Zoe Covey
Contributing Writer
This year, the Student Government Association (SGA) and Campus Council have collaborated to bring graduating seniors the Arch Medal, an award meant to be gifted by a senior to a member of the campus community. Starting this year, the medals will be given in recognition of the impact the individual receiving the medal left on the senior.
Maggie Sestito ’18, president of SGA, said that the award was intended to give seniors a chance to reflect on the role individuals have played in their time at Wooster before graduating.
“It also will allow members of the campus community to really know just what an impact they have within their role at the College,” Sestito said.
Sestito added that the Arch Medal’s name was symbolic of students’ time at Wooster.
“It is called the Arch Medal because the Arch is such a prominent symbol on campus, and it connects to the first day and last day that students are one campus,” Sestito said.
Each senior graduating this spring will receive an Arch Medal, and efforts are being made to have them available for students graduating in August and December as well. Medals can be awarded to any member of the campus community who the senior feels left a positive impact on their time at Wooster. While anyone can technically receive an Arch Medal, Sestito said that seniors would be discouraged from giving a medal to a fellow student.
“The Arch Medal will give each graduating senior an opportunity to think about their journey at Wooster and think about all the individuals who made a big difference in their journey,” Sestito said.
The idea to incorporate the Arch Medals into Wooster’s graduation process this year came from talks with Dean of Students Scott Brown.
“Through meetings with Dean Brown, we recognized that there was not an opportunity for the seniors to reflect and show appreciation prior to graduation,” Sestito said. “Many schools have this type of tradition built in and we felt it would be really great at Wooster.”
According to Sestito, the hope is that the Arch Medals will be one last unifying force for the senior class before they go their separate ways after graduation.
“I think these medals can pull together the senior class and the staff, faculty and administration before graduation takes place,” Sestito said.
The medals will be distributed starting on Monday, April 23 at noon in the Florence O. Wilson Bookstore, and will be available for pickup through May 4. Each senior will be given one Arch Medal and a thank-you note to give to the recipient in conjunction with the medal, as well as instructions for the senior on what to do with the medal.