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THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014
GRADUATION GUIDE
CEREMONY
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FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
At this year's graduation ceremony, groups of students will be able to walk down the hill behind a banner personalized to their specific schools. The banners have different colors added to the top to differentiate the schools.
New banners bring fresh designs to graduation
CORINNE DORIAN
news@kansan.com
With graduation right around the corner, seniors are preparing for the special day and embracing their last days as a KU student. Walking down the hill is a moment that every student dreams of, smiling with friends and proudly reminiscing back on their accomplishments and memories. That special moment will look a bit
different this year than ever before.
For this year's ceremony, there will be new banners that one student from each school will carry into the stadium. According to Charles Persinger, the Director of University Ceremonies and Special Events, the banners were designed by Marketing and Communications led by his colleague, Alejandra Guzman, the project manager at Mar-Com. What makes
these banners so different from the old ones is the color of each school was added to the top of each banner. Persinger went on to say that the process has taken three months and will not fully be completed until May 12 or 13.
Brooke Gunter, a senior graduating from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been chosen to be a carrier for her school.
"Whenever the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
told me that I would be representing them as a banner carrier at graduation, I felt very grateful for receiving such a unique role in the ceremony," Gunter said. "I think that it is a great honor to be able to represent the students of my college by carrying our banner down 'the Hill' on graduation day."
Graduation is a memorable day for most seniors, but for Gunter, she says it will give her a whole new perspective
on the graduation ceremony as a whole. She went on to say that she has such bittersweet feelings about graduating but is very excited for what is to come.
"It is such an honor to graduate from KU. I am proud to say that I will be a Jayhawk for life," Gunter said. "It feels surreal to be graduating. Everyone told me that the college years fly by, but I had no idea how quickly they actually would. I am sad to be
leaving KU, but I am so excited to enter into the 'real world with all of the experiences, knowledge and training I've received during my time here at KU"
Edited by Alec Weaver
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Red, white and blue tassels will be awarded to student veterans at the University if they have served in the U.S. Armed Forces in addition to earning a 3.0 GPA.
CAMPUS
Student veterans to receive honor cords
HALLIE HOLTON news@kansan.com
As many students begin preparing for finals, KU seniors have their eyes on graduation.
Liane Larson, a pharmacy major and president of KU Collegiate Veterans, said in a KU news release, "The veteran cord initiative was established to honor the sacrifice, service and commitment to excellence that student veterans all share."
Mike Denning, director of the office of graduate military programs, said in an email, "members serving on Active Duty, in the National Guard or in the Reserves, and veterans, those who served honorably, are eligible for the Military and Veteran Honor Cords if they earned a 3.0 GPA."
KU Collegiate Veterans will be recognized in a new way as they make their way down the hill during this year's graduation commencement. The student-veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and remained committed to academic excellence will wear red, white and blue honor cords.
Veterans who meet the specific requirements to receive them.
The idea to have student-veterans wear red, white and blue honor cords during commencement was developed by the KU Collegiate Veterans Association during a Veterans Alumni Chapter meeting. The Traditions/Recognition Committee approved the initiative to support the student-veterans' service to our country.
These new patriotic cords will be worn by KU Collegiate
Forces and they are a visible sign of KU's commitment to Service Members," Denning said.
In addition to studentveterans, the honor cords will also apply to Med Center students as well as several faculty members who have served in the Armed Forces and will be walking along the graduates.
"The red, white and blue honor cords recognize the contributions of our Armed
Edited by Katie Gilbaugh
Friends and family of student-veterans and service members will be able to see the red, white and blue cords worn around the necks of the graduates as they descend down "the hill" toward Memorial Stadium during the 142nd University of Kansas commencement ceremony.
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