Here are five graduation celebrations, according to Torolink and the CSUDH website, to countdown to graduation. Courtesy of Joan Kwamboka Courtesy of Unsplash.
By Leah Quintero. Staff Reporter.
Graduation is a few weeks away and with that comes a variety of events organized by different CSUDH clubs and organizations to celebrate the class of 2022.
From fancy award dinners to more chill gatherings, these clubs and organizations are excited to finally be able to hold these events in person this year.
“This is a very exciting time due to not being able to be in person and with the community physically over the past two years,” said Bri Serrano, Program Director for the Queer Culture and Resource Center (QCRC).
The QCRC is hosting its annual Lavender Graduation Celebration which has been around since 2009 to honor, recognize and celebrate graduates who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The event, which includes dinner, and a small award ceremony will be held outside at the Innovation & Instruction Building patio on May 5, 2022, at 6 p.m.
“We have worked with the Alumni Relations office and will have an alumni do the keynote speech,” Serrano said. “There is no dress code for attendees and participants and is a free event!”
Graduates who wish to participate in the celebration can register online here to have their name and picture (optional) in the program, and receive a lavender cord and a certificate. The QCRC also has an RSVP link on torolink for anyone else who would like to join.
Similar to the Lavender Graduation is the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Graduation Celebration. It is also an annual event that aims to recognize soon to be graduates and their accomplishments throughout the years.
This celebration is on April 29 at the Loker Student Union Ballroom at 5 p.m. The event allows the graduates a chance to engage, connect, and share with the Asian Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities.
The event includes dinner and cultural performances. Those who participated in the online event last year and in 2020 can also register to participate this year and celebrate their achievements.
Though it is not organized by an organization, CSUDH has arranged the Dolores Huerta Graduation Celebration which was created to honor the tenacity of Chicano/a/x/e and Latino/a/x/e CSUDH graduates, families, and community that will be on May 6 at 5 p.m at the University Gym.
As stated on the CSUDH website, the ceremony, “Seeks to celebrate and create visibility for historically minoritized groups from Central America, South America, the Caribbean, and the greater African Diaspora (those of Native African descent).”
This will now be the 17th year of this celebration and attendance is open to all students regardless of their ethnicity.
In celebration of CSUDH’s Black students, the 27th Annual Douglass-Bethune Africana Graduation Celebration will be on May 7 at 10 a.m. at the Torodome University Gym.
On the event details site, they state the purpose of this ceremony is to, “Acknowledge the scholastic achievements and accomplishments of the graduating students and also recognize contributions made by those elders in our community.”
The program will have a guest speaker, entertainment and light refreshments.
The Peace Club on campus is also holding a graduation celebration in a more informal setting on May 14 at 3 p.m. They will not only be celebrating the graduating Peace Club members but will also be taking photos and encouraging those attending to come in either CSUDH gear or graduation attire.
More information on that should be coming out shortly but for now, those interested can RSVP on their Torolink.
