CAMPUS AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, May 7, 1985
Schools, alumni plan 3 days of events to honor graduates
By J. STROHMAIER Staff Reporter
The tassles on caps sway. The tears flow. But these are only the bare bones of graduation.
For students, it's the culmination of four and sometimes five years of hard work. For the faculty and staff at the University of Kansas, it's a great place that has captured the hearts of the people who see it time and time again.
This year marks KU's 113th commencement. It is the end of years of hard work for students.
Steve Grabow, chairman of the commencement committee and a professor of architecture and urban design, says he never gets tired of being involved in commencement.
"IN ALL THE places I've been, I've never seen anything like the walk down the hill." he said. "We use the outdoors in a very rich, social ceremonial way. It's very festive and very exciting, but it takes a great deal of coordination."
The actual commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 19, is only one part of the three days of activities commemorating graduation. Starting Friday, May 17, activities ranging from cap and gown distribution to the all-University supper will take place.
Most of the events on Friday are geared to alumni returning to their alma mater. At 6:30 p.m., the graduating class of 1955 will be honored with a dinner at the Adams Alumni Center.
On Saturday, scheduled events include the ninth annual Minority Graduation Banquet for all graduating minority students. The banquet is scheduled at 4 p.m. in the Big Eight Room of the Kansas Union.
AT 6:30 P.M., an all-University dinner is scheduled in the Kansas Union Ballroom Chancellor Gene A Budg plans to present the state of the University address and present the 1985 Distinguished Service Citations and Distinguished Teaching Awards.
The 1985 Senior Breakfast is scheduled for 8 a.m. Sunday in the Kansas Union Ballroom. At 9:30 a.m., a reception for graduates and their guests will be at the chancellor's residence, 1532 Lilac Lane.
No speaker will appear at ceremony
Chancellor Gene A. Budig and Gov. John Carlin are scheduled to brief bid graduates farewell, but no speaker has been invited to speak at commencement, Jim Scaly, assistant to the chancellor and coordinator for commencement, said recently.
Scally said the University did not invite a speaker for several reasons.
"In part, it's traditional that the chancelor address the graduates." Scaly said. "In part it's an element of time. The first graduate enters the hall; the hallow is their seats a good hour before the ceremony starts."
The University never invited an outside speaker. Scaly said, but the idea was mentioned several times.
John Allison, Kansas City, Kan. junior and member of the committee that plans commencement, said he would have liked to see KU have a speaker.
Also on Sunday, all the professional schools are scheduled to have open houses and graduation celebrations.
These three-day activities culminate in the march through the Memorial Campanile, down the hill and into Memorial Stadium.
At 6:30 p.m. seniors, graduate degree recipients, faculty members and staff will assemble on Jayhawk Boulevard Graduates will be housed in buildings along the street. The process is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
JIM SCALYL. THE coordinator for commencement and the assistant to the chancellor, said faculty members would lead the procession, and the students would follow until all were seated in the stadium.
"The procession takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half," Scally said. "The commencement ceremony itself takes about half an hour."
He said the different undergraduate schools would line up in the order that the schools came into existence at the University. The College of Liberal Arts and Science will lead the graduates, followed by the School of Engineering, the School of Fine Arts, the School of Pharmacy, the School of Education, the School of Business, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the School of Architecture and Urban Design, the School of Allied Health, the School of Nursing, the School of Occupational Therapy, the School of Social Welfare, the School of Law, the School of Medicine and the graduate school.
GOV. JOHN CARLIN, Budig and Wendell Lady, chairman of the Board of Regents, are scheduled to briefly address the graduates and guests.
Scally said that every student who graduated since the last commencement would be eligible to participate in this year's ceremony. But, he said there was some flexibility as to who would be allowed to go through the ceremony.
"I had a call from a man who graduated 25 years ago but didn't get to go through the commencement ceremony then," he said. "His son is graduating this May, and he asked if he also could go through commencement. I told him I couldn't see any objection at all."
Grabow said that commencement would be moved to Allen Field House if the weather was inclement. Graduates would assemble in the field house by 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
"We'll try to have the outdoor ceremony, unless it's really coming down," he said. "It has been pointed out to us that if it was really severe weather, we shouldn't use the field house."
In the event of serious weather conditions, such as a tornado, Grabow said that commencement would be rescheduled for Monday.
On Monday after commencement, the Army, Navy, and Air Force commissioning ceremonies will be held at 11 a.m. in Woodruff Auditorium in the Union.
Campanile and Potter Lake at night.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
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