This year’s six commencement ceremonies will each have their own keynote speakers, replacing one main speaker at the former University-wide ceremony.

The speakers include senior undergraduate business major Parker Bush and Nicolaos Alexopoulos, vice president for antenna and RF research and university relations at Broadcom Corporation in Irvine, Calif. Alexopoulos will also be receiving an honorary Doctor of Science from the Schmid College of Science.

“It’s a culture change because students were used to being together,” said Susanna Branch, academic events coordinator. “It’s a different project in terms of scheduling and staffing.”

Other speakers include Martin Benson, artistic director and co-founder of South Coast Repertory who will speak for the College of Performing Arts; Linda Darling-Hammond, professor of education at Stanford University who will speak for the College of Educational Studies; and U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who will speak for the Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Director Tony Bill, who was the Chapman filmmaker in residence last semester, will speak to the graduates of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

The Chancellor’s Office has divided this year’s commencement into separate ceremonies – one for each college – to make it more manageable and efficient, marking the first time this has happened at Chapman.

The ceremonies will take place on May 21 and May 22 at Wilson Field and Bert Williams Mall.

Bush will be the first student speaker in Chapman’s history to deliver a keynote address at an undergraduate commencement ceremony. He will also be graduating from the Argyros School of Business and Economics, and he will be the only student speaker this year.

“This will be my ninth commencement and this is the first time we will have a student keynote speaker,” Branch said. “It’s real special.”

Fifty-nine percent of students from a survey taken last year said the keynote speaker was unimportant, according to Branch.

“We figured a student speaker would be someone the students could relate to,” said Christina Williams, department assistant at the Argyros School of Business and Economics. “We wanted to find an accomplished person, someone relatable and inspirational.”

Bush was selected through teacher recommendations. He is a Cheverton Award finalist and serves on the chancellor’s student advisory board.

The idea of a large 900-person ceremony is no longer favorable, Branch said. If students want to watch their friends graduate, they must attend the other ceremonies as guests.

Branch would not disclose the total cost of the ceremonies, but said it is a costly event that does not bring revenue in.

“It’s a commitment in a different way,” Branch said.

Branch plans on distributing a participation survey after the ceremonies for students to review the new format of commencement.

The feedback will be delivered to President Jim Doti and Chancellor Daniele Struppa.

“I don’t know if I really like what they’re doing yet,” said senior mathematics major Alex Barrett. “I guess I’ll wait and see and how it goes.”


Contact this reporter: alex.chamberlain@thepantheronline.com