25 May 2010

Commencement 2010

By Moira Blake.

IPC Drum Team

New student Roydon Broughton accepting his Welcome scroll from IPC President, Wayne Edwards.

Renee Abraham and Kento Otsubo, MCs for the ceremony.

Miss Manami Yokokawa at the piano in the Regent Theatre.

Students from 18 different countries were formally welcomed to IPC and to Palmerston North at the College’s 21st Commencement Ceremony in the Regent Theatre on Tuesday 4th May.

The Ceremony opened with a performance by the IPC Drum Team

Masters of Ceremonies were Mr Kent Otsubo and Miss Renee Abraham, who each at various times during the afternoon spoke in both English and Japanese, as they introduced themselves and announced the speakers.

IPC President, Wayne Edwards, Keynote Speaker, Sir Donald McKinnon, (Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, and former Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand), and Mr John Hornblow all referred to the wonderful chances the new arrivals have at IPC to develop an understanding of so many different cultures, and they encouraged the students to make the most of the opportunities available to them.

Then came the roll call of the 124 new students and the presentation of their welcome scrolls by President Wayne Edwards, after which second year student Manami Yokokawa entertained with a piano piece entitled “Spring”.

Then it was the turn of Mr Kenji Naemura to speak on behalf of the parents of new students. As well as thanking the community for welcoming the new students, he offered some words of advice on learning languages at IPC: “If you are trying to learn them by sitting at your desk, you are not making use of the wonderful environment here to the fullest.”

Next, Miss Kayo Sakamoto, speaking on behalf of the new students, expressed her determination to work hard and her gratitude for the encouragement she has already had from “many kind and supportive people” in her three weeks at IPC, encouragement that she feels sure will allow her to overcome “whatever challenges may happen”.

Then followed some reflections from the Chairman of the Board, Mr Hiroshi O’Hashi, who expressed his hope that from today all the students would be “taking new steps with dreams and pride”

The ceremony concluded with the Presentation of the first IPC Research Awards and the Teaching Award for 2009 (see separate article).

New students, parents, staff and guests then returned to campus for the Commencement Dinner held in the Recreation Centre.

Miss Kayo Sakamoto speaking on behalf of the new students.	New students at the ceremony.	New Students.	The students from the NZIRP Rugby programme entertaining the crowd at the dinner with a stirring haka.

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