By Megan Walls
College is a journey, and for 4 years students are faced with various hurdles often having to balance the workload that accompanies each semester, on top of daily life responsibilities aside from classes. Though, what motivates most students to keep going is the awareness that the finish line is near, and the thought of hearing their name as they cross the stage on graduation day. To be acknowledged after having put in countless hours of work is what students desire, and for the Spring 2024 commencement, Lehman College is gracing graduating seniors with this honor, upon other changes that will showcase the colleges’ commencement in a whole new light moving forward.
In the past years Lehman College’s commencement ceremony has looked a little different and while the focus still centered around the acknowledgment of the students, graduating seniors were not recognized individually. On Thursday June 1st, 2023, Lehman College held its 55th annual commencement where 3,500 graduating students plus an additional 7,500 family members and friends were in attendance alongside staff and faculty.
The commencement proceeded as it typically would, but when it came time to honor the graduating class only the schools, and majors in which the students were apart of were called. “I didn't feel special on a day I’d long for my entire life,” said Lehman alumni Ashley Merlanie Castillo who was a part of the Spring 2023 graduating class. As we stepped into the new year of 2024, students have boldly expressed their opinions on how they feel graduates should be honored on such an important day.
With Lehman College’s 56th annual commencement growing near, the most noticeable changes in the ceremony this year will be that graduates will now be able to walk across the stage as their names are called. Such an unexpected change started only with a student and an ideal; and Mikayla Sumter Malone, an upper Junior here at Lehman was the defining voice that sparked just the right amount of movement needed to bring this change to life.
Malone recalled the thoughts and questions that fled her mind as she watched pre-recorded Lehman commencement ceremonies on YouTube, “why is the commencement an hour long and no students are getting recognized?” Having spoken to a few classmates last semester, according to Malone many voiced their desires to “have their names called at graduation,” while students additionally questioned “why waste time going to commencement if names aren’t going to be called?” Witnessing her peers' desires to be acknowledged lead Malone on January 8th, 2024, to create the Moveon.org petition entitled “Graduation at Lehman College” addressed to Lehman College President Dr. Fernando Delgado. Unsure if her attempt at speaking up for fellow students would even be successful Malone declared “at first I thought that my petition wasn’t going to work,” but the act of a former classmate named Chanel Huston brought forth the right amount of influenced needed to cement Malone’s deed.
“She told me that she is on the graduation committee, and she wanted to bring up my petition at their committee meeting” said Malone recounting Houston’s words. No more than a week later Malone received the news from Huston that “they are going to be calling names at graduation,” and the following month on February 8th, 2024, student affairs Vice President Jermaine A.Wright sent out an email notifying all students of the newly implemented changes to this year's commencement. “I was surprised that my petition worked” exclaimed Malone, and following the student affairs announcement Malone was not the only student enthusiastic about these changes.
Current Lehman senior Andrew Figueroa voiced his thoughts saying, “I really like it because I feel like the whole point of going to graduation is to hear your name called and walk the stage while your family is watching.” While emphasizing what a “huge milestone” graduation is for first generation college students in particular, Figueroa resumed saying, “I knew about it, and I’ve been excited for a while now because I know last year they didn’t call names.”
As graduates will now be named individually come commencement day, this will undoubtably impact the May 30th ceremony layout. Due to the programs time extension this year student affairs notes that “The graduation begins at 10AM, and due to the new addition of saying graduates' names, will end between approximately 1-1:30PM.” While attendees can expect a new running time of around 2 hours and 30 minutes for the program, other newly incorporated changes to this year's commencement ceremony includes air-conditioning viewing areas within campus buildings for guests, and the providing of tents over the graduates for sun protection. Ensuring that the safety and comfort of both graduates, and guests alike are placed at the forefront, although Lehman’s ceremony this year is lengthier in time everyone can still expect a day full of cheer and celebration.
As we inch towards the special date, in the upcoming weeks graduating seniors can further verify that they are set to walk the stage by ensuring they have filed for graduation and preordered their caps and gowns from collegegrad.herffjones.com for the 2024 ceremony. Additionally, caps and gowns will be available at the Lehman College Bookstore for purchase beginning April 22nd.
If you want to commemorate your accomplishments, this year Lehman College is also partnering with Island Photography to provide students with professional cap and gown portraits right here at the campus bookstore. From April 15th –16th to May 1st – 3rd dates and times are available to students for bookings.
Any inquiries may be directed to student.affairs@lehman.cuny.edu or you can stop by their Shuster Hall office Room 204. To stay up to date on all commencement-related information, students may visit https://www.lehman.edu/classof2024
