KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010 / GRADUATION GUIDE
11C
Students stand out from the crowd on graduation day
BY SARAH PLAKE
editor@kansan.com
Last May, as the thousands of anxious seniors waited to walk down the hill, there were more than just tassels and graduation robes decorating the lawn surrounding the campanile. One student wore giant Jayhawk feet boots on her walk, others carried balloons, posters, donned colorful Hawaiian leis and Mardi Gras beads, and one girl had an inflatable globe, carrying the world on her shoulders. These are just some of the fun ways students have decided to stand out from the crowd on their big day.
This kind of celebrating will be spotted at this year's commencement as well.
Gloria Lynde, senior from Overland Park, is thinking of fun ways to distinguish herself from the masses on May 16th. She will be decorating her cap with rhinestones.
PHOTO: ROUTINATION BY MAYZEL VAN KNAM
Graduates try to distinguish themselves on graduation day by decorating caps and robes. Last year, different schools joined together to celebrate in the stadium when their school was announced.
"I was thinking about putting something funny on the top of my graduation cap that says something along the lines of 'alright this was fun, time to retire.'"
Some of her friends in nursing will be wearing latex gloves for the walk. Another friend will be writing "I will be paying for this hat for
the next ten years" on her cap.
To follow up the day's festivities Lynde will continue the celebration with her family and friends.
"Here in Lawrence I will get all my friends together graduation weekend and go to Power and Light and celebrate with some drinks," she said.
Matty Broz, senior from Topeka, is decorating his cap with construction paper in the shape of the head of a Jayhawk. He got the idea from a picture of a past graduate and decided he do the same this year. Broz says personalizing the gown or cap are just ways of expressing individuality.
"I worked hard on this degree. I want to be able to stand out for my accomplishment. Plus, it will help my parents pick me out of the crowd," he said.
Standing out from the crowd on graduation day is a tradition that has been going on since Curtis Marsh, director of KU Info, graduated from KU in 1992. His friend, Joe Zielinski, walked down the hill dressed as Captain Jayhawk. While Marsh didn't dress up like his friend, he did take a lot of pictures like most students do.
to be identified as someone who is graduating from a certain program. Also it's a way for friends and family to see them because it's so hard otherwise."
"You don't want to be one of 4,000 people in a black robe," Marsh said. "Students want to find ways
Marsh said he had seen architecture students attaching their final projects to the top of their mortar boards. Other students have altered their robes by rolling up the sleeves, making it into a shirt, and wearing shorts underneath in preparation for the long day.
Photo illustration by Mia Iverson/KANSAN
Stefani Gerson, events coordinator for the KU Alumni Association, has experienced the graduation process three times in the last four years. A graduate of 2006 and 2008, she has seen first-hand the tradition that makes the graduation process so incredible. As a graduate from the School of Education, she and her fellow graduates held blue balloons down the hill and into the stadium so their family and friends could spot them. When her class was presented, they all let the balloons go. She said one of the most interesting things she saw was the Big Jay and Baby Jay mascots revealing their identities after having to conceal themselves inside the costume throughout college. They borrowed the mascot shoes and wore them through the walk. Gerson says a lot of people are excited about just putting the cap and gown on and participating in the ceremony. By far one of her favorite traditions she has witnessed was a champagne shower by the graduates from the School of Medicine. They snack bottles of
champagne into the stadium and when their class was announced, shook the bottles up and showered everyone with champagne.
"Even though I didn't graduate from that school, I could imagine
what they had been through all their years of school," Gerson said. "It's the little things like that make graduating fun."
Take advantage of government loans
Edited by Kristen Liszewski
BY AMANDA GAGE editor@kansan.com
For many college graduates, the burden of student loans lingers over their current financial situation. They never had the help from their parents that other college students had, so now they are deep in debt and hoping to find a way out. A recent study by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that approximately 50 percent of recent college graduates have student loans and the average student loan debt is $10,000.
Melissa Findley, Sales Manager of student loans at Commerce Bank said that loan applications have increased over the last few years. Commerce Bank has an office in the Union on campus.
There are many different student financial aid options that a college graduate can consider to pay off their student loans. Findley said that the best scenario is for the student to stay in touch with their lender.
["Increased student loan applications] may be attributed to numerous factors such as tuition increasing, increased federal loan limits, economical reasons and other factors in the student lending business." Findley said. "However, due to the passage of the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 banks will no longer make federal student loans after July 1, 2010. Students will no longer have the option to borrow federal student loans from banks; instead they will borrow directly from the federal government."
"If for any reason the student is unable to make payments, contact the lender immediately for suggestions that can keep him/her out of delinquency". Findley said.
The official government student
aid website assures students that they have a period of time before they have to begin repayment. The "grace period" that they mention will be six months for a Federal Stafford Loan (Federal Family Education Loan Program or Federal Direct Student Loan Program) and nine months for Federal Perkins Loans. The website states that the repayment period for all PLUS loans begins on the date the loan is disbursed with the first payment of the loan due within 60 days of the final disbursement. If a student has a subsidized loan, it will be beneficial to pay off the loan during this grace period because the government pays the interest and any payments the student makes will be applied directly to the principal balance of their student loan. This lowers the amount of interest they will have to pay over the life of the loan. This process also accompanies an unsubsidized loan.
The government site also offers plans to pay off loans, such as Standard, Extended, Graduated, Income Based Repayment (IBR), Income Contingent Repayment (ICR), and Income-Sensitive Repayment. Students can calculate their expenses and student loans using the site's calculator with further assistance to paying off their loans.
Student loan consolidation is another excellent way to reduce and pay loans. A benefit of this is reducing the interest rates, and thus monthly payments and overall debt. According to the Medical Students Resource Guide, interest rates are near record lows, so there is a good chance of getting a better rate now than when a student first got their loan.
Lauren Omana, a sophomore from Prairie Village, is a part of the increasing number of students that
are counting on loans to get them through their education. Without help from parents, students must rely on themselves to achieve college success.
"My mom has a parent loan and I have student loans that are subsidized and unsubsidized because if I didn't have them I wouldn't be in college," Omana said. "I look at it like an investment in myself. Yes, I'm in debt right now, but in the future I will be prosperous, ready and willing to pay off my student loans."
The government website for student aid offers a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) which was created to encourage graduates to enter and continue to work full-time in public service jobs. After an individual has made 120 payments on loans under certain repayment plans while employed full time by public service employers, they may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on their eligible federal student loans. The only loans that are eligible for forgiveness are non-defaulted loans made under the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. This program includes the following types of loans: Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans (for parents and graduate or professional students), and Federal Direct Consolidation Loans.
"I would say students [have trouble paying off loans because they] may not have the income when just starting in the workforce to make the payments." Findley said. "Because of the job market, they may not be starting their careers as quickly as expected. We recommend students talk with the Financial Aid Office about student loan debt, expected earnings and how to
— Edited by Kristen Liszewski
manage repayment, especially if a student feels he/she is taking on more debt than can be affirmed."
Paying off student loans isn't an easy process, but ways to reduce loans such as the government student aid Web site's repayment and forgiveness plans, lowering payments by consolidating, and finding ways to make extra cash each month will help you find a way to pay off those student loans once and for all.
Photo illustration by Collin Johnson/KANSAN
Interest rates are at an all-time low this year, so now is a good time to take advantage of student loans. The new student loan act passed by the government this year will help students pay back their loans with easier payments and a useful student aid website.
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