2008 Woodie Awards
Febs discuss plans for revised graduation ceremonies
Andrea Gissing
Issue date: 1/27/05 Section: News
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The time for the mid-year graduation is fast approaching. Over a hundred students are preparing to end their Middlebury careers and move off into the world beyond. However, as they figure out how best to secure their mortarboards so it does not fall off during the Jan. 29 ski-down, there are a group of February graduating students -- "Febs" - who have been working with the administration to figure out how to make "Feb Celebration" a commencement and not just a celebration.
The main differences between the current Feb celebration and the spring commencement are that those who graduate after the Winter Term do not receive their diploma - they have to wait until the following spring - no honorary degrees are awarded and the students do not receive honors or awards at this time. At the time of graduation, "diplomas, generally, are only given to those whose grades and honors have already been calculated," said Secretary of the College and Professor of Political Science Eric Davis.
"I feel this is an important issue," said Abbie Beane '04.5, "because quite frankly, if these issues are not addressed more and more Febs may feel slighted in the future and like they receive unequal privileges compared to the September students. This may even create a divide between Febs and Regs or cause resentment towards Middlebury from the Febs."
It is a misconception, however that all of the students graduating after Winter Term are Febs. "Although the Febs start as a class," said Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson, "not all that graduate are Febs. Students usually graduate after seven, eight or nine semesters."
The students graduating in February have the option of participating in the commencement ceremony of either the class graduating the spring before them or after, and because most identify more with the class above them they choose to walk knowing that they would not receive a diploma. "When the class of 2004 left I felt as if all my friends were gone, or as if I no longer had a class, or both," said Beane. For those graduating in February, the option of coming to another class' graduation is not favorable.
The main differences between the current Feb celebration and the spring commencement are that those who graduate after the Winter Term do not receive their diploma - they have to wait until the following spring - no honorary degrees are awarded and the students do not receive honors or awards at this time. At the time of graduation, "diplomas, generally, are only given to those whose grades and honors have already been calculated," said Secretary of the College and Professor of Political Science Eric Davis.
"I feel this is an important issue," said Abbie Beane '04.5, "because quite frankly, if these issues are not addressed more and more Febs may feel slighted in the future and like they receive unequal privileges compared to the September students. This may even create a divide between Febs and Regs or cause resentment towards Middlebury from the Febs."
It is a misconception, however that all of the students graduating after Winter Term are Febs. "Although the Febs start as a class," said Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson, "not all that graduate are Febs. Students usually graduate after seven, eight or nine semesters."
The students graduating in February have the option of participating in the commencement ceremony of either the class graduating the spring before them or after, and because most identify more with the class above them they choose to walk knowing that they would not receive a diploma. "When the class of 2004 left I felt as if all my friends were gone, or as if I no longer had a class, or both," said Beane. For those graduating in February, the option of coming to another class' graduation is not favorable.