Shepherd University President Mary Hendrix speaks to the graduates at the 152nd Commencement Ceremony in Butcher Center on Saturday. Photo by David Pennock

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Fifty-two master’s and doctoral degrees were conferred, during the 152nd Commencement at Shepherd University on Saturday.

The graduate ceremony was held in the Butcher Center on Saturday morning. Peter Loge, associate professor of media and public affairs and director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., gave the commencement address. He also was conferred with a doctor of humane letters, honoris causa, degree during the ceremony.

“When I learned I was getting this honor and was going to be asked to say a few words, I of course bragged about it and told my friends — this is the kind of thing you brag about,” Loge said. “One friend said, ‘That’s great. My mom went to Shepherd.’ I said, ‘That’s cool. What did she major in?’ He said, ‘Nothing. She was expelled because she snuck into the boys dorms.’ That was a long time ago and you’re graduate students, so I’m sure that doesn’t apply, but it’s too good a story to not share.”

The audience laughed in agreement, before Loge proceeded to speak on the topic of “community.”

“Over the past several years, I’ve gotten to know Shepherd University: I guest lectured in classes, I gave a presidential lecture last fall [and] I’m honored to serve on the board of the Stubblefield Institute. Thank you for inviting me to be part of your community,” Loge said. “Community is a complicated word. Universities talk about themselves as a ‘community of scholars.’ The Shepherd University website describes the school as ‘a tight-knit community, with student clubs and organizations, with a strong emphasis on student community service.’ The M.A. in Appalachian studies is specifically designed for community members.

The Shepherd University Brass Ensemble performs the processional, during the 152nd Commencement Ceremony in the Butcher Center on Saturday. Photo by David Pennock

“Shepherd’s not alone. Everyone describes itself as ‘a community.’ It’s one of those generically positive and imprecise words that shows up in hiring notices and speeches like this,” Loge said.

He noted that the term “community” can refer to many things, including exclusionary groups like political organizations and cults. However, he encouraged those at the ceremony to think of “community” in a different way — so much so, that they view it as a different part of speech.

“One way to make the word ‘community’ useful, is to think of it as a verb, rather than a noun. A community isn’t a place in which we hide — it is something we build,” Loge said. “In this light, a community is like a garden. It’s something that we nurture and that nurtures us.

“Garden needs lot of attention. The best gardens have different plants and species — they attract wildlife, bugs, bees and birds that help strengthen other gardens,” Loge said. “Like a garden, a community is something that we create and that creates us: we till soil together, we sow together and we reap. The only ways to fail are to do nothing — to pick the fruit but not turn the earth, to take without giving, to lock the gate, to fail to make room at your table.”