Lavender Commencement Ceremony

2011 Lavender Commencement Ceremony
(3rd Annual)

Date set for May 12, 2011 - more information coming.

 

2010 Lavender Commencement Ceremony
(2nd Annual)

The LGBT Caucus at Virginia Tech is sponsored the Second Annual Lavender Commencement Ceremony, which was held on May 13, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. in the Old Dominion Ballroom of Squires Student Center. The ceremony recognized lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual students and their allies from all majors, both graduate and undergraduates, who earned their degrees this spring.

The keynote speaker for this event was Virginia Tech alumnus Tom Brobson, a 1982 graduate of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Brobson, a former member of the LGBT Caucus, served as VT's Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations from 2000-2005 and currently oversees major donor relations for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

The Lavender Commencement Ceremony is for those students who identify with the LGBT community who will graduate in May with either an undergraduate or graduate degree, their families, faculty, staff, and allies. Graduates are asked to have a mentor speak on their behalf. Participating students will be awarded a unique rainbow cord that can be worn with academic regalia. A reception will follow the ceremony.

2010 Graduate	Presenter
Kaitlin Bookbinder Master of Arts in Education	Sean Naleid
Thomas Beckwith Bachelor of Arts in English	Kenneth Belcher
Cheryl Cordingley Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts	Matt Stoll
Christopher Cox Bachelor of Arts in Comminication & Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, Sciences, and Environment (dual degree)	Shelli Fowler
Aimee Kanode Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, Sciences, and Environment	Jess Martin

 

2009 Lavender Commencement Ceremony honors LGBT graduates (1st)

The LGBT Caucus at Virginia Tech and the LGBTA student organization collaborated to sponsor a special graduation ceremony to celebrate achievement at Virginia Tech. A first in the history of the university, the Lavender Commencement Ceremony was held on May 14, 2009 and recognized lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual students and their allies from all majors, both graduate and undergraduates, who earned their degrees this spring. The celebration was held in the Old Dominion Ballroom in Squires.

“We hope that this ceremony becomes a tradition at Virginia Tech, and that it becomes one more way in which to show appreciation for diversity at our university, and more specifically, for our LGBT community and our allies,” said Ken Belcher, co-chair of the caucus.

Six students were awarded a unique rainbow cord that can be worn with academic regalia.
The first LGBT scholarship was also presented by the LGBT Caucus. The recipient was Emily Mauger. The caucus’ inaugural Ally of the Year Award went to Kevin Ayoub.

Edd Sewell, associate professor emeritus in the Department of Communication in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, served as keynote speaker for the event. A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1972, Sewell was a founding member of the communication studies program and the Department of Communication. He led curriculum development in the areas of visual media, new communication technologies, and international communication, and initiated and developed the study abroad program for the department.

In addition, JoAnn Harvill, a faculty member in the Department of English, read a poem to conclude the celebration.

 “The Lavender Ceremony allows us to share hopes and dreams, applaud courage, and honor the successes of our LGBT students at a university-supported event,” said Jean Elliott, co-chair of the caucus.  “We hope that this festivity will help students to feel connected to the university and celebrate their identity. I am also delighted that we are able to sponsor our first $500 scholarship.”

Notes on the Lavender Graduation Ceremonies

The University of Michigan was the first university to organize a Lavender Graduation in 1995, an event specifically for LGBT and ally students.  Since then many colleges and universities have followed Michigan’s lead.  This is the first Lavender Graduation at Virginia Tech.
Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBT students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university as students who survived the college experience.  Through such recognition, LGBT students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students as well as contributing alumni.
Why Lavender? Lavender is important to LGBT history. It is a combination of the pink triangle that gay men were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps and the black triangle designating lesbians as political prisoners in Nazi Germany.  The LGBT civil rights movement took these symbols of hatred and combined them to create symbols and a color of pride and community.

At Virginia Tech, graduates are asked to have a mentor speak on their behalf. Their messages proved to be insightful, powerful, and humorous.  A true celebration of the human spirit.

2009 Graduate	Presenter
Brandon Beall Marketing	Brittany Morrison
Kaitlin Bookbinder Mathematics Education	John Gray Williams
Zach Frye Chemical Engineering & Biochemistry	Russell Shrader
Katelynn L. Johnson Psychology & Sociology	Ross C. Edmonds
Sarah Saville Interdisciplinary Studies & Biological Sciences	Alison Wood
Eric Tobin Wildlife Science & Biology	Carolyn Kidd