VCU: A Year of Ups and Downs
Wow, what a year it’s been for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)! We went from the absolute high of graduation to, well, a bit of a low with some unexpected controversy. It really was a rollercoaster, from a seriously inspiring commencement ceremony to a post-graduation situation that left a lot of people scratching their heads.
A Graduation to Remember (Mostly)
The 2025 VCU graduation ceremony? Epic. Nearly 4,900 graduates – that's a massive number! Think of all the hard work, late nights, and ramen noodles that went into that achievement. There were over 3,100 undergraduates, almost 1,000 master's degrees, 365 first-professional degrees, and around 300 doctorates. These grads came from 38 states and 47 countries – VCU's truly global!
Keynote Speaker: Everette Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter, gave one heck of a speech. He really resonated with the grads, urging them to chase their wildest dreams, even the ones that sound impossible. He stressed that lasting impact, not social media fame, is the real measure of success. Pretty inspiring stuff.
Amazing Grads: The class of 2025 had some truly remarkable individuals. Lindai Xie, who earned her doctorate *before* her driver's license? Seriously impressive. And Stephen Kouevi, a former VCU Police Officer who graduated from the School of Business? Talk about dedication! Then there was the heartwarming story of Jason and Laila Hendricks, a father and daughter graduating together – that one got me right in the feels.
Qatar Campus Celebration: VCUarts Qatar also had its own fantastic graduation, with renowned designer Peter Gould as the keynote speaker. It was a great reminder of VCU's global reach.
And then… there was baseball.
The Baseball Season: Let's just say it was a tough one for our VCU Rams. While there were some standout performances – like Sean Swenson's ninth home run and five RBIs – the final record of 14-37 overall and 7-20 in conference play wasn’t exactly what anyone hoped for. Definitely room for improvement next year!
The Aftermath
Things took a bit of a turn after graduation. About 40 students held an unauthorized event on April 29th, and it led to some serious fallout.
The Unauthorized Event: It was an anniversary protest, on the lawn outside James Branch Cabell Library. They’d been asked repeatedly to move, but they didn’t, which resulted in one arrest. You know how sometimes things just spiral?
The Fallout: As a result, some graduates had their degrees temporarily withheld while the university investigated. That decision sparked a lot of debate, with some students feeling the punishment was too harsh. Honestly, who saw that coming?
Student Reactions: Sereen Haddad, a senior, pretty much voiced the feelings of a lot of students, expressing their frustration and feeling that the disciplinary action was unfair. It really highlighted the delicate balance between student rights and university rules.
VCU officials maintained that everything was handled according to established procedures, emphasizing the importance of following campus rules. It's a complicated situation with no easy answers.
Looking Ahead
2025 was definitely a mixed bag for VCU. We celebrated amazing achievements, but also faced some tough challenges that sparked important conversations about student rights and institutional responsibility. It’s a reminder that even the best universities face complex issues. Ultimately, VCU is committed to providing a great learning experience for all its students, while also maintaining order and respect for its rules and regulations. Here's to a better year ahead!
