Graduation. It is a time to reminisce, a time to be joyous, a time to cherish and a time to be sad. Graduation is a time when students leave a part of their lives behind in order to embark on the next journey in life, whether it is to go to college, to get a master’s degree or to find a job.

This year, at Auburn University, students will have a graduation like none before it. The May 2011 graduating class will be walking to get their diplomas in the Jordan-Hare stadium. This will leave many people with more special memories to recall, considering the Auburn football team won the BCS National Championship this year.

In past years at Auburn, commencement was held in the old coliseum. Two different times were held for commencement to take place to ensure that families and friends who came to see their loved one graduate would not sit for hours upon hours for that loved one to walk across the stage.

However, this year commencement will be one big ceremony.

This will guarantee students to be able to bring more family members and friends to graduation. It will also require a more fast-paced ceremony as it will more than likely be hot outside. In case of inclement weather conditions, the ceremony will be moved into the new basketball arena, and graduates will only be allowed to have two family members or friends attend.

Patrick Martin said, “I heard at one point that instead of having everyone walk across the stage to get their diplomas, the colleges would be called out one at a time and would stand up to be applauded.”

While many may be happy with this bit of information because of the heat and time it would take to call everyone’s name in a single ceremony, many others were not happy to hear the ceremony could possibly be held this way.

Martin said, “I don’t think they could get away with holding the ceremony that way. Too many people sign up to walk in order to have their name called and their picture taken. Families would be really disappointed.”

The debacle over commencement has not been discussed in much detail; however, it is approaching fast. Students are preparing in the last week before finals in order to graduate. Commencement will be held on Monday, May 9 at 9 a.m. If graduates wish to have a portrait taken, they are now taking appointments.