Changes in circumstances, new buildings, new opportunities, and disasters can change the way things are done in any given year.
- In the earliest days of the West Virginia Conference Seminary, commencement was held in the Seminary Building.
- In February 1905, the building burned down. Since the Seminary Building was the only building on campus in those days, commencement was held at the Buckhannon Opera House.
- By 1906, the current Administration Building was built, and it included what was then called the College Auditorium, which seated 1,500. Commencement was held there for many years. (It was renamed Atkinson Chapel in 1922)
- Commencement has also been held many times on the lawn in front of the library.
1968 - Commencement has been held on the Chapel Mall (now referred to as the Chapel Oval).
1973 - When the John D. Rockefeller IV Physical Education Center was opened in 1974, it became the customary home of Commencement. There were few changes to the way things were done from that year until 2019. One exception was that up until 2018 a hymn was sung each year – in fact, the same one (God of Grace, and God of Glory) was sung each year from 1946-2017. In 2018 there was no hymn at all.
2018 - In 2020, due to COVID-19, the first ever Virtual Commencement was held online only. You can read about that here. And watch it here.
In 2021, pandemic conditions were somewhat better, but still required some creativity. Commencement was held on Cebe Ross Field. It seems to have gone very well, but because seating was limited it was also streamed online so more family and friends could see the graduates walk across and get their diplomas. 
You can view it here. As a bonus, in the same place you can also view these related events:
- 2021 Baccalaureate
- Kente and International Stole Ceremony
- School of Nursing Convocation
- Academic and Leadership Awards Assembly
- School of Nursing White Coat Ceremony
I find it interesting to notice how people talk about changes. Although this applies to the topic of Commencement Exercises, the same theory applies to many areas of our lives.
The words that people choose can give clues to how they feel about that change. Take, for example, the words Never, Always, and Usually.
The word never can indicate that we are uninformed or lazy.
- This could mean that we just don’t know all of the facts.
- It could also mean that we are too lazy to actually check for those facts.
The word always can indicate that we are closed-minded and resitant to growth.
- This could mean that we just don’t know all of the facts.
- It could also mean that even if we knew that there had been exceptions, we just don’t want to do things differently.
The word usually can indicate that we have an understanding of what we have done before as well as a willingness to consider new things.
- Using this word can show that we have an understanding of how things have been done in the past.
- It can also indicate that we are willing to consider new things, but that we would want to know the reason for making changes. Sometimes there are very good reasons!
It is certain that the last two years in particular have not been usual. They have required creativity, flexibiity, and determination when it came to commencement. Many have found them to be frustrating. I tend to think that they have caused some growth in Thinking Critically and Creatively.
Four years pass quickly. A full half of this generation of WVWC students have never known the “usual” commencement. In fact, in other years it was not at all uncommon for students to never attend any of the commencement exercises except for the one when they were graduating. So they had nothing to compare theirs with.
The one thing that has remained constant – no matter what the Commencement Day looked like – is that WVWC students are well-prepared and poised to go out and make a difference in the lives of their families, communities, and the world. They are prepared to live full and meaningful lives. Their preparation has made them ready to commence.
Congratulations to the Class of 2021! Welcome to the Orange Line!!
