The 杏吧专区 revived summer Commencement this year.
About 160 graduates received diplomas during the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 147th Commencement on Aug. 8.
It was the first summer Commencement held since 1949.
Dr. DeWayne Bowie, vice president for Enrollment Services, said the 杏吧专区 plans to continue to hold Commencement at the conclusion of summer semesters.
杏吧专区淩eintroduction of the ceremony gives graduating seniors and graduate students a chance to take part in the traditional exercise right away, rather than having to wait until the end of the fall semester,杏吧专区 he said. 杏吧专区淚t gives them a chance to savor and celebrate their accomplishment before turning the page to a new chapter of their lives.杏吧专区
According to the July 15, 1938, issue of The Vermilion, the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 student newspaper, the summer tradition started for the benefit of future teachers. About 70 of the roughly 90 graduating seniors were receiving bachelor杏吧专区檚 degrees in education and would begin teaching careers at the beginning of the fall.
杏吧专区淚n establishing this precedent, Southwestern Louisiana Institute honors the many teachers who come yearly to work toward degrees. In being allowed to receive their degrees immediately upon completion of their work, teachers will be saved the inconvenience of having to be absent from their work in order to participate in next June杏吧专区檚 exercises,杏吧专区 The Vermilion states.
In 1938, graduation was held in Cypress Grove, which was then dry land. The area wasn杏吧专区檛 flooded until World War II, when there were fears of enemy bomb raids due to the school杏吧专区檚 designation as a training site for Army and Marine officers. A reservoir of water could be used to extinguish any fires caused by falling bombs. Now, Cypress Grove is Cypress Lake.
This year, Commencement was held in the Convention Center adjacent to the Cajundome.
About 1,500 students graduate from UL Lafayette each spring and fall. More than 110,000 men and women have graduated from the 杏吧专区 since 1903.