wait or sit out in the rain."
Once commencement was under way, the rain remained on the minds of graduates and family members. Senior class president Sarah Exell matched a memory from the senior class's college experience with a letter of the alphabet in her speech. In her humorous remarks, "D" stood for "damp and disheveled but still diploma bearing" and "W" led to "Wet! What are we waiting for?"
Commencement speaker Jerry Zucker, who received an honorary degree from the college, provided a more serious tone. Zucker, a businessman and community leader who founded The InterTech Group, urged graduates to find ways to inspire each other by tackling challenging leadership roles. The world needs courageous leadership now more than ever, he said, and it's up to individuals to take charge rather than blaming others for problems.
Reach Mindy B. Hagen at 937-5433 or mhagen@postand courier.com.
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Comments
dafoster68324 (anonymous) says...
Well isn't this a tidy little synopsis. It leaves out the fact that the key note speaker is a wealthy Jewish American businessman who hypocritically blamed the US media and Al Jazeera for not properly informing Americans on the views of Arab Muslims in the Mid-East (something that he is evidently an expert on) and then preached to us about why we shouldn't blame anyone (presumably the current administration) for problems that have arisen in the laughable "War on Terror." His belief in Zionism was not explicit, but nevertheless obvious and tainted his entire message - which would have been a good one if he had not so thoroughly compromised it with hypocritical rhetoric.
As well, with all the rain that had fallen, and was obviously going to continue falling, it is baffling that the powers-that-be did not amend the ceremonies to prevent the graduates as well as their families (grandparents, babies, etc...) from getting even more thoroughly soaked. Instead, they made everyone present suffer through what has to be one of the worst, most simple-minded, sophmoric speeches I have ever had the displeasure of being forced to hear. When Ms. Exell started anagramming the alphabet the entire graduating class let out a collective groan when we realized she intended to take this idiotic idea all the way to "Z." We cringed as each letter represented something even more moronic than the previous and gazed skyward as the portending clouds thickened. How this person came to represent our class is a mystery to me, but I can only guess a sorority had something to do with it.
Many CofC employees did a fantastic job fighting the rain; however, the seats of the graduates were completely soaked when we went to sit down and we were only handed little paper towels that looked like they had been snagged from a bathroom as an afterthought. This dragged-out the process of seating the graduates by at least 30-40 minutes longer than necessary. In other words, the planning and implementation of the ceremony left something to be desired. A back up location that is actually functional needs to be established.
May 14, 2007 at 11:38 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emcm (anonymous) says...
The comments made by dafoster tell me three things about this person:
1. The student was obviously not from Charleston (hopefully, they will find their way back home since graduation is over TODAY!) This student has NO idea about history and honor to be able to just SIT at the Cistern - wet dry, hot, whatever. AND BABIES AND DOGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT HOME. THAT WAS RUDE TO BRING EITHER! Just poor manners
2. The student showed tremendous ignorance, and obviously has no connection to the Charleston area. I am sorry that they have no clue about Mr. Zucker (from reading the comment, he did not even know the "key-note" speaker's name! YOU must have been busy playing with the beach ball when the speaker was introduced). What an honor to be in the presence of such a great American that has given so much of his earnings to charities and organizations and dedicated his life to all humanity - - even ignorant people like yourself.
3. Don't be so critical. You will continue to be miserable - it is VERY obvious why YOU were not giving any speeches yesterday. Thank goodness!! We were lucky!
P.S. Be thankful that you were given the opportunity so many will never have. You have your degree - now go home! QUIT Your whining. It is time for you to grow up. Good Luck.
May 14, 2007 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dafoster68324 (anonymous) says...
I live here, work full-time here, and have done both for many years. As well, your comments do not in any way address my points. I am sure Mr. Zucker is a noble human being and have not meant to imply otherwise in any way. As well, are you really suggesting that it was "poor manners " to bring my baby daughter to my graduation? This question is really the only reason I bother responding to such an ad hominem attack.
May 14, 2007 at 1:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkelley (anonymous) says...
As a junior who worked yesterday's graduation, I must remind this unhappy graduate that if the weather was such a problem, they had the option of not attending the ceremony. When I arrived on stage the very hard working members of the College of Charleston staff had completely dried every seat on stage. Unfortunately, another rain shower wet them again, as water tends to do. The last time I checked a little rain never hurt anyone and personally, I would rather sit in a hurricane than graduate in North Charleston.
On another note, Sarah Exell is a personal friend of mine and is of the quality of student that this College should strive to have more of. This was her moment in the spotlight and to condemn her for wanting to complete her entire speech is childish. Again, if sitting through a long ceremony is such a problem maybe this graduate should have thought twice about attending. Sarah is involved in many aspects of this campus and was elected as President because she was such a deserving candidate. The one area that she was actually not involved in was Greek Life, much to your surprise, unhappy graduate. Greek life on the College of Charleston campus, however, plays a very positive and active role and it offends me, as a member of Greek life, to be treated so sterotypically.
I am disappointed to one day share a degree with someone as close minded and rude as the one who wrote the first comment. This is not the type of student that truly represents what is best at the College of Charleston and I am disturbed at the utter lack of love and respect this graduate has for their school and fellow classmates. One last word to any up rising seniors who may share some of the same opinions as this recent graduate: If you intend on walking with the class of 2008, be prepared for possibly getting wet because many of my classmates and I will be fighting again this year to keep this historical ceremony on the cistern rain or shine.
May 14, 2007 at 1:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emcm (anonymous) says...
Thank you to mkelley. It is great to hear from students that are encouraging, positive, and most of all - appreciative. Please, do me a favor - most babies / infants / children under 4 do not realize what is going on - nor do they care about a graduation. Encourage the Class of 2008 to leave their children / babies , etc at home where they are comfortable. At the same time, they will not be crying, running around and being distractive while names of students are announced to honor their 4 years of hard work. It is sad that people such (as the graduate that wrote the article) do not care about distracting others. This (as in the article above) shows how selfish some people are - all about them, not thinking of what is best for their children. It was NOT a surprise that it might rain on Sunday.
May 14, 2007 at 5:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
krzy_ktty (anonymous) says...
First off, there is truth to both sides. This graduation was poorly organized. However, I did not want to go to North Charleston. As a matter of fact, if the graduation was moved, then I would not have participated in the graduation. I was only walking for my mom, and to be a part of the great beauty and history that is the College of Charleston graduation. The delay was annoying, but I decided to stick it out, and would rather have a long entrance than a wet butt.
What I found funny, was most of the class did not want the entire graduation, we wanted it shortened like last year. Almost the entire class groaned when President Bensen announced that he would still have the entire graduation ceremony. The Key-note speaker is a great man, even if I do not agree with his political views. However, his speach was a bit long and boring to me. The problem is, once the rains started, it should have been canceled, to many people got wet and were put in medical danger. Not to mention the graduation broke into un-stopable chaos. I was within the first half of the class to walk, and most of my fellow students ran off the stage before they walked, or never returned from the walk. However, they did continue so once wet, why not continue. Parents had the opportunity to leave if they did not want to get wet.
As a Comm. major I was dissapointed in the lack of communication to the students about what was going on, or at least where I was at the back of the line.
Over all, yes our graduation will go down in history as the funniest, most disorganized, and worst ever, but it was still OURS!
May 14, 2007 at 10:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pattrz (anonymous) says...
As a parent who stood in line at 10:30 in heels, sat in an uncomfortable folding chair for 8 hours, drenched by rain several times, was hot and then cold from being wet, I can honestly say I wouldn't have changed a thing! Seeing my daughter walk across the Cistern is a moment I've been anticipating for the past 4 years since she started at the College of Charleston. She did not want graduation to be in North Charleston, nor did any of her friends. It just wouldn't have been the same. Despite the warnings and the rain, I can say that the group of parents and grandparents that sat around us in the Cistern were happy, proud and not going anywhere. I will know for next time (I have another daughter graduating in 2 years, and another after her), that I will bring an umbrella, a poncho or two and a cooler with snacks. I will prepare myself to hunker down and sit it out, rain or shine, because May 13, 2007, the day I saw my beautiful rain soaked daughter in her white dress with her red roses walk across that stage barefooted, was one of the happiest days of my life.
May 15, 2007 at 11:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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