LBCC’s 43rd Commencement Ceremony will carry on traditions of year's past, as well as trying to create some new traditions.
The 43rd annual Commencement Ceremony will be held on June 9, at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany. No tickets are needed, doors open at 6 and the ceremony will begin at 7. Around 4000 people are expected to attend.
A Commencement Ceremony is different than a graduation. Students do not receive any degrees or certificates at the time of a Commencement Ceremony, as they would at a graduation. Because Spring term final grades are not released until after the event, students cannot actually receive their diploma on that night. “Commencement is a ceremony that allows students, family, and friends, to celebrate in the student’s academic accomplishments, but it does not mean the student has graduated,” explained Tammi Drury, graduation coordinator.
While students are not officially graduating on the night of Commencement, it does not mean that the ceremony is taken lightly. Tammi Drury, along with many other staff members, spent months planning the event.
“We’ve been planning the ceremony since December. I think the hardest thing for me this year is that it’s the first time I’m leading everything. So many people who helped in the past have left on leave or retired, so I had to find people to help,” said Drury.
Michelle Slay, the volunteer coordinator is also newly appointed. “This is my first year coordinating the volunteers, but last years coordinator is guiding me well,” said Slay. “We have 31 volunteers, including myself, but I’m looking for about 6 more."
Michelle Slay, the volunteer coordinator is also newly appointed. “This is my first year coordinating the volunteers, but last years coordinator is guiding me well,” said Slay. “We have 31 volunteers, including myself, but I’m looking for about 6 more."
The coordinating team has had to plan a ceremony that ties in past traditions with new ones, and accommodate a solution for a growing number of students as well…
Past traditions include having bag pipers and doing the processional, the President giving a speech, the faculty sitting along the edges of the graduates wearing caps and gowns in the colors of wherever they graduated, having two Grand Marshalls walking the students in, and having a reception after the ceremony. In addition to these traditions, a few news ones are being added this year. “Last year was the first year we played the Alma Mater as the students walked out, so we’ll be doing that every year now. This year will also be the first year we have the mascot there,” said Drury.
Another thing that is changing this year is the number of students attending, and in turn, the number of family and friends attending. “The most seating we’ve ever had for future graduates is 328 seats. This year we already have 420,” said Drury. The seating plan has been made for 4000 seats for family and friends this year.
“There is a lot of people that didn’t know that they could graduate college, or didn’t know that they could be successful, and here they are. Going the night of the ceremony and watching them all be so proud and seeing it all come together, it’s a great reward for us,” said Drury.
At a Glance:
Thursday, June 9, 2011
@ Linn County Fair & Expo: 3700 Knox Butte Rd NE in Albany
Doors open at 6, Ceremony at 7
Reception afterwards
No Tickets Needed
For more information, contact Tammi Drury at tammi.drury@linnbenton.edu
For more information, contact Tammi Drury at tammi.drury@linnbenton.edu
TO VOLUNTEER:
Michelle Slay is looking for 6 more volunteers to help at the ceremony. If you are interested, please contact her at michelle.slay@linnbenton.edu
