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By Kathryn Snyder / Staff Writer
By Kathryn Snyder / Staff Writer
Budget concerns, parking woes and class work was put on hold for awhile when students at Riverside City College, faculty, and professors gathered in the A.G. Paul Quadrangle on Sept. 30 for the 94th annual Convocation ceremony.
Riverside Community College District the Board of Trustees, and many guest speakers filled the stage.
Music from the band played, and gave a soundtrack to the convocation, while colorful flags from different colleges, and beautiful flowers decorated the scene.
The Convocation has been a long standing tradition at RCC for the past 94 years.
A convocation ceremony at a college marks the beginning of a new semester of college and usually is when the president of RCC officially opens the college for classes to start.
The topics discussed in the ceremony regarded the importance and value of education, the benefits of going to a community college, and the importance of attaining a degree from college.
It outlined the importance of grades, graduating, and commended all the students for going to college, considering all the obstacles that might be in their way.
The main speaker at the Convocation ceremony was Timothy P. White, chancellor of UC Riverside.
He offered a glimpse into his life, and shared some struggles he’s faced during his 13 years of college.
Along with words of inspiration he also talked about statistics, which proved that a college education not only benefits an individual, but it will also help the state of California.
“If two percent more people graduated to get their AA this year, and just one percent graduated to get their bachelors it would open thousands of new jobs in California, and financially help California up to $38 billion,” White said.
His words of wisdom provided insight to the importance of community college, and the doors it can open up in your future.
“That those that go to a community college first, have a higher grade point average compared to those that go straight to a four year,” he said.
Some tips were given to the students, such as sitting in front of the class can raise your grade point average, to the importance of getting to know your professors.
“We are like clay, once fragile, but now strong, and the professors are the ones that mold us,” White said.
White commended all of the RCC students for being there and going to college.
The Convocation ceremony was a chance for students to hear inspirational speeches from some of RCC’s administrators.
Another guest speaker was Ed Bush, vice president of student services at RCC, and one of the planners of the convocation.
He said he was glad to see so many students succeeding.
He also understands that there are a lot of obstacles that college students face, but he encourages students to, “not let the obstacles stop us.”
All of the stories at the convocation shared at least one message, and that was to not give up on education.
As the band played the last song, the speakers, and the Board of Trustees all walked out behind a huge RCC banner, and left the stage, leaving their words of inspiration, and hope to all of RCC students.
“Don’t lose track of the drive that sent you here,” White said.
