My cousin graduated summa cum laude Aug. 21. He managed a 3.8 GPA while raising three children, working full time and interning at a local hospital. And for that, anyone should be proud; however, he could not be recognized for his scholastic achievement during the graduation ceremony. He achieved his 3.8 during the summer before his graduation, but the programs for the ceremony had been printed without acknowledging him as summa cum laude. The ceremony’s organizers told him that because the programs had already been printed, they would not be acknowledging his achievement during the ceremony. So, when the other students who had achieved the honor of summa cum laude stood and received applause and recognition, my cousin was forced to stay seated. What appears in the program should not matter nearly as much as the effort and achievements of the graduates, especially because graduates have spent four years earning their degrees and have paid enormous amounts of money to the university along the way. It is a shame that the university cares more about what was printed than the students that the ceremony is supposed to honor.

Julie A. Kozak graduated in 2007 with a B.A. in Psychology.