Summer Commencement makes a comeback

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The 小蝌蚪APP revived summer Commencement this year.

About 160 graduates received diplomas during the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP plans to continue to hold Commencement at the conclusion of summer semesters.

小蝌蚪APP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,小蝌蚪APP he said. 小蝌蚪APP淚t gives them a chance to savor and celebrate their accomplishment before turning the page to a new chapter of their lives.小蝌蚪APP

According to the July 15, 1938, issue of The Vermilion, the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 student newspaper, the summer tradition started for the benefit of future teachers. About 70 of the roughly 90 graduating seniors were receiving bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degrees in education and would begin teaching careers at the beginning of the fall.

小蝌蚪APP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小蝌蚪APP檚 exercises,小蝌蚪APP The Vermilion states.

In 1938, graduation was held in Cypress Grove, which was then dry land. The area wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 flooded until World War II, when there were fears of enemy bomb raids due to the school小蝌蚪APP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 小蝌蚪APP since 1903.