Colleges

The popular instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences taught at GCU for 15 years, initiating the University’s relationship with the nearby Arizona Recreation Center for the Handicapped (ARCH).

Doug Carroll, Michael Ferraresi and Bob Romantic of the GCU News Bureau are blogging from commencement on campus. Here are some of their stories and observations from Friday’s ceremonies for the Colleges of Nursing, Education and Doctoral Studies.

The Music Department’s annual awards concert presented three of GCU’s choirs plus five soloists and was followed by a raucous set of improvisational comedy at Ethington Theatre.

Read about the Class of 2012 and commencement ceremonies Thursday from GCU Arena in our blog, compiled by Doug Carroll, Michael Ferraresi and Bob Romantic of the GCU News Bureau.

After a 37-year teaching career, including the last 11 at GCU, Beggs is retiring at the end of the school year. As part of the farewell, several GCU employees paid tribute to him in the same way that he did for so many others – with a rap video. Beggs also has done his own video about his retirement.

The College of Fine Arts and Production’s concert, titled “@,” included 10 dance pieces — three by GCU students. Others were choreographed by GCU dance faculty and metro Phoenix dance companies.

By Bob Romantic GCU News Bureau Rebecca Fair is the first face visitors see when they visit Ethington Theatre – even when maybe she’s not supposed to be. Fair works as a box office assistant at Ethington, which technically means she’s supposed to be there 20 hours a week. Good luck with that. In reality, she’s there twice that amount of time. “The box office is technically open from 9 to 5, so I take care of it. It just makes it easier if I’m here,” said Fair, a sophomore theatre major who has been chosen as the Career Services Student Worker of the Month for April. “There’s times I’m here and do nothing and I sit there and say, ‘OK I’m going to do homework,’ and other times it gets crazy and there are five calls at once. “Being here in the theatre, I get to see all my peers and friends and the actors I work with. They’re always a lot of entertainment. … And the fact I get to help Rose (Werther) and make it so she doesn’t have to worry about it makes me happy. I take care of tickets and organize things so she can […]

Other choral directors might back away from such a challenge, but Assistant Dean Juan Hernandez saw opportunity instead of obstacles, and “Elijah” is now the new standard for choral performance at GCU.

Ten dance pieces are scheduled to be performed, including three involving GCU students. Dance program artist-in-residence Keith Williams choreographed the final piece, titled “Sweet in the Morning,”

“If you go to college, I’ll go with you,” Leola Mayes of Livonia, Mich., told her daughter Beverly. That was 10 years ago, and next week the two of them — separated in age by 37 years — will graduate as online students of GCU. They’re planning to come to campus for the occasion.