News

Cal Poly Humboldt graduating senior Angel Barker wasn’t expecting to receive her diploma at a casino.

“My high school graduation was a drive-thru in the parking lot because it was in 2020 at the beginning of COVID-19,” Barker said. “I was really excited to have my family see me walk across the stage at the Redwood Bowl. Graduating at a casino wasn’t what I expected at all.”

In lieu of hosting graduation at the Redwood Bowl in the wake of student protests over the Israeli-Hamas war and the subsequent campus closure, CPH decided to hold local commencement ceremonies at three different locations on Saturday, May 11: the Eureka Theatre, Eureka High School and the Sapphire Palace Event Center at Blue Lake Casino, with a schedule of ceremonies for different disciplines.

Another unofficial ceremony took place at the Humboldt County Courthouse without the university administration. At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Humboldt for Palestine organized a commencement for graduates who wanted to honor the lives of those lost due to the violence in Palestine. Many participating graduates wore Palestinian keffiyeh scarves as they sat on the courthouse steps and listened to speeches by faculty and fellow students. Dozens of community members gathered around to celebrate the 2024 graduates, some of whom opted out of the commencements held by CPH.

At Blue Lake Casino, the commencement ceremony included two armed police officers stationed at each exit of the venue, a metal detector at the entrance and the smell of cigarettes leaking in from the slot machines.

Check-in and registration for graduates’ families and friends granted them neon orange wristbands that were checked at the entrance by security guards. Dozens of workers sporting golden and green Humboldt caps handed out program pamphlets and assisted the flow of traffic as families filed into the venue and filled seats where they could. Blue tape sectioned off seven rows in the center for graduates to take their seats. The 4:30 p.m. ceremony for students receiving a degree from the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), specifically in the fields of communications, history and journalism, was packed and began without delay two minutes later. Applause from attendees filled the room for the incoming graduates and faculty, who took their seats in the designated section.

The introduction to graduation began by honoring the Indigenous tribes of Blue Lake Rancheria and their land. Then several attendees stood as a prerecorded, instrumental version of the national anthem played over the speakers.

President Tom Jackson was not present at this ceremony. Instead, Dean of CAHSS Jeff Crane shook the hands of graduates as they accepted their diplomas.

Speeches from faculty members included messages from alumni, congratulating and encouraging students who had made it to this milestone.

“You are not just graduates, you are the next generation of leaders,” alumnus Carin Kalschmidt wrote in a letter read by Crane. “Equipped with the knowledge, skills and passion to make a meaningful impact on the world around you. Embrace the power of your education to affect positive change in your communities and beyond.”

Another speech asked graduates who encountered obstacles — financial, physical or environmental — while receiving their education to stand and be met with another round of applause for their extraordinary efforts.

Row by row, graduates walked to the left of the stage and began preparing to make their way across the stage. Bachelor’s degrees in communications were awarded first, followed by history and journalism. The venue erupted in celebration as each name was announced.

After 10 minutes of announcing the names of graduating students, the ceremony was over. Crane congratulated graduates and asked them to stand and move the tassels on their caps from the right to the left. Families and friends of students burst into one last round of applause before the traditional Pomp and Circumstance Marches blared on the speakers, signaling the end of the ceremony and prompting graduates to leave the venue single file.

The journey toward their degrees was wrapped up in half hour at the casino, ending exactly at 5 p.m.

“It doesn’t really compare to a traditional graduation,” Barker said. “Usually there’s bleachers, speeches, people are hot and waving fans. This was just a speech from the associate dean of the college, a speech from the dean and quotes given by past alumni from 30 years ago. On one hand, I’m glad that the older people in my family didn’t have to endure a long and hot commencement. Then, on the other hand, I’m sad that I didn’t have the experience of every other graduating class … for the second time in my life.”

Paige Main, who graduated with a degree in studio arts, felt similarly to Barker.

“I don’t really know what I expected but it just felt underwhelming,” Main said. “It definitely was a lot faster, and that was nicer because [we didn’t have] to wait an hour through super long speeches and parking wasn’t crazy. But, I think it definitely felt weird to be at a casino.”

Afterward, families gathered outside to take pictures. Some graduates waded into the casino and its rows of slot machines, where regular patrons watched in confusion.

“Walking through the casino in a cap and gown was pretty interesting,” Main said. “It was definitely not what I was expecting.”