Graduating Hispanic, Latin-American and black students will have the chance to participate in more than one Ohio University graduation next week.
The Multicultural Programs' African, Latin American and Native American Rites of Passage graduation celebration includes Ritos de Pasaje and Kushinda, which will take place June 10 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.
Ritos de Pasaje has honored OU's Hispanic and Latin-American graduates since 1996. Kushinda has honored black graduates since 1989.
Each provides a more intimate ceremony for graduates and their families, said Linda Daniels, director of Multicultural Programs. During each ceremony, the graduates have the chance to share reflections from their college career.
A lot of times
graduates get lost in the big stage during commencement Daniels said, and these extra ceremonies allow students to be recognized in a more intimate venue. Ritos de Pasaje and Kushinda do not replace the regular commencement, she said.
Regular commencement is divided into morning and afternoon ceremonies. Through ALANA, graduates can experience the ceremony together, Daniels said.
At the ceremonies, graduates will receive certificates from multicultural programming, videos of graduates' reflections, a class picture and kente stoles to wear during the ceremony. Each stole will be printed with Class of 2005. Many students involved with greek life had their stoles customized with their sorority or fraternity's colors and letters.
The stoles are a way for the students to identify each other at the (main) graduation ceremony said Corrine Carthell, Multicultural Programs assistant director.
ALANA Rites of Passage was kicked off last night with a multicultural dinner.
Students were charged $35 for dinner and their kente stole. Carthell said 90-100 people attended the event, which featured a reflection video and a speech from President Roderick McDavis.
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