Tommie Award recipient Eyo Ekpo could give his commencement speech on YouTube if NCAA outdoor track and field championship dates conflict with his attendance at the undergraduate ceremony May 25.

Ekpo, who has competed in the NCAA outdoor championships for the last three seasons, is hopeful to end his senior year with a final run in La Crosse, Wis.

“It’s a pretty lofty goal,” Ekpo said. “But it’s something I’ve been fortunate enough to accomplish in the previous seven NCAA meets, so I expect to make it there again.”

When Ekpo informed the Tommie Award recipient advising committee about his potential graduation absence, one member suggested using social media for the address.

“One adviser in particular said, ‘It would be kind of fun for you to put it on YouTube if you still want to do it,’” Ekpo said.

Kevin Sauter, communication and journalism professor and student commencement speaker adviser, said Tommie Award recipients are not required to prepare a speech if they’re unable to attend graduation.

Sauter said James Ewer was the last Tommie Award winner to not give a speech in person because of sports commitments in 2009. Unlike Ekpo, Ewer did not use social media for the speech.

Ekpo’s video will not be sponsored by St. Thomas, and is expected to be uploaded on his personal YouTube account.

Creating a YouTube video will allow Ekpo to develop what Sauter calls a “multimedia event.”

“If I were him, I would be thinking, ‘I can give a speech, but just me standing in front of a camera is not going to particularly be compelling,’” Sauter said. “Maybe he can add images, put music in there and be creative with it.”

Sauter said composing a video will also give Ekpo the freedom to record it as many times as he wants.

“It’s going to become a little bit of an acting thing, since he has the opportunity to recreate it,” Sauter said. “It will be different, but it should be interesting.”

Although Ekpo was looking forward to giving his speech in person, he knows the benefits of creating a YouTube video.

“I am a person comfortable speaking with others and I was excited to give a speech like this, especially in front of such a large number,” Ekpo said. “Of course, I would be a little nervous, so I guess I’m kind of happy that I get to bypass and take an easy road.”

Ekpo said students can also benefit from having the speech uploaded on YouTube.

“It would kind of be a win-win situation because people can watch it in the comfort of their own homes on their own time, rather than having to sit through a really long process,” Ekpo said. “Also, if they want, they can fast forward, instead of listening to the whole thing.”

While there are advantages of a YouTube video, challenges of speaking behind a screen present themselves.

“It doesn’t give that live, interactive experience,” Sauter said.

“I don’t think the YouTube video will in any shape or form bring about the same message and same feelings,” Ekpo said. “But at the same time, I think it’s better than nothing.”

Most importantly, Ekpo is concerned with making graduation a memorable experience for his colleagues.

“I’m missing out on it because I’m going to the (NCAA) championships, which is a gift in itself, but I don’t want other people to miss out and not get any kind of benefit out of it,” Ekpo said.

Senior William Oppong-Bio does not oppose the idea of a YouTube alternative.

“It’s always good to have someone in person,” Oppong-Bio said. “He’s really involved on campus as it is, so if other engagements prevent him from being around then I will still tune in.”

Not showing Ekpo’s video or having him at graduation will take away from the ceremony senior Sadaf Rahmani said.

“I feel like if he were there, it would’ve been more of a traditional graduation. Having it on YouTube is an unconventional thing, but there’s nothing wrong with it,” Rahmani said. “But if I have to be honest, if they don’t play it at graduation, I probably won’t check for it.”

Ekpo said his goal in preparing for his YouTube video is to receive help from other seniors. Through Facebook, Ekpo informed his colleagues by posting on the 2013 senior class page.

Ekpo said he does not want the video to represent his St. Thomas experience only, but also reflect the memories of other 2013 graduates.

“I want to get everyone involved in this as much as possible,” Ekpo said. “Whatever road led you to St. Thomas, we are all walking out at the same time, and there’s a story to be told from each of us.”

Eden Checkol can be reached at chec7168@stthomas.edu.