This weekend was graduation weekend for KU, and graduation celebrations encompass more of those great traditions. Ceremonies begin on Friday night and culminate with walking down the hill in front of the campanile at 2:30 in the afternoon on Sunday. Walking down a hill, you say? What's fun about that?
Well, if it were just walking down the hill, then nothing. But when nearly the entire graduating class lines up to parade through the campanile (which you're not supposed to do until this day or you are, tradition holds, not actually going to graduate) and down the hill that leads into Memorial Stadium (our football venue) where the graduation ceremony takes place, it's much cooler. You march the path with your friends and/or classmates in your caps and gowns, hoods and honor cords, often with some sort of goofy object or balloon so that your family and friends, who are anxiously watching for you on either side of the path, know when you're about to come. (And coming down the hill may take a while...the school of law didn't move for the first hour and a half of the procession last year). People hoot and holler, laugh and cry, as everyone enjoys the day as you celebrate your accomplishment and savor the last few moments at the university that has helped shaped who you are today and has come to mean so much to you during your short time there.
I don't usually plan out what I'm going to take for my picture of the day, but experiencing everything I did last year, I've been plotting for a while to try and capture all the feelings that come along with the ceremonies for my picture of the day. The beautiful 70-degree sunny day lent itself to a handful of great pictures (more of which I hope to post later), but I felt this one best captured the sights, sounds, traditions, joy, and even uncertainty that crossing the threshold of the World War II memorial has to offer. Graduation at KU is truly an unparalleled experience and is just another thing that makes the University very special.
I don't usually plan out what I'm going to take for my picture of the day, but experiencing everything I did last year, I've been plotting for a while to try and capture all the feelings that come along with the ceremonies for my picture of the day. The beautiful 70-degree sunny day lent itself to a handful of great pictures (more of which I hope to post later), but I felt this one best captured the sights, sounds, traditions, joy, and even uncertainty that crossing the threshold of the World War II memorial has to offer. Graduation at KU is truly an unparalleled experience and is just another thing that makes the University very special.
