Utah Senator Hatch to speak at commencement
WAYNESBURG – With about 475 students expected to graduate at its May 12 commencement, Waynesburg College will celebrate the largest senior class in its 153-year history. To mark the occasion, college officials have invited a notable and, at times, controversial keynote speaker to the ceremony.
Conservative Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) will address the group of undergraduate and graduate students during the ceremony, which starts at 2:30 p.m. on the lawn near Miller Hall.
“It never hurts to have a national figure speak at commencement, especially when it’s a person like Sen. Hatch who stands for personal integrity,” said Dr. Charles Perrine, vice president of Institutional Advancement, Alumni and Church Relations. “He has a strong, moral character and is the kind of person we feel exemplifies Waynesburg College and its mission.”
Hatch, serving his fifth term as senator, accepted the invitation from the college’s board of trustees and will revisit his roots when he travels to southwestern Pennsylvania on Mother’s Day.
The 68-year-old politician was born in Pittsburgh and attended the University of Pittsburgh Law School after he completed his undergraduate work at Brigham Young University in Utah. He was elected to the Senate in 1976 with no prior experience in public office.
“Throughout his career, he is a man who has lived by the principles of integrity that got him into office,” Perrine added.
According to Perrine, Hatch’s ties with the area attracted him to the campus. Perrine said that Hatch practiced law with Robert Grigsby, a member of the college’s board of trustees and partner in Owen and Grigsby of Pittsburgh, early in his career. Grigsby contacted Hatch earlier in the year and asked him to speak at the ceremony.
Hatch briefly vied for the Republican nomination for president in 1999 before George W. Bush moved ahead and took the nod.
Perrine indicated that Hatch’s visit might help the college further its educational initiatives.
“We want to introduce Sen. Hatch to Waynesburg College and our mission,” Perrine said. “Hopefully, it’ll draw some interest in Utah and around the country in our service learning program.”
In addition to the undergraduate degrees, the college plans to confer more than 100 degrees for students in the masters of business administration program, which is another institutional record. Perrine said the college has worked to bolster its graduate programs in recent years, and the results are evident with this year’s graduation.
Commencement is one of several activities planned by the college for Mother’s Day weekend.
Wintley Phipps, a two-time Grammy-nominated gospel and international singer will perform Saturday on campus, followed by a candlelight ceremony at the Stover Center balcony. Phipps is slated to perform “Heal Our Land,” a patriotic song penned by Hatch.
Before the graduation ceremonies, the Rev. Jim Mead, an executive presbyter to the Pittsburgh Presbytery, will speak at the baccalaureate services at 11 a.m.
Typically, the events conclude at 4 p.m., depending on the number of graduates present.
Overall, college officials anticipate a thrilling ceremony, especially with the record number of graduates and Hatch visiting campus.
“We’re excited because it brings national attention to Waynesburg College,” Perrine said. “It creates a bit of a buzz.”