Name: Info Session: DSW
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End: 2024-04-30T19:00:00-04:00

With Spalding University approaching the 100-year anniversary of the creation of its downtown campus, members of the university community will have an opportunity on Nov. 8 to learn more about the history of Spalding and its continued focus on compassion and social justice.

President Tori Murden McClure will host the “Changing Our World through Courage and Compassion: Historical and Current Realities” presentation and community conversation from 2-4:15 p.m. Nov. 8 in the College Street Cafe. The event is sponsored by the Center for Peace and Spiritual Renewal and the Office of the Graduate Dean.

Sister Frances Krumpelman, the historian for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, which is Spalding’s founding body, will begin the program with a presentation about the university’s history.

Then McClure will lead a talk about present-day issues and challenges and opportunities to change the world through courage and compassion and the lessons we can learn from the Sisters’ example.

Chandra Irvin, Director of the Center for Peace and Spiritual Renewal, said Sister Frances “tells a captivating and compelling story of the courage and compassion which led to Spalding’s founding despite difficulty times. ”

Center for Peace and Spiritual Renewal Program Coordinator Liz Anderson said that attendees can expect Sister Frances to share stories about the compassion that inspired Mother Catherine Spalding to found Spalding University and the courage it took to make that a reality in 1814.

“It is so important, especially as Spalding approaches it’s 100-year downtown anniversary, for us to remember the vision and mission of Mother Catherine, know that we are standing on the shoulders of giants and be inspired to continue the work that she and her fellow Sisters of Charity of Nazareth began all those years ago,” Anderson said.

Anderson said that after Sister Frances’ presentation, the community will participate in talking circles that will consist of structured reflection and sharing around the importance of the courage and compassion we can (or maybe can’t) find in our own lives. The discussion, Anderson said, will challenge the group to continue carrying out the mission to meet the needs of the times that began with Mother Catherine.

“As we approach our 100-year anniversary in Louisville, it is important to reflect on how we are writing our own chapter in Spalding’s history,” Irvin said. “… As President McClure has said, the degree to which we embody both courage and compassion in our time will determine how our chapter will be read the future.”

LEXINGTON, KY — Six premier Kentucky authors, all with ties to Spalding University’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing program, will be honored at a free public event on Saturday morning, Oct. 27, at 21c Museum Hotel, 167 W. Main Street, Lexington.

The event includes a walking tour, reading and reception celebrating each author’s inclusion in the public art exhibit Book Benches: A Tribute to Kentucky Authors. The event is free, ticketless and open to the public.

The honored authors include Spalding MFA program director Kathleen Driskell, faculty members Silas House and Fenton Johnson, founding program director Sena Jeter Naslund, and alumni Frank X Walker and Crystal Wilkinson. Driskell, House, Naslund, Walker and Wilkinson will attend the event and read from their work. Johnson will be represented by Sara Beth Lowe, his former student in the Spalding MFA program, who will read a passage of Johnson’s work.

Each featured author was honored in Lexington’s book bench project, a public art exhibit in which different Kentucky artists designed colorful, creative and functional benches representing books by 37 authors with ties to the Commonwealth. The benches commemorate the author’s contribution to Kentucky literature.

The event takes place as follows:

10:30 a.m. – Weather permitting, a walking tour leaves from 21c Museum Hotel Lexington to showcase several nearby benches.

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – A reading and reception takes place at 21c Museum Hotel Lexington, rain or shine.

About the Honorees

Kathleen Driskell Spalding MFA in Writer director — Kathleen Driskell / Photo by John Nation

* Kathleen Driskell has published four full-length collections of poetry, including Seed Across Snow, which was listed as a national bestseller by the Poetry Foundation, and Blue Etiquette. Driskell’s collection Next Door to the Dead earned her Transylvania University’s 2018 Judy Gaines Young Book Award. She is program director of Spalding’s MFA in Writing program.

* Silas House is the author of newly released Southernmost as well as Same Sun Here, Clay’s Quilt, A Parchment of Leaves, The Coal Tattoo, and Eli the Good. Southernmost was recently longlisted for the 2019 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. He teaches fiction at Spalding and is also a Spalding MFA alum who in 2015 won the university’s Caritas Medal as alumnus of the year.

* Fenton Johnson is the author of three novels, most recently The Man Who Loved Birds, and several works of creative nonfiction, including Everywhere Home: A Life in Essays. His work frequently appears in Harper’s. He is on the faculty of Spalding’s MFA program.

* Sena Jeter Naslund is co-founder of the Spalding MFA program, where she edits The Louisville Review and Fleur-de-Lis Press. Naslund is the best-selling author of Ahab’s Wife, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette and Four Spirits, among others.

* Frank X Walker is a founding member of the Affrilachian Poets and editor of America! What’s My Name? His poetry collections include Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers and Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate this Ride. A Spalding MFA alum, Walker was Poet Laureate of Kentucky in 2013-2014 and currently teaches at the University of Kentucky.

* Crystal Wilkinson is author of The Birds of Opulence (winner of the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence), Water Street, and Blackberries, Blackberries. She received her MFA from Spalding and teaches at UK.

About the Spalding MFA Program

Spalding’s nationally distinguished low-residency MFA in Writing program is committed to excellence in a noncompetitive atmosphere. The program offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting, and playwriting. Students begin the semester in the spring, summer, or fall with a residency in Louisville or abroad; then, faculty and students return to their homes for an independent study focusing on the student’s creative writing. Cross-genre exploration and the profession of writing are emphasized. Students may customize the residency location, season, and pace of their studies. See spalding.edu/mfa for more information.

About Book Benches: A Tribute to Kentucky Authors

The Book Benches Project is a collaborative public art exhibit among Arts Connect, LexArts, and the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning. Modeled after Horsemania, 37 book-shaped functional benches, each illustrated and themed around different works by Kentucky authors, were placed throughout Lexington during 2018 to celebrate Kentucky’s literary heritage, encourage reading, and provide a place for rest.

As part of Founders’ Weekend, Spalding University hopes alumni and the community at large will come get acquainted with its newest campus green space on Oct. 5-6 and take time to eat, drink and play some games.

Spalding welcomes the public to its inaugural free Founders’ Weekend Fall Festival at newly opened Trager Park from 4-9 p.m. that Friday and Saturday. There will be lawn games, including a nine-hole miniature golf course, inflatables, food trucks and beer served by Great Flood Brewing. AT&T Fiber is another sponsor.

The park is located at the corner of South Second and West Kentucky streets, and free parking will be available at the former Kroger building.

Bellissimo and Georgia Sweet Potato Pie Co. will offer food on Friday, and Street Food King will on both days.

“I think there will be a good variety of activities – food, games, music, the Spalding community and the nearby community, too, “ said Shaun McDonough, Spalding’s new director of student activities and recreation. “So I think it’ll be a great mixture for everyone.

“This being a big activity in Trager Park is really great, and I know in my role, I’m looking at what can we use that space for, whether it be intramurals or other things in the future.”

Trager Park is a 2.2-acre grassy park with 100 newly planted trees. It opened in November 2017 after the property was transformed from an unused asphalt lot. The fall festival will be one of the first official university events held at the park, and it’ll certain to be the biggest so far.

“We’re just seeing how things are growing at Spalding and how we’re just trying to do more,” McDonough said.

With alumni in town for reunion weekend and visiting prospects and their parents on campus, Spalding is hoping for a big festival crowd. The Spalding festival will also be the same weekend as the St. James Court Art Show, held up a short distance away in Old Louisville, and Spalding hopes St. James fans will stop by Trager Park afterward.

Spalding University’s first-year students have been on campus and in class for a couple weeks at this point, but on Wednesday, they got another warm welcome, more well wishes and an extended lesson on Spalding’s mission during the university’s annual Convocation ceremony.

All of Spalding’s new freshmen filled into the lower level of the Columbia Gym Auditorium to hear speeches from President Tori Murden McClure and others about making the most of their college experience.

McClure gave an in-depth explanation of the Spalding mission statement – reading it aloud, then expanding on it line by line.

“Spalding is a diverse community of learners,” she said, referring to the first line. “Look around. We value diversity. We want to learn from all kinds of voices, and we want to hear yours. Disagreement is not a sign of trouble; disagreement is a sign of thinking.”

She said Spalding works to meet the needs of the times in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and values compassion, the Golden Rule and a commitment to service, peace and justice.

“Here’s a secret,” she said. “The world’s not going to make you happy. It’s up to you. You’re in charge of your happiness. It’s all about attitude, all about being, all about finding your mission and finding your heart. … While you are here, I hope you find your mission.”

Then, as has become tradition at Convocation, McClure distributed bronze coins to all the new students that are engraved with the Spalding symbol on one side and key tenets of the Spalding mission on the other.

“It was really inspiring,” first-year psychology major Haley Logsdon said of Convocation. “I like to collect things that mean something to me, and I’ll put them on my dresser or somewhere where I’ll see them every day, and I’ll do that (with the coin).”

She continued: “When I was in high school and thought about going to college, I kind of thought of it as just a stressful experience just to get a degree and stuff like that. But now that I’m here, I see that it’s also about making relationships with people around you and about making a difference.”

Other speakers at the event were Peace and Restorative Services Director Chandra Irvin, new Dean of Undergraduate Education Tomarra Adams, Liberal Studies faculty member Deonte Hollowell, Spalding social work alumna Tanaa Davis, Student Government President Scotty Brooks, current student and peer mentor Shianne Davis, International Student Coordinator Sister Margaret Rodericks, SCN, and First-year Experience Coordinator Jeffrey Cross.

“The mission of Spalding is to make a difference in the world,” Tanaa Davis told the freshmen. “You all each have something different to contribute to make this world a better place. Here at Spalding, you can actually make things happen. This is the make-it-happen type of university.

“If you have an idea or a vision that you want to bring to pass, this is the place to do it, and this is the place where you’ll have the foundation for your purpose in life. You’re going to find your purpose in life here, I promise.”

Smiling man Jeffrey Cross) and woman Spalding President Tori McClure) stand and distribute Spalding Mission coins to three female freshman college students — President Tori McClure and First-year Experience Coordinator Jeffrey Cross distributed Spalding Mission Coins to freshmen during Convocation.

Dozens of college faculty and staff stand outside along the steps of Columbia Gym as college students file out and walk past — Spalding faculty and staff gave high-fives and applause to first-year students as they filed out of the Columbia Gym after Convocation.

Spalding University will join a city-wide effort next month to train a world-record number of citizens in a suicide-prevention technique known as “QPR,” or “Question, Persuade, Refer.”

Spalding will be among the many sites around Louisville hosting free, public 90-minute training sessions during National Suicide Prevention Week, which is Sept. 9-15. The QPR course, designed for anyone 18 years or older, teaches the warning signs of suicide, how to offer help and how to refer people to get help.

Spalding’s sessions will take place in the Kosair Charities Health and Natural Sciences Building at the following times:

*Monday, Sept. 10, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
*Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2-3:30 p.m.
*Wednesday, Sept. 12, 12:30-2 p.m.
*Thursday, Sept. 13, 2:30-4 p.m.

To attend a Spalding session, participants MUST register online.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 100 total people had registered for the Spalding sessions, with space limited, so those interested should register quickly to secure a spot.

Mayor Greg Fischer and city leaders are encouraging members of the public to share the word and get as many relatives, friends, coworkers, etc. as possible to participate in the training and try to establish a Guinness world record for the number of people trained in a single week. Registration information for the dozens of other free training sessions around Louisville can be found at qprlou.com.

No specialized mental health care training or expertise is required for those taking the training. Certified trainers will discuss myths about suicide, identify warning signs, outline how to talk to someone who may be thinking about suicide and how to persuade them to seek help.

QPR is similar to CPR in that it is designed to support an emergency response to someone in crisis, and to save lives.

Leaders from Spalding’s School of Professional Psychology, office of Counseling and Psychology Services (CaPS) and office of Residence Life are helping organize and conduct the training on this campus.

“Suicide prevention is everyone’s responsibility,” said Dr. Allison From-Tapp, director of Counseling and Psychological Services. “Anyone can learn to help prevent suicide with some questioning and compassion. QPR was designed to teach individuals to ask the question of suicide, persuade someone to get help, and make appropriate referrals. Through this 90-minute training you will learn the tools you need to help save a life and plant the seeds of hope.”

According to 2017 Home Equity Report, there were 584 suicide deaths in Jefferson County from 2011-15, compared with 333 homicides for the same period. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates are on the increase, and more than half of people who die by suicide do not have a known mental health condition.

“Suicide rates have been rising steadily over the past decade,” said Dr. Steve Katsikas, chair of the Spalding School of Professional Psychology. “Suicide cuts across geographic and demographic boundaries. It is an issue that can impact almost anyone. Learning how to intervene can make a difference and save a life. We are committed to providing training to our community to help make the widest impact possible.”

The city’s QPR undertaking has roots from 2016, when the Louisville Health Advisory Board’s Behavioral Health subcommittee held the Bold Moves Against Suicide Summit on Spalding’s campus.

The “Spalding at 21c: Voice and Vision” reading series will hold its third session of the season from 6-7:15 p.m. Thursday, July 19 at 21c Museum Hotel, 700 W. Main St. The free, public event is sponsored by Spalding’s nationally ranked Master’s of Fine Arts in Writing program and the hotel.

The July lineup showcases a mix of prominent and award-winning local and regional poets and prose writers – Adam Day, Erin Keane, Will Lavender, Kayla Rae Whitaker, Philip White and Lisa Williams.

The evening begins with open-mic presentations of one- to two-minute readings of works in progress. Individuals may sign up for an open-mic presentation on a first-come, first-served basis just before the program begins.

The “Spalding at 21c: Voice and Vision” series runs the third Thursday of every month from May to August. Writers from all area universities, community writers’ groups, Spalding alumni and independent writers are welcome to participate. If interested in taking part in a future reading, inquire with series coordinator Amy Foos Kapoor at [email protected]. Spalding MFA founding program director Sena Jeter Naslund and associate director Katy Yocom emcee the series. Spalding MFA associate program director Lynnell Edwards will emcee the July reading.

Free street parking is available. Proof on Main welcomes those who would like to enjoy the culinary arts, further discussion, and literary connection at the end of the evening. For more information and reservations, visit www.proofonmain.com or call 502-217-6360.

About the Readers

Adam Day is the author of the forthcoming collection of poetry Left-Handed Wolf (LSU Press) as well as Model of a City in Civil War (Sarabande) and Badger, Apocrypha (PSA). Spalding MFA in Writing alumna Erin Keane is a poet, critic and journalist who serves as an executive editor at Salon. The author of three collections of poetry, Keane also serves on the board of the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. Will Lavender is the New York Times bestselling author of the psychological thrillers Obedience (Crown) and Dominance (Simon & Schuster). Kayla Rae Whitaker’s work has appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Buzzfeed, Literary Hub, Lenny Letter and others. Her debut novel, The Animators (Random House Trade), was named one of the best debut novels of 2017 by Entertainment Weekly and NPR. Philip White has won a Pushcart Prize in poetry and a Willis Barnstone prize in poetry translation. His book of poems, The Clearing (Texas Tech), won the Walt McDonald award. Lisa Williams has published three books of poems: The Hammered Dulcimer (winner of the May Swenson Poetry Award), Woman Reading to the Sea (winner of the Barnard Women Poets Prize) and Gazelle in the House (New Issues Press).

About the Spalding MFA in Writing program

Spalding’s nationally distinguished low-residency MFA in Writing program is committed to excellence in a noncompetitive atmosphere. The program offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting and playwriting. Students begin the semester in the spring, summer or fall with a residency in Louisville or abroad; then, faculty and students return to their homes for an independent study focusing on the student’s creative writing. Cross-genre exploration is emphasized. Students may customize the residency location, season, and pace of their studies. See spalding.edu/mfa for more information.

About 21c Museum Hotel Louisville

A multi-venue museum, 21c was founded by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, contemporary art collectors and preservationists who are committed to bringing works of art to the public through innovative exhibitions and programs that integrate contemporary art into daily life. 21c Museum presents a range of arts programming curated by Museum Director and Chief Curator Alice Gray Stites, including thought-provoking solo and group exhibitions that reflect the global nature of art today; site-specific, commissioned installations; as well as a variety of cultural events. The organization collaborates on arts initiatives with artists and cultural organizations worldwide, including The North Carolina Museum of Art, MASS MoCA, The Contemporary Art Museum Houston, The Barnes Foundation, The National Gallery of Ontario, The Creative Capital Foundation, and others. Since opening in Louisville in 2006, 21c Museum has presented more than 85 exhibitions, including Cuba Now!; Alter Ego: A Decade of Work by Anthony Goicolea; Blue: Matter, Mood, and Melancholy; Aftermath: Witnessing War, Countenancing Compassion; Seeing Now; Wild Card: The Art of Michael Combs, a Fifteen-Year Survey; Dis-semblance: Projecting and Perceiving Identity; Albano Afonso: Self-Portrait as Light; and Pop Stars! Popular Culture and Contemporary Art.

Spalding University’s Columbia Gym Auditorium, 824 S. Fourth St., will be the site of the Courier Journal’s A Way Forward addiction panel discussion and information fair on Thursday, July 19 (5:30-8:30 p.m.). The event is underwritten by Find Help Now KY.

The free, public event is a part of the Courier Journal’s ongoing A Way Forward series examining solutions to Kentucky’s drug addition epidemic. According to the newspaper, the goal of the panel discussion is to “provide families with information on how to deal with addiction and how Kentuckians can find a way to solve this crisis — together.”

Here is a link to the Facebook event, and more schedule info is below.

Tiffany Cole Hall, an adjunct professor in the Spalding School of Social Work and a vice president for Volunteers of America Mid-States, will be one of the seven panelists. Hall, who oversees addiction recovery, HIV and homeless/housing services for VOAM, helped create Spalding’s addiction curriculum, and she now teaches in the program. Spalding offers a minor in addiction studies as well as numerous continuing education courses for the public that can be used toward the requirements of becoming a certified alcohol and drug counselor in Kentucky.

Hall and Volunteers of America Mid-States President Jennifer Hancock co-wrote a Courier Journal op-ed this month about addiction issues. The piece also describes the importance of college and universities like Spalding in training skilled, compassionate professionals to assist folks who are battling addiction.

If you or a loved one are battling addiction and looking for help, or just if you want to become more informed on addiction issues and the support services in our area, come check out the A Way Forward forum at Columbia Gym Auditorium.

Here is the event schedule for the evening of July 19:

5:30-6:30 p.m.: Information fair and naloxone training

Information fair participants: Centerstone, Find Help Now KY, The Healing Place, Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, Louisville Metro Police Department, The Morton Center, Our Lady of Peace, Renew Recovery, Spalding University, Young People in Recovery.

6:30-8:30 p.m.: Panel discussion addressing questions about prevention, recovery and solutions to our addiction epidemic, moderated by Laura Ungar, Courier Journal investigative reporter.

Panelists:

Terry Bunn, University of Kentucky, Find Help Now KY
Tiffany Cole Hall, Volunteers of America Mid-States and Spalding University School of Social Work
Tara Mosely, Young People in Recovery
Sgt. Paul Neal, Louisville Metro Police Department, Narcotics Unit
Dr. Charles Noplis, Renew Recovery
Stacy Usher, Wolfe County Coalition UNITED Against Drugs
Maurice Washington, Chad’s Hope Teen Challenge

The “Spalding at 21c: Voice and Vision” reading series – sponsored by Spalding’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing program – will have its second session of the season from 6-7:15 tonight (Thursday, June 21) at 21c Museum Hotel, 700 W. Main St. The event is free and open to the public.

The lineup showcases award-winning local poets and fiction writers: Annette Allen, Sherry Chandler, Millard Dunn, Rick Neumayer, Nana Lampton and Mary Lou Northern.

The evening begins with a few open-mic readings, 1-2 minutes in duration and featuring works in progress. Individuals may sign up for an open-mic presentation on a first-come, first-served basis just before the program begins.

The series runs the third Thursday of every month through August. Writers from all area universities, community writers’ groups, Spalding alumni and independent writers are welcome to participate. If interested in taking part in a future reading, inquire with series coordinator Amy Foos Kapoor at [email protected]. Spalding MFA founding program director Sena Jeter Naslund and associate director Katy Yocom emcee and host the series.

Free street parking is available. Proof on Main welcomes those who would like to enjoy the culinary arts and further discussion and literary connection at the end of the evening. For more information and reservations, visit www.proofonmain.com or call 502-217-6360.

About the Readers

Award-winning poet Annette Allen is a Professor of Humanities at the University of Louisville and author of poetry collections Country of Light and What Vanishes. Sherry Chandler is anticipating the release of her third novel, Talking Burley; her poems have appeared in The Louisville Review, The Cortland Review (with audio), and Rain Taxi. Millard Dunn is a poet whose collections include award-winning Engraved on Air and Places We Could Never Find Alone; his poetry has appeared in Arable, The Concho River Review, Film and History, Hard Scuffle Folio and many more. Nana Lampton, Rick Neumayer and Mary Lou Northern are alumni of Spalding’s MFA Program. Neumayer’s short fiction has been published in numerous journals including The Louisville Review, Deep South and Tulane Review. Northern’s fiction, nonfiction and poetry have appeared in dozens of publications, including Redbook and Orion. Lampton is also a poet, and her books include Wash the Dust from My Eyes, The Moon with the Sun in Her Eye, Snowy Owl Gathers in Her Trove and Bloom on a Split Board.

About the Spalding MFA program

Spalding’s nationally distinguished low-residency MFA in Writing program is committed to excellence in a noncompetitive atmosphere. The program offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, screenwriting and playwriting. Students begin the semester in the spring, summer or fall with a residency in Louisville or abroad; then, faculty and students return to their homes for an independent study focusing on the student’s creative writing. Cross-genre exploration is emphasized. Students may customize the residency location, season and pace of their studies. See spalding.edu/mfa for more information.

About 21c Museum Hotel Louisville

Here’s a summer invitation from Spalding University: Get some training on athletic training.

If you’re a teenage student who contributes to the athletic training staff of your high school’s sports teams, or if you’re just interested in learning about athletic training, an upcoming Spalding skills camp figures to be right up your alley.

Spalding’s Master of Science in Athletic Training program, partnering with the Kentucky Orthopedic Rehab Team (KORT), will host its second annual High School Athletic Training and Sports Medicine Workshop on Wednesday, June 20 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eighth-graders are also invited to participate. The cost is $30, and the deadline to register is June 15. Here is the link to sign up.

Spalding athletic training faculty member Sabrina Pletz said most of the students who attended camp last year were athletic training aides or team managers at their schools, or high school athletes, themselves, who have been hurt, gone through rehab and worked with an athletic trainer.

“People who attend the camp can definitely increase their skills,” Pletz said. “Taping is always something that students can do on the sideline at their high school. Basic first aid, assisting with spine boarding, splinting, these are all things they can learn and enhance their skills and take back with them if they’re helping out at their high school, or even middle school.”

The camp will include an overview of athletic training and demonstrations of taping, bracing, making splints, using a backboard and performing emergency procedures. Campers will also be introduced to some modalities and therapy devices such as an ultrasound machine, and they’ll learn some rehab techniques.

The Spalding athletic department’s strength and conditioning coach, Sarah Clinton, will meet with campers and explain the kind of work she does with athletes.

And the camp will conclude with the Athletic Trainer Olympics – a fun competition of relay races to test the campers’ skills.

The camp will start and finish at Spalding’s Columbia Gym, 824 S. Fourth St., which houses the university’s varsity basketball and volleyball gym upstairs and the athletic training room, fitness center and athletic department offices in the lower level.

There will also be a stop by Spalding’s athletic training lab in the Kosair Charities College of Health and Natural Sciences building., 901 S. Third St.

This is the first year Spalding and KORT, which employs many of the athletic trainers who work at area high schools, have partnered on the camp, and Pletz said she’s excited to have the KORT athletic trainers on hand to share their expertise.

The Spalding and KORT athletic trainers, such as Kevin Brown, who works with the Louisville Ballet, will explain the many kinds of job settings in which athletic trainers can work.

“There are military settings, industrial settings,” Pletz said, noting that Spalding has a couple graduates who are now ATs at GE. “It’s not always just taping ankles on the sideline. There is so much you can do. The settings are expanding by leaps and bounds.”

To the students who attend the camp and might want to make athletic training their profession, keep Spalding in mind for college. Spalding’s master’s in athletic training program was the first accredited athletic training graduate program in the state. And if you attend Spalding as an undergrad, you can begin taking courses toward your master’s during your senior year before you graduate. If you do it successfully, once you get your bachelor’s degree in natural science, you’ll need only one more year to get your master’s in athletic training.

“You can finish with a bachelor’s and a master’s in five years,” Pletz said. “That’s a big plus.”

Spalding commencement is almost here! On June 2, the university will continue its long tradition of holding a ceremony that celebrates the hard work and commitment of Spalding students who have completed their degree. Some of the same questions about commencement come up over and over from graduates, so we compiled what we hope is a helpful Q&A about the big weekend. Also visit Spalding.edu/commencement for information.

When and where is commencement?

Commencement is always held on the first Saturday of June; this year that’s June 2. The commencement ceremony will take place from 10 a.m.-noon, at Canaan Christian Church, 2840 Hikes Lane.

How many tickets do I get?

Four (not counting yourself).

Where do I pick up my tickets?

Follow the signs on the third floor of the Egan Leadership Center, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

How do I get extra tickets?

Sorry, Spalding can only guarantee four. Your best shot is to attempt to find classmates who are not using their full allotment and ask them if they have spare tickets.

When should I show up to the church on June 2?

Graduates must check in at 8:30 Saturday morning at Canaan, and the graduate lineup starts at 9. The actual commencement ceremony starts at 10.

When should my relatives show up?

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Seats on the first floor and in the balcony of the sanctuary are available on first-come, first-served basis, and not every ticketed guest is guaranteed a seat. Guests arriving after 9:45, even if they have a ticket, will have to go to the overflow seating room (see below), so tell them to make sure not to be late if they want to sit in the sanctuary.

How does the overflow seating work?

If guests don’t have a ticket, they’ll be directed upstairs to the overflow room with seats where they can view a screen that shows the commencement ceremony. That said, there is also limited seating in the overflow room, so there’s no guarantee that every person who doesn’t have a ticket will get in the building. Spalding encourages only guests with tickets to come to commencement.

What about accessible seating at commencement?

Wheelchair and scooter-accessible space for guests with tickets is available on a limited basis within the direct viewing area in the sanctuary. Please reserve one of these spaces in advance by emailing [email protected].

Do infants require a ticket?

No, so long as they don’t require their own seat. They must be sitting in an adult’s lap.

Where do I pick up my cap and gown?

The campus bookstore in the Egan Leadership Center. Students that placed their order at the Jostens Grad Fair on April 3-4 must have their student ID or driver’s license present during package purchase. As of May 17, there are also doctoral and master’s degree hoods there.

Can I still order a cap and gown?

Yes, a limited amount of extra regalia is available at the bookstore that be can purchased first come, first served while supplies last.

What should I wear under my cap and gown during commencement?

Whatever you want that feels comfortable. Be as formal or as casual as you want to be on your big day.

If my loved ones can’t make it, will commencement be livestreamed?

Yes, the home page of Spalding.edu will have a link to watch the same live video feed that is on screen in the sanctuary.

Is there a Facebook event for the commencement?

Yes, here’s our Facebook commencement event page. Click to let people know you’re coming. Speaking of Facebook, now that you’ll be transitioning from current Spalding student to proud Spalding alumnus, be sure to like the Spalding University Facebook page in order to keep up with everything going on at your alma mater.

How many are graduating?

As of May 17, the commencement list has 645 students. This includes anyone who graduated in October 2017, November 2017, January 2018, March 2018 or May 2018 and anyone who is expected to finish in June 2018 or August 2018. It also includes some doctor of clinical psychology (Psy.D.) students who will finish internships by October 2018. Of those nearly 650 total students, usually between 300-400 walk at commencement.

When do I get my diploma?

With its six-week schedules, Spalding actually is conferring degrees all year-round, so many of the people going through commencement already have officially graduated and received their diploma. This is now their opportunity to walk across the stage. For those just now completing degrees, assuming the students finish in good standing with the registrar – having paid their account balances and completed exit counseling with financial aid – paper diplomas will be mailed out and an email link to electronic versions of the diplomas will sent in about 2-4 weeks.

When you walk across the stage at commencement, you’ll receive a ceremonial diploma tube that includes various letters from the university and a coupon for a free transcript.

What other events are scheduled around commencement?

Friday is also a big day, with the annual Baccalaureate Celebration and College and School Awards Ceremonies and receptions being held. The ceremonies are a time for family and friends to commemorate the graduate’s accomplishments.

The Baccalaureate Celebration will be 9-10 a.m. Friday at the First Unitarian Church, 809 S. Fourth Street, right next to campus.

The awards ceremonies, held at different times and locations on or near campus, are personalized to the individual degree program or school and often feature visiting, faculty or student speakers. Degrees are not conferred at these events. Friends and family of graduates are welcome to attend a reception immediately following their graduate’s award ceremony.

11 a.m.

School of Professional Psychology (Calvary Episcopal Church, 821 S. Fourth St.)

Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy (Spalding University Auditorium, 824 S. Fourth St.)

College of Education (Greater Bethel Temple, 834 S. Third St.)

School of Liberal Studies & School of Natural Science (First Unitarian Church, 809 S. Fourth St.)

Athletic Training program (Egan Leadership Center Troutman Lectorium, 901 S. Fourth St.)

1 p.m.

School of Business & School of Communication (First Unitarian Church, 809 S. Third St.)

School of Social Work (Greater Bethel Temple, 834 S. Third St.)

School of Nursing (Spalding University Auditorium, 824 S. Fourth St.)

Kentucky College of Art and Design (849 Gallery, 849 S. Third St.)

Receptions
11:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. (following each College & School Awards Ceremony), College Street Ballroom, 812 S. Second St.

Should I wear my cap and gown to Baccalaureate and the awards ceremony?

Yes, to both.

What’s going on the day after commencement?

Take your family to Spalding’s 14th annual Day at the Downs! Spalding hosts a trip to Churchill Downs – and specifically Millionaire’s Row – every year on the Sunday after commencement. It’s a really fun event with a buffet lunch, cash bar, door prizes, silent auction and more. Tickets are $45 per person or $340 for a table of eight. Order your tickets. Hundreds of members of the Spalding community – and their families – will be there, so join the fun.