Oxford College held its annual Commencement ceremony on May 6. In total, 620 students wearing tassels, robes and gowns flooded the Oxford Quad, marking the beginning of the next chapter of their lives on the Atlanta campus.
Noel George (23Ox) said he is looking forward to a larger campus with more resources and opportunities.
“There's a lot more stuff to do there,” George said. “But also I'm gonna miss the tight-knit community, the beautiful scenery of this Oxford's campus as well.”
Meanwhile, Jean Qian (23Ox, 25C) said she yearned for a feeling of “newness” of starting her next two years at Emory College.
“It feels like I’m going to be a new kid in school and so many new opportunities with new people, new clubs, new classes,” Qian said. “I'm definitely excited for the variety and the feeling of newness, so to speak.”
The ceremony began with an invocation by Oxford Chaplain Rev. Lyn Pace (02T, 17T). After a collective singing of “For the Beauty of the Earth” led by Oxapella, Oxford’s premier, gender inclusive a cappella group, Oxford Interim Dean Kenneth Carter (87Ox, 89C) introduced commencement speaker and former Oxford Dean of Campus Life Joseph Moon. His speech succeeds a 44-year career of mentoring and leading students at the Oxford and Atlanta campuses.
Moon will officially retire on Aug. 1. He began his career in 1978 as assistant dean for men, a title that later changed to assistant dean for campus life and director of residence life. In his opening remarks, Moon noted how Emory students emulated the mischievousness of the 1978 film “National Lampoon’s Animal House” by throwing a beer keg from a two-story window, which college students also did in the movie. The keg landed at Moon’s feet.
Having been drenched in beer, Moon said he did not picture himself delivering the Oxford Commencement speech after serving as Oxford’s dean.
Moon also urged the students to use their knowledge to help a world steeped in "political division" and the increasing effects of climate change.
“You have been alert to profound political divisions in this country, and you have observed the fragility of our democracy,” Moon said. “In fact, the world itself, our planet, is experiencing a change in climate if unchecked could have lasting consequences in your lifetime.”
Quoting T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Dry Salvages” with the line, “We had the experience, but we missed the meaning,” Moon gave graduates three pieces of advice: be present, seek mentors who can teach or inspire and do not look forward to the future, but seek what comes next.
Before the diploma ceremony, Moon gave awards to Virginia Cano (23Ox), who won the Virgil Y.C. Eady Sophomore Service Award, which is given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding and selfless service to the college community, and Teaching Professor of Mathematics Paul Oser, who won the Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award.
University President Gregory Fenves did not attend the Oxford ceremony, as he did last year. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Ravi Bellamkonda presided over the conferring of degrees, welcoming the Oxford graduates to the Atlanta Campus alongside Interim Dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences Carla Freeman.
Freeman encouraged the graduates to dream and ponder the next two years at Atlanta, while relishing in new opportunities.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Bellamkonda honored three individuals for their commitment to making student lives better at Oxford — Oxford Dean of the Library Kitty McNeill (85G), Carter and Moon.
After Pace delivered a benediction, Carter dismissed all the graduates and performed the tradition of pointing to the Seney Hall bell tower, which rang 429 times, once for each graduate.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions overshadowing half of their time at Oxford, students formed connections and memories. Eva Capelson (23Ox) noted that the small campus allowed her to be herself, a privilege constricted at larger campuses.
“I remember one time last semester, me, my two friends — it was raining really hard outside — and we decided to go and run around the Quad in the rain and get absolutely soaked,” Capelson said. “Something so small, unique experiences like that, it's hard to do at big universities or when you live off campus.”
