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Class of 2017: Look Out World, Here Comes Help!

Class of 2017: Look Out World, Here Comes Help!

June 1, 2017

 

More than 450 College of Social Work graduates and their families and friends packed out Ohio State’s Mershon Auditorium on Friday, May 5, for the college’s annual Evening of Recognition, an event honoring social work graduates. Momentum soared during the ceremony as students were honored with yellow roses, awards and live tweet shouts and well wishes displayed on a 12 x 16-foot screen displayed above the auditorium stage.

Two days later, the graduates received their degrees during The Ohio State University’s Spring Commencement. A record breaking 11,734 Ohio State students earned degrees and more than half of them participated in the ceremony. Ohio State is one of the few universities where all graduates participate in a single ceremony, and where each graduate gets his or her diploma at the ceremony.

College’s Graduation Ceremony: A Unique Blend of Technology and Tradition

No one wants to miss a loved one’s graduation, but what if you’re on the other side of the country or across the ocean? The College of Social Work solves that problem for those faraway guests wishing to attend its annual  pre-commencement ceremony known as the Evening of Recognition. With a perfect blend of celebration, technology and social media, the college streams the event live so guests from all over the United States can watch their graduating family and friends be recognized, receive honors and walk the stage.

This year, the event drew nearly 150 guests. They watched from Argentina and Canada, as well as from 25 states outside of Ohio, including Hawaii. Onlookers, both via the live feed and in person, were invited to tweet shout outs and well wishes to the graduates on a 12 x 16-foot screen displayed above the stage in Mershon Auditorium on Ohio State’s campus. Just as in years past, the event went viral on Twitter.

The college, known for being technology-forward, added live streaming and tweeting during the ceremony several years ago.  The ceremony, unofficially themed “Look out world, here comes help!” is a perfect blend of celebration, technology and social media at their best.

Watch this traditional, cutting-edge way of celebrating College of Social Work graduates.