Local TV reporter to speak at commencement
Chuck Rhodes, long-time area television reporter, will speak Feb. 27 at Shippensburg University's re-scheduled Winter Commencement program. The ceremony was originally scheduled for Dec. 19 but was postponed due to the major snowstorm that seriously affected Pennsylvania and surrounding states that entire weekend.
The program is actually two ceremonies, both in the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center with Feb 28 as a snow date. The first ceremony, at 11 a.m., is for graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences. The second ceremony, at 2 p.m., is for graduates in the John L. Grove College of Business and the College of Education & Human Services.
No tickets are needed for guests for either ceremony. The Luhrs Center will be open at 9 a.m. for the first ceremony. The Luhrs Center will be open at approximately 12:30 p.m. for the 2 p.m. ceremony. The actual time for entrance to the second ceremony will be based on when the first ceremony ends. Guests at the second ceremony may wait in the Ceddia Union Building until the first ceremony ends. All guest are to be seated 30 minutes prior to each ceremony.
In case of inclement weather for either program, individuals may call Hotline, a recorded messaging system, at 477-1200. Hotline is the official source of information about the ceremony and any changes due to weather. Information will also be posted on the university's website at www.ship.edu.
Rhodes, after 35 years of forecasting weather at WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, ended his forecasting career in May and began working as a feature reporter noted for his "Out & About" series that focuses on interesting people and programs in the region.
A native of Lewistown, he served four years in the United States Navy until his discharge in 1970. He attended Shippensburg University where he met his wife of 37 years, Carol, a 1971 Shippensburg graduate. He later earned a degree in radio-television broadcasting from the Pennsylvania State University.
The job he took originally with WHTM-TV (then WTPA-TV) in 1973 was his first in television broadcasting and included anchoring and reporting news. It was when he was assigned to do weather forecasts, that he became a viewer favorite due to his unique blend of warmth and humor. He was voted the "Top television personality" and "Favorite weather forecaster" by the readers of Harrisburg Magazine several consecutive years.
He is also noted for his musical talent and is involved with numerous civic and charitable organizations including United Cerebral Palsy, Hospice of Central Pennsylvania, Perry County Literacy Council and the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.
Further information is available by sending e-mail to SUnews@ship.edu.