By Mike Coppolino
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – An exciting time of the year for senior students and faculty members is upon us, and no I’m not talking about finals week. Graduation for 2011 students will be held on Saturday, May 21 in the Truman Courtyard on the Blackwood campus.
Dinner will be held before graduation on Thursday, May 19. A reception will start at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and then dancing from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. The dinner will be held at Paris Caterers, 109 N. Black Horse Pike, Blackwood. Prices for the dinner are $10 for graduates, $20 for Camden County College students, $20 for children age 11 and younger, and $35 for the general public. Tickets must be purchased by May 15.
Rehearsal for graduation will be held on Thursday, May 19 at 10 a.m. in the Papiano Gymnasium. Transportation will be provided between the Camden and Blackwood campuses. The van will leave College Hall on the Camden campus at 9:15 a.m. To sign up go to the Camden Technology Center, Room 211.
Attending graduation is not mandatory and many students choose not to attend but can still contact the college after graduation to get their diploma.
Thomas Early, a student at Camden County College, is expecting to graduate in May 2011. “I’m excited to go to a different school where there is parking available,” Early joked. Early went on to say, “I’m also excited for a change of scenery from Camden County to wherever I decide to go next.”
Early will not be attending the graduation in May but is still excited to move on and start his future. Early also noted a difference in graduation between community college and a four-year college like Rutgers or Rowan, saying, “It’s just not the same thing,” which has influenced his decision not to attend.
Each year, however, many students do turn out on graduation day to receive their diploma and wear their cap and gown.