BRUNCH
Students participating in Commencement and two guests are invited to a brunch.
Place: Student Union Building
Date: Monday, May 5
Time: 10:00 a.m.

REHEARSAL
Students participating in Commencement are strongly encouraged to attend the rehearsal.
Place: Nettles Building auditorium
Date: Tuesday, May 6
Time: Noon

REHEARSAL LUNCHEON
Immediately following the rehearsal. The luncheon is sponsored by the USC Sumter Alumni Association.
Place: Nettles Building lobby
Date: Tuesday, May 6
Time: 1:00 p.m.

COMMENCEMENT
Place: Nettles Building auditorium
Date: Wednesday May 7
Time: 7 p.m.

CAPS AND GOWNS
Students can pick up their caps and gowns at the bookstore.

GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Blank graduation announcements are available through the Bookstore.

LINEUP
Instructions on where and when to line up will be given at the commencement rehearsal.

TICKETS
Each graduating student will receive six tickets. Students who need more than six tickets are asked to contact Christie Stutz at 938-3815. Guests holding one of these tickets will be guaranteed a seat in the Nettles Building auditorium. Guests without tickets will have to view the ceremony via closed-circuit television in the designated rooms.

GUESTS
Arrival: Advise guests to arrive early. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m.
Seating:Please plan to arrive early for the best seat selection. All ticket holders are guaranteed a seat. Guests are asked not to hold seats for late comers.
Handicapped access: Ramped entrances are available to accommodate wheelchairs.
Dress: Dress for guests will be semi-casual. Guests should remember that this is a dignified occasion.
Closed-circuit viewing: For guests who do not have a ticket for the auditorium, closed-circuit viewing rooms will be set up in Room 127 and the lobby of the Schwartz Building.
Duration: The ceremony should last approximately one hour.

PARKING
Free parking is available in any USC Sumter parking lot.

"ON HOLD" STATUS
It is your responsibility to check whether you are "on hold" for any reason. This could be for an unpaid parking ticket, a library fine or unpaid tuition. If you are on hold, you will NOT be able to participate. You may check with Jane Charlton (938-3783) if you suspect this may be the case or check your VIP account. As many holds must be cleared through Columbia, please contact Mrs. Charlton at least a week before commencement.

PICTURES DURING COMMENCEMENT
A professional photographer will take pictures of graduates as they receive their diploma. The photography company will contact you with the proofs. The photographer will also be available following the Commencement exercise in the Nettles Building gymnasium for additional portrait packages.

RECEPTION
The University will hold a catered reception immediately after the commencement ceremony in the Nettles Building gymnasium.

COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

The commencement speaker for this year will be Ivory Gethers, former member of the National Football League and current owner of SAM Communications, LLC. Gethers was a standout high school football player from Johns Island, South Carolina, who received a full athletics scholarship to play linebacker at Penn State. Following his college career, he played in the NFL for the Houston Oilers and in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Gethers, now a district sales manager in Columbia for one of the nation’s top pharmaceutical companies, is putting the skills he learned in college to good use in the Palmetto State. For more than twelve years, he has climbed the ranks in the sales field to achieve optimal professional success.

Although a successful career is a priority for Gethers, he feels strongly that one of the most important legacies he can leave is to share the gifts he was blessed to receive with others. Toward that goal, Gethers started SAM Communications, LLC, to motivate, encourage, and inform students, student athletes, and professionals on how to become successful in life.

As a motivational speaker and professional development trainer, Gethers provides his audiences with winning techniques at sales seminars and professional development retreats. He instills the necessary skills needed to achieve projected sales goals and perfect a polished and professional image through appearance and articulation.

Gethers holds a bachelor of science degree in landscape contracting from Pennsylvania State University and a master of business administration degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. He is president of the Penn State Football Lettermen Club and the national spokesperson for the Youth Challenge Academy. Gethers lives in Columbia with his wife, Lynda, and three children Sarah (10), Aaron (7), and Moriah (2).

If you have any questions, contact Mary Fran Smith, at 803-938-3808.