By Docker Haub
Student Reporter
The spring semester is coming to an end at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and for many students, this means graduation is right around the corner.
Spring commencement is set to be held on Saturday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m. on Ranger Field. It will be a day dedicated to honoring all the graduating Rangers. This year, there will be a total of 249 students graduating with Bachelor’s degrees. Out of those 249 students, 35 will be graduating with honors. The standards for honors are as follows: Students with cumulative grade point averages between 3.70 and 3.79 are designated cum laude, those with GPAs between 3.80-3.89 are magna cum laude and those above 3.90 are summa cum laude.
As for Master program students, there will be 28 graduates. Out of those 28, two will be receiving Master’s of Science in General Psychology degrees, eight will be receiving Master’s of Counseling Psychology degrees and 18 will be receiving Master’s of Education degrees.
Roland Pederson, a State Senator from Burlington, Oklahoma, as well as a Northwestern graduate from 1972, is set to be the keynote speaker of the commencement. “Senator Pederson is a very educated, respectable man,” said Allison Zimmerman, member of the Commencement Committee and professor of mass communications, “we were very pleased to have him as our keynote speaker and I know he will give an outstanding speech.” After the commencement ceremony, there will be a reception for the graduates which is to be held in the Student Center Ballroom. “I’m kind of in shock that I’m already about to graduate,” said Jacob Peyton, a senior health and sports science major, “but I’m really looking forward to being able to celebrate with my family and being able to walk across the stage with some of my friends.” Under the circumstances of inclement weather, the commencement ceremony will be moved from Ranger Field to the Percefull Fieldhouse.
If this is the case, students and staff will be notified by email as well as text message. The commencement ceremony will also be available to live stream online at http://riderangersride.com/watch/?Live=78.