Hard to believe it’s almost graduation day again.
The Commencement Committee has been working hard to plan a ceremony for about 75 students who will receive their diplomas this year, said organizer Stefani Martinez.
Commencement will look quite a bit different this time around.
“This year, it’s a completely different ballgame,” Martinez said.
Graduation will be held on the quad this year, starting at 9 a.m. Friday, May 18, instead of in the Dr. Lakireddy Auditorium as it was when the first three graduates turned their tassels last year.
Student speaker Josh Bolin will deliver an address based on the theme “We came here to make history, but we leave having changed our own.” This year’s theme was chosen by the Grad Committee, made up of students.
Lt. Gov. John Garamendi Sr. will be this year’s keynote speaker, and Chancellor Steve Kang will serve as emcee.
Graduation will tie in with the university’s opening day in 2005, in that graduates will walk from the quad back across the Scholars Lane bridge once the ceremony is over. On opening day, all the students walked up from the dining commons across the bridge and into the tent where the ceremony was held. This time, they’ll go the other way, signifying completion, Martinez said.
At the end of the ceremony, the graduates will formally announce their class gift to the university - a statue of the Golden Bobcat.
Each graduate gets five tickets to the ceremony, and more tickets for faculty and staff will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Students First Center. While everyone is welcome to attend, only people with tickets are guaranteed seating.
If it rains, graduation will take place in the recreation center.
But Martinez is confident that Plan B will not be put into action.
“It’s going to be very pretty,” she said.
