While many fourth-year UVA students spent yesterday afternoon walking the Lawn and picking up their diplomas at spots around the university grounds, the men’s lacrosse team spent it sweating out a close victory over Stony Brook University. This afternoon, those players (along with two members of the school softball team) scheduled to graduate from UVA picked up their diplomas during a short ceremony at Old Cabell Hall.
UVA Athletics Director Craig Littlepage called Sunday’s final exercises notable for several reasons, citing John Casteen’s last graduation as UVA President and the opportunity to reflect on the death of four students who died before they could finish their final year of study at UVA, including slain female lacrosse player Yeardley Love. Several members of the men’s team wore buttons bearing Love’s name and the date of her death on their robes.
Fourth-year defender Ken Clausen told the crowd that the "untimely" death of Love had encouraged the team to "come together." After brief remarks by Clausen, Dean of Students Allen Groves served for the second consecutive year as a commencement speaker for the athletes.
Groves remarked that both he and the school are "very committed to our student athletes." He referred to a speech he gave the lacrosse team last year, and cited part of a 1910 Theodore Roosevelt speech, "The Man in the Arena." And while Littlepage, Clausen and Groves all mentioned Yeardley Love, there was no mention of George Huguely, the fourth-year lacrosse player charged in her death.
Lacrosse coaches Dom Starsia and Julie Myers, members of the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams and UVA officials including Chief Operating Officer Leonard Sandridge joined families inside the hall in applauding each student and singing "The Good Ol’ Song" at the event’s conclusion. Love’s roommate, Caity Whiteley, and a friend sat with members of the men’s lacrosse team through the ceremony.
Members of the UVA men’s lacrosse team wait outside of Old Cabell Hall for the ceremony to begin
Fourth-year student Ken Clausen addresses the crowd, including coaches Dom Starsia and Julie Myers
Graduating members of the UVA lacrosse and (on the far right) softball teams sing "The Good Ol’ Song"