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The Student Voice of MSU Denver
Volume 38, Issue 33
May 18, 2016
Celebrating largest graduating class in 50 years
The university celebrated its newest graduates at Spring Commencement on Saturday, May 14, at the Denver Coliseum. To accommodate continued growth in the number of MSU Denver’s graduates – more than 1,900 undergraduates and 130 master’s students participated in Saturday’s commencement – two ceremonies were held, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Photo by Sara Hertwig • shertwig@msudenver.edu
kmccall@msudenver.edu
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Students and their families gathered at the Denver Coliseum, May 14, for the Spring 2016 commencement ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of over 2,000 graduates. During two ceremonies 1,909 students graduated with bachelor’s degree and 130 graduated with a master’s degree. Of those, 250 graduates received academic honors ranging from maintaining 4.0 GPAs to participation in honors programs. Friends and family packed the stadium for the ceremony, and cheered in support of the graduating class. “It’s been a long road,” said Jeff Blinn, father of Human Services graduate Staci Elizabeth Blinn, who graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors. “It definitely wasn’t the
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four year plan, but we made it.” This was the second year the commencement ceremony was held at the Denver Coliseum. Originally held on campus, the change was made to address inclement weather problems and provide more space for the increasing attendance rates over the past eight years. “Our graduation had gotten too big. We were trying to accommodate about 12,000 people on the Tivoli fields,” said Cathy Lucas, MSU Denver’s chief of staff and associate to the
president for marketing and communications. Lucas also said that while some people’s reception to the change was negative at first, support has been increasing and they plan on signing a five-year contract for future graduations. “It was nice to see that everyone could fit inside and see the graduates. Given the weather for that day, I’m glad it was inside,” said journalism graduate Kelsey Hammond. Looking back, Blinn said MSU Denver’s less traditional aspects like flexible
“I truly felt I received the best education I could and wouldn’t want to go to any other college,”
— Kelsey Hammond
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schedules were a good fit for his daughter, who had to juggle other obligations while attending college. “It worked out well for her situation,” Blinn said. Hammond had some challenges of her own, dealing with a commute from south Denver four days a week and the resulting cost in gas. Though this made it hard to stay motivated, the hands on support she received from her professors in class helped her to overcome the challenges and earn her diploma. “I am very proud to be a MSU graduate. I didn’t party my college experience away. I truly felt I received the best education I could and wouldn’t want to go to any other college,” Hammond said.
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Keenan McCall
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