By Quedus Babalola
“After four long years, I can officially say that I am a college graduate,” said Motun Olusa, a business administration major who graduated from LIU Post along with approximately 880 other undergraduates on Friday, May 11.
Long Island University recognized approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the LIU Post, LIU Brentwood and LIU Riverhead campuses at graduation ceremonies at the Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium on the LIU Post campus in Brookville.
This year’s commencement took place on the football field unlike previous years when commencement took place on the campus’ Great Lawn under a tent.
LIU Post graduation (Photo provided by LIU Post)“Whoever made the decision to move over to the field is a genius,” Keolani Williams, a forensic science major who graduated, said. “The scenery is beautiful and there’s plenty of space.
Usually, they start to set up while classes are in session, but with this change there weren’t any disturbances so I think they should continue to have it on the football field,” Williams said.
With blue skies and temperatures in the low 70s, the weather cooperated.
The undergraduate commencement ceremony started exactly at 10 a.m. with the graduates, faculty and speakers marching in, followed by the national anthem.
The program included the presentation of honorary degrees, recognition of the co-valedictorians and co-salutatorians, and the conferral of degrees to the graduates.
“Vindicated is the only word I can think of to sum up the last four years; it’s been a huge battle, especially this year with all my senior classes, but I made it and can’t wait to see what this door opens up to,” Taylor Hill, a broadcasting major who graduated, said.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer reminded the graduates to not let the fear of the unknown deter them on their paths. Some of the graduates dreaded being asked about their plans for post-graduation.
“I actually hate being asked only because I really don’t know; all I know is that I’m going to have fun this summer and overall in life,” Hill said.
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
