Closer Look: Podcast at This Year’s Commencement Forum

One of the highlights of this year’s Spring Commencement on May 18, which was announced late last month, is the celebratory Commencement Forum held May 17 on the evening before the graduates cross the stage to receive their diplomas.

This year’s forum has been moved to President Jessup’s home on Harvard Avenue (see address below), and graduates, their families, and the public are invited to the evening celebration, which will include a champagne toast to the graduates, a podcast in front of a live audience featuring the three 2019 honorary degree recipients, student awards, and interactive academic displays.

This year’s honorary degree recipients Bev Palesa Ditsie, Betsy Levy Paluck, and Laughlin McDonald–who are all leaders in the world of human rights activism and scholarship–will be empaneled for a live podcast during the forum event. The Commencement Forum is organized by CGU’s Transdisciplinary Studies Program and moderated by Associate Provost and Transdisciplinary Studies Director Andrew Vosko.

This year’s theme: “Interconnectivity”

Focusing on the theme of “interconnectivity,” this year’s forum will explore the many ways in which a society is drawn together and defines itself; the global reach of social justice work in localized societies; and the ways that activism, leadership and scholarship empower individuals to change society.

The layout of this year’s forum will be organized around “activity hubs,” showcasing examples of CGU’s own contributions to interconnectivity. These will include the Paul Gray Personal Computing Museum on how technology connects us; the Tufts Poetry Awards with the Foothill Journal, exploring how the written and spoken word touches each of us in myriad ways; and others, each investigating the unifying and connecting power of the academic world and beyond.

An award ceremony honoring outstanding students in transdisciplinary studies will follow the live podcast.

The forum will be held on Friday, May 17 at 4:00 pm at the home of President Len Jessup, 709 Harvard Ave., Claremont. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.