Changes To WKU Graduation And The New Traditions

College graduation, yet a few years off according to my freshman status, it is something I still think about occasionally. All schools have their own graduation and commencement traditions they cherish. Like Yale graduates rubbing the toe of Theodore Dwight Woolsey's statue. Or even something as simple as throwing your decorated cap in the air at the end of the ceremony.

This Spring Western Kentucky is changing their traditional one-day commencement. Now making it a two-day celebration.

The first celebration will be a university-wide ceremony in the Houchens-Smith Stadium. This ceremony will be on May 11th at 6 p.m. President Timothy Caboni and SGA President Andi Dahmer will be the speakers at the ceremony.

Following the ceremony on May 11th, there will be a Big Red Bash on South Lawn. The bash will be in part with the WKU Alumni Association's Commencement Celebration. University Registrar Tiffany Robinson says the "all-out celebration' will include food, music, a photo booth and tents for each college.

The new graduation traditions continue into May 12th. This is the day of the official graduation ceremonies in E.A. Diddle Arena. These ceremonies are broken up by colleges. The times are as followed:

College of Health and Human Services at 8 a.m.

University College at 10 a.m.

Ogden College of Science and Engineering at noon

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at 2 p.m.

Potter College of Arts and Letters at 4 p.m.

Gordon Ford College of Business at 6 p.m.

These ceremonies with include recognition of each graduate, each shaking the president's hand and special touches personalized for each college.

These changes have turned commencement into a weekend-long celebration for friends and family. College graduation is exciting already and with these new changes, I foresee the excitement only to grow.