For graduating College of Idaho senior Lisanda Masilela, the morning of May 19, 2018 felt like a normal morning. The psychology major and international student from Swaziland was set to receive her diploma in a matter of hours, and yet it wasn’t until she found herself in her cap and gown that she began to take in what she was about to accomplish.

“It didn’t feel like anything this morning,” Masilela said. “But when I started walking in with everyone else, I just thought ‘Here we go.’ That’s when I knew. I saw [President] Jim [Everett] standing up there with my diploma and I got so focused.”

Masilela was one of over 200 C of I students in the Class of 2018 to earn their degrees on Saturday, the 127th class to be honored since the College’s founding in 1891. As “Pomp and Circumstance” rang across the Morrison Quadrangle, the students marched alongside their peers, waving to friends and family as they passed through the center of the Quad and lined up in front of the steps of Boone Hall.

Since The College of Idaho began offering classes through its Community Learning program, over 1,000 individuals have enjoyed the variety of exciting activities the classes have hosted, from new skills like beer brewing and ukulele playing to educational opportunities in gender identity and religious icons.

This summer, C of I Community Learning is back for another season of classes geared toward fun, applying all the enjoyment of picking up new skills and hobbies without the added stress of grades, tests and homework. And between over 30 classes and summer camps offered in person and over 100 online courses to choose from, there’s a class available for every interest.

The College of Idaho will honor the graduating Class of 2018 during its annual Commencement ceremony, which will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 19 in the Morrison Quadrangle on the C of I’s campus.

As the spring semester draws nearer to its end at the College of Idaho, the talented performers in the C of I music department are ready to present their spring concerts to close out the school year, including both vocal and instrumental sounds in a variety of genres and styles.

The College of Idaho will host a number of local media representatives to examine the changing landscape of the 21st century media in the wake of “fake news,” social media influence and anti-media attitudes. The forum is entitled “Mediated Lives: The Future of Media in American Society” and will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2.

Twelve College of Idaho graduating senior environmental studies students will present their respective theses starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28 in the Cruzen-Murray Library Presentation Room, each of them exploring the topic of local soil health through multiple lenses.

The College of Idaho’s English department will host two presentations of visiting writers next week in the Cruzen-Murray Library, including the College of Southern Idaho’s Shane Brown at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 23 and current Idaho Writer in Residence Christian Winn at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25.

As the 2018 Spring Semester draws closer to its conclusion, it’s time for The College of Idaho’s students to once again present what they’ve learned at this year’s 13th Annual Student Research Conference, taking place beginning at noon on Saturday, April 28 at several locations across the C of I’s campus.

Seven College of Idaho senior art majors will come together at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 20 to present the 2018 Senior Art Exhibition, “As Above, So Below,” at the Rosenthal Gallery of Art.

Each of the seven art majors — Melanie Miller, Casey Alcoser, Paula Schneider, Barbara Downs, Quin McLaughlin, Jordan Scogin and Emily Hansen — will present their personal artwork in a wide variety of media, from pen and ink and watercolor paints to wood, glass and acrylics. While each of the artists is presenting their unique work, they saw unifying themes begin to unveil themselves as they planned the exhibition, primarily the duality between light and darkness.

On April 3, 2018, the College embarked on its second ever Giving Day, a day to celebrate the philanthropy of the College’s supporters while inspiring a wave of new gifts to benefit the College for years to come. From the start, the College rang true with the mantra “One Day, One Pack, One Goal” — and thanks to the generosity of the C of I community, the College succeeded in raising over $114,000 in just 24 hours.