With the semester coming to an end, many CSU Bakersfield students are preparing for their spring 2019 graduation.

The graduate hooding ceremony will take place on Wednesday May 22 at 6 p.m. on the CSUB main soccer field. The undergraduate graduation ceremony will take place on Friday May 24 at 7 a.m. also on the Main Soccer Field.

As for guests, there are no tickets necessary to attend these graduations. This means that students can invite as many family and friends as they’d like. This has gone over both positively and negatively for many students.

Another concern that some graduates face is finishing their degrees in the fall and having to wait four months until Spring to walk in a ceremony. According to Dina Ebeling, as for the spring undergraduate ceremony, there are 1674 students registered. There are 335 students registered for the graduate hooding ceremony.

CSUB student Johnathan Gallardo who is finishing his bachelor’s degree in business administration and minor in communications in Fall 2019, voiced his opinion on this topic.

“With so many fall graduates having to wait four months to graduate, I believe change needs to be made. Best part is, it’s a celebratory change,” expressed Gallardo.

Gallardo was passionate about finding a way to allow students who receive their degree in the fall to graduate that same semester. He emphasized the importance of celebrating one’s achievement.

“It’s a celebration, especially such a big accomplishment,” said Gallardo. “I’m here to do whatever I can to bring that awareness and inform the campus community.”

Gallardo mentioned that he spoke with Dina Ebeling, senior specialist for commencement, as well as the M.E.C.H.A club in regards to holding graduation ceremonies in the Fall. He said that both people he spoke to recognized the issue and said that it would be plausible. The issue however, is money.

Gallardo also held a poll on Twitter asking the CSUB student community if they’d want a fall graduation in December and out of 192 votes 85% said they would.

Along with the normal graduation ceremony there are recognition ceremonies going on all throughout May that are by invitation only, which are hosted by the four academic schools on campus.

There are also recognition ceremonies that are held to honor groups of students who may have not received the recognition that they deserved. Now these students have come together to have their own honorary celebrations.

In regards to The Lavender Recognition Ceremony, assistant professor and community engagement coordinator at the Center for Career Education and Community Engagement, BreAna Evans-Santiago stated, “The celebration is very special because some students may not have family at the CSUB event due to their identities, and we come together to rejoice, uplift and acknowledge their achievements.”

The Lavender Recognition is held for students who are a part of or support the LGBTQ+ community. It will be held on Thursday, May 16 5 p.m. in the Dore Theatre. Students may still register for this ceremony online at CSUB.edu.

The Black Graduates Ceremony is held to honor students who are African American or of African American descent. It will be held on Saturday May 18 11 a.m. in the Icardo Center.

The Chicano Commencement Celebration is held to honor students who are Mexican American or from Chicano, Hispanic or Mexican descent. It will be held on Saturday, May 18 at 5 p.m. in the Icardo Center.

The international graduation celebration is the newest of cultural celebrations and is intended for international students, who studied abroad and all foreign exchange students. It will be held on Wednesday, May 8 at 5 p.m. in the Dezember Reading Room.