Even though commencement was not held in a traditional, in-person format, this year’s graduating class was able to experience more traditional elements of commencement in the virtual ceremony. Bagpipes were played, graduate Christian Kapoukranidis addressed his class, and Dr. Henry S. Parker was invited to speak as NVU-Lyndon’s annual commencement guest speaker. All components of the ceremony were recorded on-campus prior to Sunday’s event.
Dr. Parker is an author, oceanographer, professor, and expeditioner. His experience is diverse, having worked as a seaweed farmer in the Philippines, co-led an expedition that discovered seventeenth-century Spanish Manila galleon remains, and serving in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Parker lives in Sutton, Vermont, and is a supporter of Northern Vermont University and the Vermont State Colleges System. Last year, he wrote an editorial published in the VTDigger where he defended the preservation of liberal arts institutions. He has also worked with NVU faculty and staff to support young writers across the state.
Dr. Parker was announced as the NVU-Lyndon commencement guest speaker in late April. At the same time, Dr. Francois S. Clemmons was announced as the guest speaker for NVU-Johnson’s commencement. According to Assistant to the Provost Tracy Sherbrook, there is not a “set process for choosing guest speakers,” but they must be approved by the NVU Executive Team and/or the NVU President.
NVU President Elaine Collins said this year’s speakers “have demonstrated commitment to the public good in their communities in exceptional ways, modeling a key value of our university.” President Collins went on to describe the idea of both speakers having diverse backgrounds of success to speak to the multitude of students graduating. Some students, however, did not share the anticipation of wisdom at the selection.
When Northern Vermont University first merged, the selection of commencement speakers only continued to divide the campuses. In 2019, NVU-Johnson hosted musician Cyndi Lauper and NVU-Lyndon hosted filmmaker Bess O’Brien. Many students on the Lyndon campus expressed disgruntled thoughts about the popularity difference of the speakers. O’Brien even addressed the hesitation of students in her speech, beginning with “Hello. I am not Cyndi Lauper. Sorry, you guys.”
These same concerns were held with this year’s selection of commencement speakers, with Dr. Clemmons having starred in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for 25 years. Former Student Government President and 2021 graduate Kate Henriques told The Critic “I read the bios for both speakers and I am way more interested in the speaker for the Johnson campus. [Dr. Parker] seemed interesting, but it definitely feels as though Johnson gets the better speaker.”
Outstanding Senior Award recipient Adrianne Hutchin understood the uneasiness of her peers, saying “the Lyndon speaker is a much more distinguished and diverse individual. The Johnson speaker is more relevant to today’s present atmosphere in the world, if you will.” She, however, preferred to hear Dr. Parker speak to the class. “He will appeal to many majors… His wide array of life experiences makes him an ideal candidate for our speaker in this unprecedented time.”
Fellow graduate Kelsey Emery said that the divide in speakers seemed to reflect the specific programs on each NVU campus, and it’s something she appreciated. NVU-Johnson’s history of performance-based speakers aligns with the theatre studies and music performance concentration offered. Meanwhile, NVU-Lyndon’s choice of a scientist reflects the campus’s exclusive Atmospheric Sciences, Natural Science, and Exercise Science programs.
Graduate Zac Mercauto also held excitement for Dr. Parker’s speech, telling The Critic “I’m going to embrace whoever the speaker is regardless of the individual. I think that’s the right thing to do.”
None of the graduates that The Critic spoke with knew how commencement speakers were chosen. Emery said she wanted to know the process, and others in her class expressed the desire to be involved in the selection process. Henriques is one of those students, stating “It is frustrating to not have a say in who our commencement speaker is. It is our commencement and the students being celebrated should have a say in who is addressing them.”
“I wish they had chosen someone more connected with the students. Instead they chose someone to plug a new program.” -Kate Henriques, Class of 2021
Following Dr. Parker’s commencement speech, the mixed feelings continued. Henriques says she was disappointed. “I, and some of my peers, did not relate to him or his talking points… Dr. Parker’s speech was long and not insanely engaging. I understand he is starting a relationship with NVU, but writing is not a prominent program. The fact it isn’t is terrible, but it’s the truth.”
Hutchin, once in favor of Dr. Parker, didn’t think he spoke to the class as much as he could have. “I admit, I’ve taken a longer road than most to get here. I guess you could say I understood why he approached the speech the way he did. He just was not as targeted as he could have been,” she told The Critic.
Mercauto says he was impressed with Dr. Parker’s speech, describing him as motivational and inspirational. “I really liked the fact that he is from Maine, like myself,” he said. “I have been thinking I had to rush to get a career after graduation and he told all graduates to take [their] time in life. I think this will be one of the things I will take away from his speech.” Mercauto even said he hopes Dr. Parker can return to in-person commencements in the future.
Feature Photo || Dr. Henry S. Parker speaks at the virtual NVU-Lyndon commencement ceremony.
Sabra Anne
Students should also have a say of commencement student speakers. If we want to factor in if what is being said is relatable or not, this year was certainly no different.