Local news media outlets provided coverage of Hudson Valley Community College’s 67th Commencement on Saturday, May 15 in the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
Due to the pandemic, four, small ceremonies were held to decrease denisity and enable social distancing.
Times Union — SEEN Gallery
HVCC celebrates 67th commencement ceremonies
Melissa Schuman / The Record / May 15, 2021
TROY, N.Y. — Hudson Valley Community College celebrated its 67th commencement, honoring more than 1,500 students in four separate ceremonies. The commencements took place at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, and honored graduates of the classes of 2021 and 2020.
Due to pandemic restrictions, last year’s commencement was entirely virtual. This year, with restrictions finally easing up and more of the population fully vaccinated, HVCC was able to host in person ceremonies, divided by school to allow as many people as possible to participate while still adhering to state safety guidelines.
Those guidelines were facilitated by HVCC’s continued role in state and county vaccination and prevention efforts. Rapid testing was offered for any graduate or guest that needed it. The campus remains a county testing site, vaccination site, and point of distribution for emergency medical supplies. It’s also the state site for test kit assembly, run by the state National Guard.
“People were yearning to be part of something that was there before,” HVCC President Dr. Roger Ramsammy remarked. “Walking across that stage makes it feel real. Our team did an excellent job of making this happen.”
“Dr. Ramsammy is an innovator, and this way seemed perfect,” added Neil Kelleher, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “The team here did an awesome job, the weather cooperated, and it’s a great way to get the message out – we are open for business again, and the campus is going to come alive.”
The first commencement ceremony was for the School of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at 9 a.m. At 11:15 a.m., the School of Heath Sciences had their ceremony. The School of Business and Liberal Arts for degrees in Business, Computer Science, and Criminal Justice went at 1:30 p.m. Finally, at 3:45 p.m. the School of Business and Liberal Arts conferred degrees in Education and Social Sciences; Human Services and Chemical Dependency; Fine Arts, Theater Arts, and Digital Media Development; and Liberal Arts and General Studies.
All four ceremonies were livestreamed on the college’s website for anyone that couldn’t be there in person. Graduates were limited to two guests each, and strategic decisions such as parking lot rotation, fewer guest speakers, and streamlining students out of the stadium as soon as they received their diplomas helped to minimize crowds and traffic.
A virtual ceremony with full pomp and circumstance, featuring speeches by local leaders and members of the HVCC community, musical performances, and award recognitions, was aired later that evening on the college website.
HVCC’s class of 2021 includes 1,549 students from 37 countries. The youngest graduate is 17 and the oldest is 72. 433 students graduated with academic honors and 164 belong to the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
Under a warm, cloudless sky, Ramsammy congratulated the graduates on their journey, overcoming obstacles like no others before them.
“Though we we’re apart, we’re certainly not alone,” he said in his address. “Together we can accomplish anything, and today is proof of that.”
Ramsammy continued, “Bravo to all of you. Each of you have unique backgrounds and a different story, but you all have something in common – a drive for persistence and dedication, and that’s something to be proud of.”
Ramsammy’s remarks encouraged the students to never stop believing in themselves, and to achieve the great things he knew each one of them was capable of.
“Keep pushing to achieve your dreams and goals, and when you meet them, set new ones,” he told the students.
After remarks by a Dean appropriate to each graduating school, a faculty representative for each ceremony led the graduates and guests in a moment of reflection and silence for those who could not be present and those who were gone too soon.
Reese Harrison, the student trustee to the Board of Trustees, gave a speech to the graduates. For the first three ceremonies, it was prerecorded and presented on the stadium’s screen. At the 3:45 ceremony, which Harrison was part of, he gave his speech in person.
Finally, Vice President of Academic Affairs Judith DiLorenzo and Ramsammy conferred degrees to the classes of 2020 and 2021. The graduates lined up to receive their diplomas and take pictures, then exited the stadium and reunited with their guests outside.
In between each ceremony, the seating areas and stage were sanitized and reset.
The full graduation ceremony can be viewed at www.hvcc.edu/commencement.
Published: Mon, 17 May 2021 12:00:30 +0000 by d.gardner