JALC to hold in-person graduation

DU QUOIN - John A. Logan College will conduct its 52nd commencement on Thursday, May 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds Grandstand.

Four Hundred and Seventy-Eight have applied for graduation. The diplomas and certificates will be presented by the board of trustees and Dr. Kirk Overstreet, President of the College. Dr. Melanie Pecord, Provost, will certify the graduates.

The student speaker will be Joshua Payne of Carbondale. Matthew Waggoner of Springfield, Virginia, will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. In addition, associate Professor of English Matt Garrison will be recognized with the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award, and Lesley Brower, an English Instructor, will be recognized with the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award.

The event is being held at the outdoor venue to comply with current COVID-19 restrictions. According to President Overstreet, the covered Grandstand will allow for proper social distancing.

"I challenged our graduation committee to come up with a plan that would allow us to honor our graduates while still maintaining proper social distancing and safety precautions, and they found that the Du Quoin Fairgrounds could meet those requirements.

Overstreet added that seating would be limited and that all those in attendance would be required to wear face coverings, and that seats will be marked off to ensure social distancing and attendance requirements are met. To allow for proper social distancing, graduates have been allotted six tickets.

In addition to the graduation ceremony, the John A. Logan College Nursing Department will hold their Pinning Ceremonies at the Fairgrounds. Both the LPN and ADN ceremonies will be held on Wednesday, May 12. The LPN ceremony will begin at 2 p.m., and the ADN ceremony will start at 6 p.m.

The Graduation and Pinning Ceremonies will be carried live on the College's Facebook and YouTube pages. Links to those pages can be found at www.jalc.edu.