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Birmingham-Southern College Celebrates Commencement 2021
Birmingham-Southern College Celebrates Commencement 2021
For Immediate Release
May. 14, 2021
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Birmingham-Southern College’s spring commencement ceremony celebrated 261 members of the Class of 2021 at 9 a.m. Friday, May 14 on the Academic Quad. Two hundred and sixty two degrees were conferred on 261 students – 69 Bachelor of Arts degrees, 3 Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees, and 190 Bachelor of Science degrees.
The featured speaker was Dr. Amy Cottrill, Denson N. Franklin Professor of Religion, who was named 2020 Outstanding Educator of the Year. Cottrill has been a member of the BSC faculty since 2007.
“This year, we have other things to celebrate – our very lives. You are here,” Cottrill said. “That means something different this year than it would have even two years ago. You did incredible work in the midst of challenges that no one could have been fully prepared for. We see the efforts that brought you here. We celebrate you enthusiastically and without reservation.”
In her speech, Cottrill referenced her academic research on trauma in ancient texts and how it relates to the events of the past year.
“In studying ancient texts about suffering and the collapse of meaningful reality, I’ve also been learning about how people survive those circumstances. I am also a student of resilience and hope. And as you all have taught me to say, I am here for it.”
Cottrill spoke about the complex emotions and stances we can all hold at once – appreciation and critique, lament and celebration – during times of struggle and change, and how those emotions tie in to the concept of hope:
- Acknowledging the complicated truth is the beginning of hope. Telling the truth is in fact the necessary condition for hope.
- Hope is more often an act of will, an ethical stance. Hope is work. It is a discipline. Hope is a cord. It is what connects us to the world and to each other.
- Hope is seeing the world the way it is, without looking away from the suffering, and envisioning the possibility of something better and more just.
“We have learned something about what it means to hang on even while we grieve, to imagine a better future even while we try to understand the struggles of the past and present, to doggedly commit to a vision of the world that is better,” Cottrill said, in closing. “We honor our connection. We honor the work you have done here. We honor the risks you have taken. We honor the way you have challenged us to live up to our own ideals. As we part ways today, at least for a while, I want to invite you to come back and see us, to allow us to be involved in the work you do, and allow us to continue to be part of your story.”
Other platform participants included BSC President Daniel B. Coleman; BSC Board of Trustees Chair DeLynn Zell ’86, CEO of Bridgeworth Wealth Management in Birmingham; alumni representative Judge Teresa T. Pulliam ’80, Jefferson County Circuit Judge; and BSC Chaplain Rev. Julie Blackwelder Holly ’01.
At the ceremony, BSC Provost Dr. Bradley Caskey named Dr. Duane Pontius, the T. Morris Hackney Professor of Physics, as the 2021 Outstanding Educator of the Year. Pontius is a 1981 graduate of Birmingham-Southern and joined the faculty of BSC in 1999 following a career as research scientist in space physics. Pontius’s research has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of Jupiter's magnetosphere and its interactions with Jupiter's moons. He developed a theoretical model that played a role in the discovery of geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus.
The commencement ceremony was the final event celebrating the achievements of the graduating class of 2021. Other events included a Capping ceremony for graduating seniors, which was held on the Academic Quad on May 13. Capping is a unique tradition at BSC, during which seniors choose a mentor or family member to place the mortarboard on their head and honor the influence they’ve had on them. In lieu of the annual Baccalaureate service, a blessing and brunch was held for seniors at the President’s Home the morning of May 13.
Spring commencement marked the end of a successful year of in-person learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. After a transition to online classes in spring 2020, students returned to the Birmingham-Southern campus for fall term in August. Six working groups examined every aspect of Birmingham-Southern life – Health Guidelines, Student Life, Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Athletics, and Finance and Operations – and created new processes and protocols to mitigate risk. Protocols were shared with seven medical experts around the country – five of whom are BSC graduates – with expertise in epidemiology, oncology, clinical pathology, infectious diseases, public health, and primary care services. The protocols formed the backbone of the Return to the Hilltop plan and made possible face-to-face instruction in a large percentage of fall and spring term courses.
About Birmingham-Southern College:
Birmingham-Southern College is a four-year, private residential liberal arts institution in Birmingham, Ala., founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It enrolls 1,100 students from 29 states and 11 countries. Learn more online at www.bsc.edu.