(instrumental music) (muffled chattering) (slow violin music) (muffled chattering) (instrumental music) (applauding) - Good morning.

- [Audience] Good morning.

- I'm Chris Long, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters and of the MSU Honors College.

We gather here today to celebrate the graduates from the College of Arts and Letters.

(applauding) Please stand and join students and faculty in singing one stanza of "America The Beautiful" led by G. Dean Graham, doctoral student of the College of Music Performance in the College of Music.

We will be accompanied by the MSU Symphony Band under the direction of Robert Abend, Doctoral Student in Music Conducting in the College of Music.

(instrumental music) ♪ Oh beautiful, for spacious skies ♪ ♪ For amber waves of grain ♪ ♪ For purple mountain majesties ♪ ♪ Above the fruited plain ♪ ♪ America!

America!

♪ ♪ God shed his grace on thee ♪ ♪ And crown thy good with brotherhood ♪ ♪ From sea to shining sea ♪ (applauding) - You may be seated.

At this time, I would like to request a moment of silence to consider the purpose that brings us here.

To give thanks each in our own way for the education you have received, and the friends you have enjoyed.

In this silence, in the exhale of your breath, I hope you can settle into the joy of this moment.

So often in the pursuit of happiness, we fail to pause, to truly be happy in the moment.

Let this be a celebration.

Let this be a time of joy.

On behalf of the faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Letters, I welcome all graduates, families and friends to the commencement ceremony of the class of 2022 from the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University.

(applauding) As we begin our ceremony today, I would like to acknowledge the land Michigan State's main campus occupies.

We collectively acknowledge that Michigan State University occupies, the ancestral and traditional and contemporary land of the Anishinaabe, Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi peoples.

In particular, the University resides on land seated in the 1819 treaty of Saginaw.

We recognize support and advocate for the sovereignty of Michigan's 12 federally recognized Indian nations for historic indigenous communities in Michigan for indigenous individuals and communities who live here now, and for those who were forcibly removed from their homelands.

By offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm indigenous sovereignty and will work to hold Michigan State University more accountable to the needs of American Indian, and indigenous peoples.

Our commitment in the college to indigenous communities and our very own American Indian and indigenous studies program is unwavering.

Over the last two years we have created endowed faculty positions to enhance teaching and learning for our students, positions such as the Leslie chair in indigenous studies, the 1855 professor in Great Lake Anishinaabe knowledge, spiritualities and cultural practices.

In addition, our research endeavor to support indigenous language, teaching and outreach to indigenous communities has been supported by a $2.5 million grant.

We name these initiatives here to affirm this land and knowledge, not only in words, but in concrete and sustainable actions.

Thank you.

(applauding) The ceremony we celebrate today is called Commencement because it marks a beginning.

You are embarking on a new path as you leave this beautiful campus and chart a meaningful course for your lives.

At such moments of beginning, it is fitting to reflect upon the paths that have brought you to this commencement.

For we celebrate here today, not simply the courses you have passed but the educational experiences that empower you to bring your whole selves to the work of creating a more just and beautiful world.

At the heart of a liberal arts education is the cultivation of intellectual, creative and ethical habits that will enable you to live a fulfilling life.

At this time, we wish to pay tribute to graduates who not only completed their academic programs successfully, but who have the distinction of having maintained the highest grade point averages in the class, a perfect 4.0, thereby meriting the Board of Trustees Award.

To be eligible for this prestigious award, at least three fourths of the credits for the degree must be earned in residence at Michigan State University.

Will the students who are present, please stand and remain standing as your names are called.

I request that you hold your applause until all are introduced.

Alyssa De Torres, Art History and Visual Culture, College of Arts and Letters, Supply Chain Management, Eli Broad College of Business and Honors College.

Madeline Aisha, Apparel and Textile Design, College of Arts and Letters, Genomics and Molecular Genetics, College of Natural Science, Honors College.

Stephanie Garcia, Humanities Pre-law, Honors College.

Fiona Graham, English.

Lacey Kunsman, Professional and Public Writing, College of Arts and Letters.

Public relations, College of Communication, Arts and Scientists, Honors College.

Julia Lutz, Linguistics.

Sydney Schneider, Theater, Honors College.

Brittany Stahl, Experience Architecture.

Emma Schumacher, Art Education, Honors College.

Izzy Taylor, Philosophy.

Congratulations.

(applauding) Stay standing for a minute.

I have one more thing to say.

Each of you should be proud of the extend outstanding academic record that honors you and your university.

On behalf of your classmates, the faculty, the officers, and trustees of the university, I extend sincere congratulations and best wishes.

Please join me in another round of applause for these amazing students.

(applauding) Okay, now you can sit down.

And now I would like to present the Louis B Sudler Prize Award Winners.

This award goes to graduating seniors who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the areas of performing and creative arts, including the Fine Arts, Music, Creative Writing, Theater, or Electronic Photographic Arts.

And who also show promise of future achievement.

Will the students who are present, please stand and remain standing as your names are called.

I request again that you hold your applause until all are introduced.

Madeline Aisha, Apparel and Textile Design, College of Arts and Letters.

Genomics and Molecular Genetics, College of Natural Science, Honors College.

Mary Claire Zul, English, Honors College.

Sarah Kuchinsky, Film Studies, College of Arts and Letters.

Media Information, College of Communication Arts and Sciences.

Valentine MC Williams, English.

On behalf of the faculty and staff in the College of Arts and Letters, we extend our congratulations.

Please join me in applause for the class of 22, Louis B. Sudler Prize Award Winners.

(applauding) You may be seated.

At this time, I would also like to recognize our 11 citizen scholars who are graduating with us today.

Established in 2016, the Citizen Scholars Program has been a prestigious scholarly experience designed to prepare students to succeed academically, while gaining opportunities for high impact learning such as study abroad, undergraduate research and internships.

This program sets high standards for high achieving students who expect to be challenged.

Over the years these students have put their arts and humanities values, knowledge, skills and practices into action, leading us toward a more just inclusive and open society contributing to positive social transformation.

Today we have 11 students graduating from the citizen scholars program, and would these students please stand and be recognized.

Citizen Scholars, please.

(applauding) You may be seated.

It is only fitting then that we now turn to recognize the winner of our top award for a College of Arts and Letter students.

And that is the 2022 Outstanding Senior Achievement Award.

This award is given out annually to a student who embodies four hallmark characteristics of an outstanding graduate.

Service and leadership, personal and professional development, interdisciplinary scholarship and practice, and a commitment to cross-cultural diversity.

Please join me in congratulating this year's winner of the 2022 Outstanding Senior Award from the Experience Architecture and Media and Information Program, Emily Lynn.

(applauding) Congratulations, Emily.

In recognizing all these award winners, we celebrate the deepest values of the liberal arts education each of you has received.

Your College of Arts and Letters Degree at Michigan State University draws upon the power of varied viewpoints and diverse backgrounds.

As a group, 200 of you will speak 25 different languages.

Over 100 of you have visited or studied abroad in 30 different countries.

And nearly 120 of you have interned in organizations across the world.

These experiences have provided you with the capacity to think critically, imagine creatively, and respond ethically to the most pressing social and cultural challenges we face.

Your education in the College of Arts and Letters has empowered you to be conscientious and engage citizens leaders who can work collaboratively with local, national and global organizations.

Your degrees have been enhanced by the study and practice of written and artistic expression from diverse traditions and interdisciplinary courses.

So you are prepared to live in multiple worlds.

And you are capable of imagining how to enrich lives and relationships in a wide variety of different contexts.

For generations, alumni from the College of Arts and Letters at Michigan State University has transformed lives through engaged leadership, and I know you will do the same, but you have to put the values that have shaped your education into practice.

Only through intentional practice will your passion, your leadership and talent mobilize the power of an MSU Liberal Arts Degree to bring more justice and beauty into a world so badly in need of both.

On behalf of the faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Letters, I wish you the best as you pursue the personal goals each of you have for your lives, your families and your communities.

But we hope too that as you embark upon this new journey, you will remember how your experience here on the banks of the red seater has shaped the person you have become.

And that you will return often to mentor and support the next generation of students in the same spirit in which those who came before you provided the support and encouragement you needed to arrive at this exciting moment of commencement.

Thank you.

(applauding) I now ask Cara Cilano, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College to introduce our student speaker.

- Congratulations graduates.

I'm gonna go off script just for a second to say Dean Long said, this is a joyful moment.

So let's hear your joyful noises.

Come on, a little louder.

(crowd cheering) It's better.

It's better.

That's better.

Wonderful.

I am pleased to be here today to introduce you to our student commencement speaker, Madeline Aisha.

Madeline is graduating from the College of Arts and Letters with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Apparel and Textile Design from the College of Natural Science with the Bachelor of Science Degree in Genomics and Molecular Genetics and from Michigan State University's Honors College.

She has spent the last four years actively pursuing both the arts and sciences through a plethora of extracurricular experiences.

She worked as a mentor and resource for students and faculty in the Apparel and Textile Design Department as a studio supervisor and president of MSU's Fashion Design Student Association.

She participated in both genetics and fashion based research as a undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Theresa Winge, Rebecca Shing and Dr. Patrick Venta.

On top of classes and additional responsibilities, she even started a business, making and donating face masks to her local community during the start of the pandemic.

She has been able to combine her many interests in ways, and recently presented her senior fashion collection of five redesigned lab coats at the 24th annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum.

Madeline is also extremely passionate about educating students and supporting survivors of sexual assault and relationship violence.

And was a peer educator for the prevention, outreach and education department, as well as a volunteer medical advocate for MSU center for survivors.

During her time here at MSU, Madeline has received several accolades in both the sciences and the arts.

She received the Dr. Amber Cody Springman Memorial Scholarship, the Russell B. DuVal Scholarship from the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics for her commitment to furthering scientific knowledge through research.

She has been awarded the College of Arts and Letters, Community Partner Award, and the peer educator scholarship for her passion for serving and educating others.

She also received the Alumni Endowed Student Book Scholarship, the Anna Baya Award and the Cole Excellence Scholarship in recognition of her academic and artistic achievements, as well as the Board of Trustees Award for maintaining and graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

And most recently she was awarded the 2022 Louis B. Sudler Prize for outstanding achievement in the Arts.

And I think she's just getting started.

Madeline's time at MSU and future career plans are driven by her desire to explore each opportunity, promote interdisciplinary learning and give back to her communities.

Following graduation, Madeline is heading off on a tour of Europe before moving to New York City, where she has accepted a job as a community manager for the skincare conglomerate super ordinary.

She plans to explore her passions in both the science and design, spaces, as well as pursue additional opportunities like Fulbright.

Her plan is to eventually go to medical school to become a dermatologist or plastic surgeon.

But she is open to taking advantage of any extra opportunities that come her way.

Madeline is a compelling representative of our dynamic and engaged student body.

We are delighted and proud to counter among our graduates.

She is here today to remind us of the importance of reflection, personal engagement, and the need for forward movement towards change.

All challenges that she knows well, I invite all of you to join me in welcoming to the podium, the College of Arts and Letters, 2022 undergraduate student commencement maker, Madeline Aisha.

(crowd cheering) - Wow, that was quite the introduction.

Thank you.

Good morning everyone.

I am truly honored to be here, speaking on behalf of the College of Arts and Letters, to all of the students, respected staff and faculty, alumni, friends and family here with us today.

Congratulations to my fellow graduates for all of your hard work and successes.

After the exams, difficult critiques, club meetings, performances, extracurricular events and long hours spent learning and studying, graduation is finally upon us.

Congratulations.

We did it.

(applauding) Now the past few years have not been easy or typical.

With the rise of the COVID 19 pandemic, we have experienced confusion, panic and isolation from the abrupt shifts that have occurred in all facets of our lives.

We have faced countless challenges to our physical and mental health, societal unrest, disorientating changes in routine and the loss of loved ones and opportunities.

Some of us have experienced additional prejudice, harassment, violence, and outrage, and it is important to specifically acknowledge the strain on our black, indigenous, people of color, Asian American and Pacific Islander and LGBTQ+ communities.

I want us all to take a deep breath.

(breathes deeply) Understand that your struggles and emotions are valid.

The past few years have been extremely difficult and I commend each and every one of you for your tenacity in graduating college in the midst of a global pandemic and sociopolitical turmoil.

Now, despite the whirlwind of challenges we've faced in the past few years, there has been joy too.

We have learned quickly to adapt, remain open-minded and persevere.

We have witnessed the strengthening of our communities and the fight against bigotry and injustice.

We have felt the sheer happiness of classmates and professors upon returning to in person classes.

We have seen that kindness and creativity continue to thrive through uncertainty.

Throughout our time here at MSU, we have participated in exhibitions, volunteered, studied abroad, fostered lifelong friendships and so much more.

Be proud of what you have accomplished.

Now, when I was younger, I wanted to deliver pizza.

That was a prominent dream in my five year old brain, but my career aspirations did not end there.

Each day I seemingly woke up with a new hobby or interest ranging from being a veterinarian to an archeologist, to a baker.

I was not unusual in my youthful interest in any and all fields, but this inability to decide one distinct path has followed me throughout my life.

In my Spartan journey.

I have spent these past four years pursuing two very different degrees, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Apparel Textile Design, and a Bachelor of Science in Genomics and Molecular Genetics.

I felt the pressure to choose between these two sides of myself.

And it has taken me a very long time and many encouraging words from family, friends and faculty, to realize that these passions are not two separate halves but instead work together to strengthen each other and make me one complete whole.

Instead of focusing on only one opportunity, career path or job, my time at Michigan State has pushed me to fall in love with interdisciplinary learning through an exploration into connection.

And saying the name of our beloved college, the College of Arts and Letters, we stumble upon a pivotal ampersand, which symbolizes a connection between diverse, interests and passions.

The ampersand graphically ties together people from all backgrounds and identities, weaving student experiences and encouraging scholarship and growth in a wide array of fields.

The ampersand is also a symbolic depiction of our experience here at MSU.

We are researchers and athletes, students and parents, leaders and volunteers, artists and scholars.

We are philosophers, educators, linguists, performers, and as of right now, graduates.

(laughs) I thought I was quite unique in my dichotomous passions but the time I spent in the College of Arts and Letters working with my classmates on projects, chatting with alumni and seeking advice from various faculty members has shown me that none of us are just one thing, but instead are all amalgamations of talents, hobbies, interests, backgrounds, and lived experiences.

As we embark into the real world, we will each continue to add many opportunities, relationships, and values to our individual puzzles.

Understand that these experiences are not distinct entities, but instead integrate into your very being, making us each more open-minded, creative, and understanding of others.

The ampersand inherently connects us.

So let us carry all we've discovered, and the connections we've made here at MSU with us, as we explore ourselves, our world, and our futures.

After graduation, some of us are continuing with education, some of us are entering right into a career and some of us are still figuring things out.

No matter what, we are all leaving MSU with a collection of memories and experiences from participating in protests to passing around meals across cultural dinners, to cheering on Zeke the Wonder Dog at football games.

We are entering into the world as mosaics of our individual values, beliefs, and identities that we have learned and discovered during our time here.

We are graduating with the technical competencies needed to succeed, as well as more personal qualities, like empathy and confidence, pushing us to support each other and persevere in the face of adversity.

To my fellow graduates, as you each venture into your own personal path, know that you have cultivated the strength and skills needed to excel in all that you do.

You are capable and equipped with the ability to adapt and to enact change.

Who will become the teachers and mentors giving back to their communities?

Spartan's will.

Who will become the innovative and game changing designers and executives?

Spartans will.

Who will become the advocates and activists, fighting to make our world a better place?

Spartans will.

Congratulations again, to the class of 2022.

I know I speak for all of my peers and extending a big thank you to all of the professors, advisors, staff, family, friends, and supporters, for their tireless efforts in getting us to this moment today.

I wanna personally thank my mom and my dad, who are actually both MSU alumni themselves.

Woo.

My brother, my grandparents, my friends, and the faculty in the Apparel and Textile Design Department for guiding me in supporting me in all of my various endeavors.

I love you all.

Going forth from our time at Michigan State and in the College of Arts and Letters, may we all continue to live by the ampersand, embracing our complexity, richness, and diversity of experiences, identities and values.

I truly believe that if we can all continue to create, learn, and graduate with all that we have been through in the past four or five or six years, we can do anything.

Now just because I've always wanted to say this, to a crowd of Spartans this size, go green.

Woo, thank you.

(crowd applauding) - Thank you, Madeline.

At this time, chairpersons and directors from the college will introduce the candidates for baccalaureate degrees in the College of Arts and Letters.

As the graduates come forward, they will be in alphabetical order by department or degree program.

Graduates, please return to your seats after your name is read, the token diploma presented and photos are taken.

Jamie Paisley and Scott Poll, will read the names of graduates as they received their diplomas.

Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Arts and Letters, Cara Cilano, will introduce the chairpersons who will then introduce their degree candidates.

Please welcome, Professor Tony Hartman, chair, Department of Art, Art History, and Design.

Will the candidates for Art, Art History, and Design, please come forward.

- Skyla Demisia Mangum (crowd cheering) Cassandra Luck.

(applauding) Jordan Joe Sean Brooks.

(cheering) Cameron Atchison.

Miana Durham.

(cheering) Lucas Curtis.

Antoinette Davis.

(cheering) - Congratulations.

- Paris Lee brown.

- Congratulation.

- Henova Lincoln.

- Congratulations.

- Morgan Christine Furland.

- Congratulations.

- David Mere Shimer.

Mykia Lora.

- Congratulations.

- Robert Louis Muchi.

- Congratulations.

- Grace Jew.

(cheering) Danielle M. Boyan.

- Congratulations.

- Morgana Genevieve Brock Miller.

- Congratulations.

- Jake Jocks.

- Jake, congratulations.

- Shelby Pliska.

- Congratulations Shelby.

- Kaylan Genesco.

Mackenzie Collier.

- Congratulation, Mackenzie.

- Jillian Dutch.

Yvonne Skirtish.

(cheering) Madeline Kathleen Aisha.

- Nice to meeting you here.

- Gabrielle McKeever.

- Congratulation Gabrielle.

- Maria Chodnicki.

- Bridget Zabol.

Grace Hodak.

Paula Crow.

JC Rain Kennedy.

(cheering) - Congratulation.

- Thank you.

- Sydney Waron.

(cheering) Melanie Griffin.

- Melanie.

Congratulations.

- Natalie Park.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

- Emma Stoolmaker.

- Congratulations.

- Hayden Ramy.

- Congratulation.

- Tessa Nicole Levin.

Brooke Ryan.

- Congratulations.

- Kayla Murphy Dubor.

- Congratulations.

- Angela Rodriguez.

(cheering) Danielle Tyse.

(cheering) Hayley Finna.

(cheering) Eric Kenneth Silman.

Fernando Lois cigar.

(cheering) Juliana Akins.

Tylers Way Win.

- Congratulations.

- Theodore Direk.

- Congratulations.

- Saburn Stevens.

(cheering) Danielle Furnis.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

- Grace McKeon.

- Congratulations.

- Smydy Bolar.

- Congratulations.

- Angela Memes.

Sydney chow.

- Congratulations.

Dirk James Dre Borg.

(cheering) Nina Graham Gefen Ma.

- Congratulations.

- Jonbi Ma.

- Please welcome Professor Kaveh Askari, Director of Film Studies.

(applauding) - Will the candidates for English and Film Studies, please come forward.

- Katherine Seibu.

(cheering) - Congratulations.

- Sydney Rice.

(cheering) Isabelle Salazar.

Celine Kerick.

Lily Frost.

Maria Elena Manorias.

(cheering) Ryan Elizabeth Vogel.

(cheering) Emily Chan.

(cheering) Christina Bay Rec Darian.

- Congratulations Christina.

- Emma Clemens.

- Congratulations.

- Ally Walters.

- Congratulations.

- Willis Monroe.

- Congratulations.

- Morgan Renee Chaperone.

Joseph Rudolph Ebert.

- Congratulations.

- Kiplin Palmer.

Hayden Morgan.

(cheering) Kelly Retch.

- Congratulations.

Erica Kelly.

Hannah Alicia Ramirez.

- Congratulation.

- Jack Ben Koski.

- Parker James Wedberg.

Jasmine Denise Pickens.

Danielle Justa Dugin.

(cheering) Chloe Renee McCarthy.

- Congratulations.

- Marco Guerrero.

- Marco.

Congratulations.

- Emily Arnold.

Mackenzie Lee Bam.

- Mackenzie.

Congratulations.

- Natalie Manino.

- Natalie.

- Thank you so much.

- Fiona Graham.

Kendall Clarkston.

(cheering) - Please, welcome.

- Try it again.

Please welcome Professor Casey McCartel, Director of the Experience Architecture Program.

(applauding) - Will the candidates for the Experience Architecture Program, please come on down.

Abby Keeler.

(cheering) Mary Margaret Teli.

(cheering) Serica Chinsky.

(cheering) Aubrey Whiteside.

(cheering) Kelly Ann Stall.

(cheering) Garrett Boudro.

(cheering) Mitchell Robert Griffith.

(cheering) Gabrielle Moore.

(cheering) Jonah Michael Rally.

(cheering) Evan Clay Bikerman.

(cheering) Andrew Wilson.

Jacob Regatsy.

(cheering) - Go ahead.

Go ahead.

- Alexia Henderson.

(cheering) Vic Veta Putti.

(cheering) Brittany Ashlyn Stall.

(cheering) Ethan Colder.

(cheering) Emily Lynn.

Keegan Michoic.

(cheering) Ann Derotious.

Adam Stagner.

(cheering) Jacob Nagy.

(cheering) Ashley Broviac.

(cheering) Cole Slum Koski.

(cheering) Luke Braddock.

(cheering) Lindsay Gise.

(cheering) Oden Ryan.

- Congratulations.

- Julian Dob.

(cheering) Cate Lyn Win.

(cheering) Chris Crager.

(cheering) Justin Lee.

Jack Zimmer.

Lauren Barmore.

- Please welcome Professor Frederick Rauscher from the Humanities Pre-law and Interdisciplinary Studies.

- Well, the candidates for Humanities Pre-law and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Please step forward.

- Adit Amy Suvedra.

Skylar Yensy.

(cheering) Stephanie Garcia.

Jayden Monet Paris.

(cheering) Jayla Bradford.

- Congratulations.

- Claire Borsky.

Aria Davidson.

Rachel Peel.

Marisella Rosa Tapia.

Isaac Kan. - Isaac, congratulations.

- Madeline Schlossenberg.

(cheering) Abigail Elizabeth Dembeck.

(cheering) Douglas Bernard Jackson III.

Michelle Rapmania.

Sofia Sam.

Adriana Jamie Cortis.

Abigail Perry.

- Please welcome Professor Yen Way Lynn, chair, Department of Linguistics, Languages and Cultures.

- Will candidates for linguist languages and cultures.

Please come forward.

- Laura Harvey.

Caitlin Weatherford.

Xander Rose.

Hunter Smith.

Sarah Nappen Burga.

Julia Lutz.

Adriana Ferz.

Kayleigh Ballish.

Nathaniel Chava Ye.

Brent McCowen.

Lyph Aman Maryan.

- Please welcome Professor Matthew McKean, chair, Department of Philosophy.

- Will the candidates for philosophy, please come forward.

- Ian McDonald.

- Congratulations.

- Easy Taylor.

Lily Leilani Zaglin.

Corey Carter.

- Congratulation.

- Scott Maxey.

(cheering) - Please welcome Professor Amy DeRogatis, chair, Department of Religious Studies.

- Well, the candidates for religious studies, please step forward.

- Aiden Sullivan.

(cheering) And Whitney Clark.

(cheering) - Please welcome Professor Anthony Grubbs, chair of the Department of Romance and Classical Studies.

- Would the worldly and polyglot candidates from the Romance of Classical Studies, please step forward.

- Sarah Rose.

Joseph Fick.

Sasha Luman.

Katherine Miller.

Elizabeth Tweety.

Rachel Lynn Ismont.

Elena.

Elena Ruben Odel.

Brooke McKayla Finale.

Fiona Astle.

- Congratulation.

- Matthew Sutton.

Madeline Corte.

Adrian Colley.

Caroline Rogers.

Brian Lopez.

- Please welcome Professor Steven Di Benedetto, chair, Department of Theater.

- With the candidates for theater.

Please come forward.

- Allison Carter.

(cheering) Mia Taylor.

(cheering) Wesley Paige Harris.

Emilio Alejandro Pito.

(cheering) Abigail Nash.

(cheering) Joey Britain Raymond.

(cheering) Samantha Rose Campbell.

(cheering) Harley Edison Harris.

(cheering) Jackson Manning.

(cheering) Stephanie Savoy.

(cheering) Sydney Joe Schneider.

(cheering) Hailey Marie Erickson.

(cheering) Call Hunter Zuberk.

- Congratulation.

- Case Deconing.

(cheering) Kayley Rose Whitman.

Van Xavier Haynes.

(cheering) Alexander Lee Cousins.

Ahmen Connell Moriarty.

Joshua Wayne Magaria.

Emily Herman.

(cheering) Katherine Jane MacArthur.

Lily Nehouse.

- Congratulation.

- Quentin Knowledge.

(cheering) Daniel James Isabella.

(cheering) - Please welcome Professor Stephanie Nawyn, Director Center for Gender and Global Context in International Studies and Programs.

- Will the candidates for the Degree of Women's and Gender Studies, please come forward.

- Rachel Marie Bailey.

(cheering) Taylor Bailey.

(cheering) Adrian Irene Prier.

- Congratulations.

- Please welcome Professor Danielle Nicole DeVos, chair, Department of Writing Rhetoric and American Cultures.

- Will the candidates for the Degree in Professional and Public Writing, please come forward.

- Molly Musik.

Bianca Angelina Buchholz.

(cheering) Lacey Councilman.

(cheering) Harrison Nelson.

(cheering) Julieta Finaff.

(cheering) Aliana Cosme Brooks.

(cheering) Emma Cole Kowski.

(cheering) Alexandra Okora Swanson.

(cheering) Quency Win.

Alec Par.

Dallas Sumrall.

(cheering) Mike KuVang.

(cheering) And Shannon Baz.

(cheering) (audience chattering) (clapping) (audience cheering) (applauding) - Will the candidates please stand.

(applauding) On behalf of Michigan State University President Samuel L. Stanley, Jr., who has been delegated the authority of the State of Michigan vested in the board of trustees.

I confer upon all of you, the degrees for which you have been recommended with all the rights and distinctions to which they entitle you.

According to custom, you may now move your tassels from the right side of your caps to the left.

Congratulations, MSU alumni.

(applauding) (laughs) Yes.

This act represents a great achievement and marks the beginning of a lifetime of dedicated service to the world.

This morning we celebrate and recognize over 200 individuals who have completed an academic program in the College of Arts and Letters.

You may be seated.

(applauding) I would now like to thank the staff in the College of Arts and Letters, various units across campus, including those here at the Breslin Center.

A lot of planning, as you can imagine, and coordination goes into this event and their work is much appreciated.

Let's give them a round of applause.

Thank you.

(applauding) Michigan State University has a world class faculty.

In the College of Arts and Letters, we are especially proud of the international reputations our faculty have as artists and scholars and their dedication as teachers.

In the future, almost every one of you graduating here will pause for a moment in what will surely be busy and productive lives to reflect on those teachers who took a special interest in you.

Who made you think a little differently or introduced you to an idea that shifted your view of things and altered the course of your life.

I ask that the representatives of the faculty rise so that we may express our gratitude to them for exceptional contributions, they and their colleagues have made to the college and to the individuals in this graduating class, please stand.

(applauding) You may be seated.

We also gratefully pay tribute to other individuals who have contributed their love, their understanding, their support, and their resources to help make this celebration possible.

I refer to the good friends and the family members of the graduates, the parents and grandparents, partners and spouses, children, siblings, and cousins.

Will they please stand and give us an opportunity to express our appreciation, please stand.

(applauding) And of course this special day would not be complete without recognizing that today is also Mother's Day.

That's right.

(cheering) I would like to recognize all those amazing mothers and mother figures out there who have provided care, guidance, and support to our graduates today.

Would you please rise and give us an opportunity to provide our deep love and appreciation?

(applauding) (laughs) All right.

Yes.

And now it is my pleasure to introduce our alumni speaker, Jacob Tet.

Jacob graduated in 2000 with two degrees.

A degree in German from the College of Arts and Letters and another in economics from the College of Social Science.

He is also a graduate of the Honors College here at MSU.

Currently, Jacob is co-chair of the College of Arts and Letters, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Board.

He's here today with his family, Alexandra, Rebecca and John Tet.

Let's give a warm Spartan welcome back to campus to Jacob Tet.

(applauding) - Thank you Dean Long.

Congratulations Spartans, you did it.

(cheering and applauding) Completing your studies and achieving your degree are our inspiring accomplishments during the best of times, but you did it during a global pandemic.

The various measures put in place to promote public health, impacting nearly every aspect of your academic and social experiences of students.

Moreover, you undertook your studies under a cloud of anxiety and fear about a new highly infectious disease and with a sense of grief and loss for those who have succumb to the disease, including for many of us loved one's family and friends.

You faced unique challenges on your journey to this day, and you demonstrated admirable strength and perseverance to succeed in the face of those challenges.

It's my honor to congratulate you, the Michigan State University College of Arts and Letters, class of 2022 on your graduation, and to welcome you to the 500,000 plus strong worldwide community of Michigan State University alumni.

(applauding) As you venture out into the next chapters of your lives, whatever it is you do, and wherever it is you go, you will encounter other Spartans.

We are everywhere.

And you will find that they like you have great affection for this institution and the time they spent in East Lansing and great pride in being Spartans.

This feeling goes far beyond the colors, and songs, and symbols, and athletic achievements.

It stems from the sense we have of belonging in this massive dynamic community of which we're all apart, made up of people from every corner of the state, this country and the world, people from different backgrounds, different cultures, different socioeconomic groups, different family histories, and different identities, who came together at this university, to pursue their academic goals, to make friendships and other connections, and to grow and develop as individuals.

I wanna focus on the importance of that sense of belonging.

And to start, I'll tell you a bit of my own story.

I was born nearby in Lansing and grew up in Potterville, which is a small town, about a half hour away.

I went straight from high school there to a university in Chicago.

It was a tough time.

I never felt completely welcome there.

Of course I experienced significant culture shock, going from a small rural town to being a student on my own in the big city.

And I found little there to help facilitate the transition.

After two unhappy years, I transferred here to Michigan State University and it was the best decision I ever made.

Immediately I felt welcomed, I felt supported, and I felt like I belonged here.

I made lifelong friendships, and met phenomenal people from the city, the country and everywhere in between, at one of the largest universities in the world, I got personal attention from my professors and advisors who inspired me, opened doors for me, and introduced me to concepts and opportunities that I never knew were possible.

I'm grateful to my professors and advisors in the German department and elsewhere in the College of Arts and Letters, as well as in the economics department, the Honors College and the Office of Study Abroad for helping me chart my academic course.

Each one of you came to this university with your own stories, experiences, viewpoints and goals.

And all of you can now share how you developed a sense of belonging here.

Whether it was the friends you made, the guidance, encouragement, and inspiration you received from your professors or advisors, or an internship or study abroad program in which you were able to participate.

And over the course of your academic career at Michigan State, I know that each of you encountered people who challenged the way you saw the world when you arrived here, who introduced you to new possibilities and opportunities, and who changed the direction of your life in a positive way.

It's a strength of this university that it brings together amazing people from all around the world to share ideas, learn from each other and challenge each other.

All of which is critical, as you well know, as Arts and Humanities scholars to the University's academic mission, as well as to the creation of an environment in which students can develop and grow.

Of course, we all know things aren't perfect, but fortunately things can change.

We are all aware of a disappointing chapter in this university's recent past when the voices of the survivors of a heartbreaking tragedy went unheard.

But out of respect for those survivors, love for this institution and a desire to do the right thing.

You as students, as well as the faculty, the staff and the alumni, push the university to change course, acknowledge past failures and take steps to rebuild trust.

In addition out of a concern for social justice used students along with other constituents have encouraged this university to make diversity, equity and inclusion in institutional priority, and to implement a host of new programs in plans, to reach out to people with diverse backgrounds and identities, to encourage them to join and enrich the Spartan community and to enable each member to develop that cherished sense of belonging.

As you progress in life, I encourage you to think back on your days as a student here.

To recall the people who encouraged you, who inspired you, and who helped you descent to develop a sense of belonging at this great university, and pay it forward either to the next generation of Spartans or to the members of another community of which you may be a part.

I thank you for the opportunity to celebrate this day with you.

Once more, congratulations and go green.

(applauding) - Thank you, Jacob.

So now we will conclude our ceremony by standing to sing the first stanza of the Alma Mater "MSU Shadows."

(instrument music) ♪ M.S.U we love thy shadows ♪ ♪ When twilight silence fall ♪ ♪ Flushing deep and soft paling ♪ ♪ O'er ivy-covered halls ♪ ♪ Beneath the pines we'll gather ♪ ♪ To give our faith so true ♪ ♪ Sing our love for Alma Mater ♪ ♪ And thy praises M.S.U ♪ (applauding) - And now we ask our guests to remain in place until the platform party and faculty have recessed.

Thank you and congratulations.

(crowd cheering) (lively dramatic music) (cheering)