Gowns fluttering, holding their caps against the wind, members of Purdue University North Central’s 2012 graduating class joined Chancellor James B. Dworkin in front of the iconic “Running Arch” sculpture for their annual class photograph.
John Adduci’s “Running Arch” is one of the most dramatic and recognizable pieces in PNC’s Odyssey Sculpture Series. It first arrived on campus in 2000, and according to Judy Jacobi, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Campus Relations, “the response was immediate. Some people thought it looked like Arc de Triomphe. Some people thought it looked like SpongeBob SquarePants.” But it was her own visiting brother who suggested another form. “He said it looks like a graduation cap.”
Following her brother’s inspiration, Jacobi organized the first class photo in front of the sculpture in 2005. B & E Marine in Michigan City donated the Arch’s tassel. “This is our tradition.” Jacobi said. “We don’t have a clock tower. We don’t have a gate we walk through, but we have our graduation cap.”
After the photo, the graduates gathered at the Gown Up Grad Celebration: an ice cream social sponsored by the PNC Alumni Association. Whether looking forward to post-graduation jobs, or just to a little time off, the students expressed excitement and satisfaction at having come so far.
Sharon Wozniak, an Elementary Education major who’d been working on her degree for several years, said she felt “just so relieved. Excited. Words cannot describe how happy I am to be at this point.”
Wozniak’s classmate David Myers, who has the distinction of being the only male in his Elementary Education class, said he’s looking forward to his career, because “I feel like I have a calling. I’ve always enjoyed being around kids and I just want to make a difference in our future.”
Crystal Evans and Cassidee Harris were the only women in their Mechanical Engineering class. “I worked incredibly hard for this one,” Harris said, “I am extremely proud. I’m ear-to-ear grin right now.” Both Evans and Harris have jobs lined up after graduation.
Purdue University North Central’s Commencement is Monday, May 21, 2012, at 7:00 pm in the Athletics-Recreation Center (ARC) at Valparaiso University.
More photos are available here.