Franklin Celebrates its 39th Commencement

Sunshine enhanced Franklin College's 39th Commencement, which was held at the Palazzo dei Congressi in downtown Lugano on May 17. President Erik Nielsen's welcome to the 65 graduating seniors from 25 different countries with their friends and families, members of the faculty, honored guests and the many other members of the audience was followed by Chairman of the Board Paul Lowerre's opening remarks.

The Ursula Gentile Lowerre Outstanding Service Award was then presented by Alumni Trustee Eva Gianini-Enz  to James E. Moore, Franklin alumnus and member of the Franklin Board from 2001-2007, in recognition of his outstanding contributions of time and energy to the school.

President Nielsen and Provost Kris Bulcroft awarded an Honorary degree, the College's highest commendation, to Franklin's longest-serving board member, John R. Taylor, Jr., for his dedication to international engagement and his commitment to the mission of the College, after which President Nielsen announced the newly created Mary Crist Fleming Academic Travel Fund, a project organized under the leadership of Taylor.

Dr. Wolfgang K. Vorwerk, former Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Boston, Massachusetts, delivered the commencement speech which revolved around the importance of global participation and relationships. He urged the prospective graduates to retain a sense of compassion, noting that their experiences at Franklin have taught them to respect each other in spite of their differences, and emphasized that they, as citizens of the global world, must now get involved, act and participate in global society.

Deans Sara Steinert-Borella and Armando Zanecchia then conferred degrees on the graduating seniors to the accompaniment of  the cheers and acclamation of their families and friends. Afterwards, Dean Zanecchia introduced the 2009 Valedictorian, Nicholas Hasko, from Bainbridge Island, Washington, who graduated at the top of his class with a 3.93 grade point average and a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Economics with an Emphasis in Political Economy. He charmed the crowd with a humorous and appreciative speech, citing the peers, friends, family and faculty on whose shoulders he had been able to stand during his time at Franklin, paraphrasing Sir Isaac Newton's quote: "If  I have seen farther than others, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants." Musicians from the Conservatorio della Svizzera italiana, who had opened the ceremony with the Processional "Pomp and Circumstance," signaled the conclusion of the ceremony with the Recessonal "Rondeau" as the graduates and faculty in their caps and gowns filed out of the hall.

May 2009