In one of the more eloquent, thoughtful and insightful undergraduate editorials you’ll ever read, Bowie State University graduating senior and editor of the Spectrum Newspaper Auburn Mann puts an end to the controversial division of the university hosting its commencement ceremony on the campus of the University of Maryland. A sample from his column in the Washington Post:

Bowie State’s relationship with College Park is complicated. Bowie State, just as the other schools in the University System of Maryland, relies on the flagship campus for resources, such as library access and hand-me-down gym equipment.  Like the perpetual dependence of developing countries on the more industrialized areas of the world, the smaller schools in the state system have been forced to rely on College Park for resources. The fact that we are scheduled to use their lavishly funded and spacious Comcast Center reflects this reality.

On the other hand, this year’s commencement ceremony at College Park could be viewed as a sign of triumph over the policies of yesteryear and a validation of their extinction.  We will gather at a place that at one time prohibited our instruction and edification. This setting will be transformed into a place where we will symbolically complete this level of education.