DECEMBER 3, 2009 ISSUE
ASU Commencement at Holmes Center December 13
Grads Will Wear Eco-Friendly Gowns at Winter Commencement
Bailey Belcher, center, models the new gown that will be worn by students graduating on December 13 from ASU. The gown is made from wood fiber. Belcher is a senior marketing major from Mooresville. Also pictured are University Bookstore co-workers Emily Antolic, left, a junior psychology major from Orlando, Fla., and Matt Beecher, a junior sociology major from Concord. Photo submitted When more than 1,100 ASU students pick up their diplomas later this month, they’ll be wearing something green.
No, the school isn’t changing its commencement attire, just going a little more eco-friendly.
Students involved in the Sunday, December 13, commencement ceremonies, held in the Holmes Convocation Center, will be the first ASU students to wear a unique kind of graduation gown.
These gowns, still in the traditional black, are made of fibers from renewable, managed forests. The gown, along with the plastic container it comes in, will decompose in a shorter amount of time than past gowns, according to the university.
“The change was spurred by the campus’ focus on recycling and sustainability,” said Amy Carson, a buyer for the University Bookstore, in a press release.
Last year’s graduation gowns were made from polyester and it will be tough to see the difference from the crowd and for the graduates themselves to tell a change.
The gowns only cost $3 more than last year’s gowns.
Two separate graduation ceremonies will take place in the Holmes Convocation Center on December 13, with the first beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the second at 2:00 p.m.
The first graduation will be for students graduating from the Reich College of Education, the College of Arts and Sciences and University College. The second graduation is for students earning degrees from the Walker College of Business, the College of Fine and Applied Arts and the Hayes School of Music.
More than 1,100 students will receive diplomas.
According to school officials, the College of Arts and Sciences has the largest class of undergraduates with 318 students. The College of Fine and Applied Arts will graduate 281 students, the Walker College of Business will graduate 142 students and the Reich College of Education will graduate 128 students. The Hayes School of Music will graduate 24 students, and University College will graduate seven students. A total of 220 students will receive graduate degrees.
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