Commencement Activities Announced

The end of the semester marks a time when seniors at Carson-Newman are gearing up for graduation and the future career ahead of them. It is a time of nerves, excitement, and stress as the last assignments are rolling in before the big ceremony. This year, Carson-Newman featured commencement speaker will be James A. Haslam II, the CEO of the Pilot Corporation. According to FundingUniverse's website, the history of Pilot Corporation begins with the story of James A. Haslam II, an athlete who played starting tackle for the University of Tennessee football team. After he graduated in 1952, Haslam joined the U.S. Army and served a tour of duty in the Korean War. Upon his return, he began looking for a job. He began working for Fleet Oil Co., an independent enterprise based in LaFollette, Tennessee. After saving up money, he opened the first Pilot gas station "in the heart of the Appalachians," in the small town of Gate City, Virginia (right outside of Bristol, TN) in 1958. His Pilot gas station was tiny, with only four pumps for gasoline. From these modest beginnings would grow, by the year 2000, an enterprise approaching $2 billion in revenue.

Haslam received numerous awards during his career, including two Luminary Awards from the city of Knoxville, for services to the community. He also served as a trustee to the University of Tennessee from 1980-2001, as a key policy advisor to the George W. Bush Administration, as a member of the Knoxville Chapter of the American Marketing Association, and as a member of the board of directors of Tennessee Tomorrow Inc., a public, private, and academic partnership focused on the climate for economic development within Tennessee with emphasis on education and workforce development.

At age 78 he has led the Pilot Corporation to becoming one of the leading suppliers of diesel fuel, and to operating over 300 Pilot travel centers across forty states and in Canada.

The graduation festivities will begin on Friday May 6th at 10:30 a.m. At that time, graduates are to meet in Holt Fieldhouse for commencement rehearsal. Immediately after the practice, graduates will have a celebration lunch (scheduled to be held near 12:30 p.m.) in Stokely Memorial Cafeteria.

The commencement ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. that evening at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The processional of graduates will begin forming at 6 p.m. on the soccer field. Following this year's ceremony will be a reception on the soccer field.

If weather is threatening for Friday evening, the ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, May 9, at Burke-Tarr Stadium. If inclement weather is still expected on Saturday morning, the ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 9, at 3 p.m. at the Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center in White Pine, Tennessee. A decision will be made by 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning (May 7) regarding the location of the ceremony. Announcements concerning the rain plan will be available on the Carson-Newman website.

There are a couple minor changes to the ceremony this year. Instead of the provost calling names, the various department heads will be calling names by their degrees and majors. This new change is due to the fact that students will more likely have a relationship with people in their departments. This also creates a more personal feel for the students and everyone involved. Like last year, the college's seal will also be on the shoulder of the cap and gowns.

There are 282 students expected to walk during the graduation ceremony this May.