The Black Student Union will host its annual graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. June 14 in the Willamette Atrium. Coordinators of the event say this year will be better than last year because more than just BSU students will participate.
This year, 30 graduates will walk in the ceremony, but not all are members of the BSU or are undergraduates.
Sophomore Haben Woldu, a BSU graduation co-coordinator for the second year in a row, said she is proud to see the event extend to other organizations on campus.
“What makes this celebration much more unique is the diversity of the participants this year,” she said. “We have tried to reach way beyond our union to other student union groups.”
The difference in types of degrees, as well as the variety of participating student organizations, plays an important role in the ceremony. Graduate student Khaleelah Rahsaan graduated from the University in spring 1999. A native Oregonian, she will walk with the class of 2002 at the BSU graduation, and her hope for fellow graduates and other students of color is simple.
“I hope that people will have the luxury of pursuing a career that makes them truly happy,” Rahsaan said.
But contentment isn’t found in all the preparations for the ceremony. Because of the time of year and the BSU members’ busy schedules, Woldu said it’s been hard getting people to help with the event. She is one of three individuals “doing the work of 10,” she said.
“I am really disappointed at the lack of volunteers this year,” she said.
On the other hand, Woldu said she appreciates the help and support of her fellow co-coordinators, Dominique Beaumonté and Abolade Majekobaje.
Beaumonté, a junior, agreed that it’s hard to get volunteers at this time of year, but he said he is pleased to see the event change with each class.
“Every year our ceremony gets better,” he said. “We are hoping to just add to all the great things that we did last year when we moved into the Willamette Atrium.”
The keynote speaker will be Johnny Lake, an active member in the community and a nationally recognized speaker who the ceremony’s coordinators hope will inspire and motivate the graduating class.