Ceremony

and first-years.” b owe added that returning students should check in to receive their class pin.

“ e ach class receives a different pin. a nd then at one point, d r. c onboy will ask the new students to get up and turn around and they will face a returning student. Then they will exchange pins and will pin that on you. s o as a returning student, you are truly welcoming a new student by pinning them,” she said.

“ s o starting with the class of (2022), when they graduate, they will have four pins as long as they come to c onvocation every year. They have a pin for every year and it will be one of the things they can wear on their gown for commencement.” a long with cheering in new students, there is also a series of awards that are handed out. d unlap explained “we are also using this to celebrate a couple faculty who are awarded the c ollege’s highest awards.”

“The highest award in teaching is the m aria Pieta a ward, and in service, is the s pes Unica a ward,” he said. “We also give the s t. c atherine’s m edal, which is an award to a student who exemplifies the best of s aint m ary’s, especially in the mission area.” d espite these prestigious awards being handed out, d unlap stressed that it isn’t a formal event. h e added that the ceremony is brief before students head off to b elle’s b ash to “have more fun before they have to do some real work.”

“People think of a ceremony as formal, but we don’t even have a program. i think the president talks for a little bit and we have the faculty member who won the m aria Pieta a ward talk. i t’s Jennifer Juszkiewicz from the Writing c enter. h er talk is going to be awesome,” d unlap said.

“ i f you’re a returning student, and you want to get a T-shirt at b elle’s b ash, you need to come to c onvocation,” b owe said. “Your ticket for a shirt will be your pin.”

The ceremony with be held in o ’Laughlin a uditorium. a ll returning students are asked to wear white shirts and all first-years to wear blue.

Contact Katelyn Waldschmidt at kwaldschmidt01@saintmarys.edu