Monday, May 14, 2012

Twins 'start together, end together' at UIS graduation

It was only fitting that Elizabeth and Margaret Wright of Taylorville both donned caps and gowns for the University of Illinois Springfield’s commencement Saturday.

Despite graduating last semester, Margaret waited for Saturday’s ceremony so she could share the moment with her twin sister.

After all, Elizabeth and Margaret, both 22, had lived together for three years, graduated with degrees in communications and were nearly inseparable during their time at UIS.

“Start together, end together,” Margaret said.

UIS celebrated its 41st commencement Saturday at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. Of the 1,316 students eligible to graduate, 768 participated in the ceremony. That was the most since 2000, said Derek Schnapp, a spokesman for the university.

Wenguang Huang, a Chicago-based journalist, writer and translator who graduated from the university’s Public Affairs Reporting program in 1991, was the commencement speaker.

Huang’s recently published memoir, "The Little Red Guard,” chronicles his life growing up in China. He also contributes regularly to Fortune, the New York Times, the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Tribune, among other publications.

Commencement was featured in an May 13, 2012, article in the State Journal-Register.

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