Erin Rawls is planning to bring her Walt Disney World poncho to graduation.
With the Stephen C. O’Connell Center undergoing construction following basketball season, graduating students will accept their diplomas in the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this Spring.
As of now, four commencement ceremonies are planned for the stadium in the Spring, UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes wrote in an email. Each one will be at 7 p.m. from Thursday, April 30 until Sunday, May 3.
“These ceremonies will occur rain or shine just like football games but could be cancelled for serious weather conditions such as lightening,” Sikes said.
Rawls, a psychology and zoology senior, said it will be a great change as long as it doesn’t rain.
“I think it’s really cool that it’s going to be in the stadium,” Rawls, 22, said. “It’s going to be outdoors, and The Swamp is just awesome, and it’s really pretty there.”
Yet she said she’s not happy with the entire College of Liberal Arts and Sciences graduating together in one ceremony — usually the college is split in two.
“It’s going to take forever,” she said. “We’re going to be in there for hours and hours.”
Some colleges may also host graduation ceremonies elsewhere, Sikes said. The colleges making plans to use the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts for at least one ceremony are: design, construction and planning, engineering, nursing, dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.
“Plans are still being finalized and will be posted on the commencement website in coming weeks,” Sikes said.
If students wear ponchos as Rawls suggested, they would be covering up the new sustainable gowns, which is another change in the graduation lineup.
Herff Jones will be the new cap and gown distributor, said UF Bookstores director Lynne Vaughan. The company is offering package deals for students to buy gowns, rings, announcements and other accessories together.
“We were looking for someone to put everything together,” Vaughan said.
Students would keep the gowns, which are made out of recycled materials. More than 7,000 gowns are usually shipped among the distributor, dry cleaner and UF, so this will cut labor and costs, Vaughan said.
“They’re also a hassle for students to return,” she said. “We hear it every time.”
Herff Jones is keeping the price of gowns the same as in past years. Vaughan said the bookstore is looking to add Gator details to make bachelor’s and master’s graduates stand out, as well as non-black gowns for doctoral students.
“We just knew when we saw them,” Vaughan said. “They represent the university well.”
