Karl Stackhouse had it right. Saturday, January 26, was an historic day. In welcoming graduates and guests to the first winter commencement ceremony ever held at Northampton Community College, the chairman of the board noted some significant differences between the Class of 2008 and members of the College’s first graduating class: There were “71 of them….you are 617 strong.”

Indeed it is the growth of the student body that led the College to add a winter commencement ceremony, allowing August and December graduates to have a “day of their own,” and providing room for more family members and friends to share the milestone with them.

More than 1000 guests filled the Spartan Center to see sons and daughters, moms and dads, husbands and wives walk across the stage to get their diplomas.

Speaking on behalf of the board, Mr. Stackhouse said, “I speak not only for the trustees, but for the communities we represent when I tell you how proud we are of you.”

Noting that the College’s first winter graduates were breaking new ground, NCC’s president, Dr. Arthur Scott , urged them to “continue to be pioneers.” He told them they are graduating at a good time, saying “the country needs educated and skilled workers to replace the baby boomers who will soon retire.”

A professor who is soon to retire was chosen to speak on behalf of the faculty. Craig Kilpatrick who has taught psychology at NCC for 37 years encouraged the graduates to take the advice given by the Roman poet Horace in the first century B.C. and later echoed by Robin Williams in the movie “Dead Poet’s Society,” and “Carpe Diem” (translated “seize the day).

Drawing on the writings of the humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow, he suggested two ways in which students might best seize the day: “the first is to love….and the second is to accept change as a necessary part of life that brings opportunities for growth rather than automatically perceiving change as scary and threatening.”

Commencement speaker Chris Martin , chairman and CEO of The Martin Guitar Company, talked about how his career goals changed from wanting to be a marine biologist to entering the family business. Under his leadership the company has reclaimed its reputation as the builder of some of the world’s highest quality acoustic guitars, now producing more of them than any other company in the United States. Although he started college at UCLA and finished at Boston University, it was in between - at Northampton - he said, where classes were small and professors knew his name that he “began to feel more connected to higher education.”

After the graduates were each recognized by name and received their diplomas, they were welcomed into the ranks of alumni. Stephen Dolak , a member of the College’s first graduating class, said “I’m sure you’ve heard all the war stories about the barracks across the street and how little equipment we had.” Although “there have been a lot of physical changes at the College over the years,” he said, “the spirit, the vitality and the family atmosphere have not changed one iota.” He reminded the College’s newest alumni that they got to where they are because people took time to care about them, saying he hoped they would now give back, sharing their time, talents and treasure with their alma mater to make sure other students have the same opportunities.

The graduates applauded all the participants warmly, including two of their classmates: student speaker Evette Olszyk , who refused to let the death of her husband, fear of failure and the demands of raising two young children deter her from earning her degree twenty years after she graduated from high school, and journalism major (and former “NCC Idol” winner) Myava Lobban who filled the gym with powerful renditions of the national anthem and of NCC’s alma mater.

To see more photos of commencement, click here. To see a list of all the 2008 winter graduates, click here.