Eccentric behavior shines in march
By Bradley J. Brooks
Kansan correspondent
Graduating KU students who look to add a little excitement to their march down the hill during commencement will be in for a big surprise. KU police often confiscate many items, animals, and oddities during graduation.
"No live animals. No puppies, dogs or snakes," said KU police Sgt. Chris Kearv.
Keary said that although there aren't written guidelines that specify what can and can't be brought into Memorial Stadium, any items that might hurt someone in the stands are prohibited.
Keary said one item that stuck in his memory was the concrete canoe the engineering students have made every year.
"I've worked the gate for three or four years, and I've seen quite a lot of different things," Keary said.
Ryan Lynch, Lenexa senior, is project manager of the civil engineering team that built the concrete canoe this year.
"We will march it down the hill if we win the regional contest," Lynch said, referring to the April 27 concrete-canoe race at Lone Star Lake.
"We will have someone ride in it. It is not very strong, so we will pick a lighter person," Lynch said.
In previous years, Lynch said, the engineers had been allowed to take the canoe into the stadium, but not through the Campanile itself.
Keary said that while the KU police do
confiscate some items, such items are held only temporarily.
"We tell people that they can come back to the gate and pick it up afterwards," Keary said. "We can put it in our command post if people don't want it stolen."
Alcohol is not allowed on the KU campus, and graduation weekend is no exception.
While there are some graduates who might partake in a little ceremonial drink, Keary said that students usually have not resisted handing over their alcohol if caught.
Brian Shawver, Prairie Village senior, doesn't plan on bringing a bottle of alcohol down the hill with him.
"The only alcohol I'm bringing will be in the inside of me," Shawver said.
And then there are the more eccentric activities that occur during graduation over which the police have no control.
"I know people who have walked down the hill in dress socks, dress shoes, and absolutely nothing else underneath their gown," said Amy Leigh Beecher, former KU student. "God, I never knew graduation could be so much fun!"
Other students see graduation as a chance to show respect for their graduating friends.
"In honor of a buddy, we did the Iwo Jima pose around the flagpole at the bottom of the hill," said Chris Ulmer, Stanley senior.
"All I could think was 'let's hurry up and get this thing done with so we can go
party," Ulmer said.
Whether it is puppies or snakes, canoes or bare buns, the commencement exercises seem to imbue people with the need to express their individuality.
As long as such individuality doesn't break any state or local ordinances, a student should be able to avoid being arrested or having items confiscated, Keary said.
But for those graduates who do get caught with contraband, they can pick up their boa constrictors, ferrets, and bottles of Quervo Gold at the gate.
Brian Hott/ZKANSAN
The proud builders of a concrete canoe stand next to their unorthodox craft.
Graduation
May 1996 The Hill