Cal Poly Humboldt holds 17 commencement ceremonies

Due to the hard closure of campus following the pro-Palestine protest, Cal Poly Humboldt’s commencement is being held at several locations off campus this year. 17 commencement ceremonies were held at three venues: Blue Lake Casino, Eureka High School and the Eureka Theater. Some graduates and faculty subtly showed their support for Palestine and the protests without disrupting the ceremonies.

Marty King, a graduate with a degree in environmental resources engineering, had a sign pinned to his front that read, “FREE SPEECH.”

“One of our esteemed faculty brought these as an option for people who wish to show solidarity with the protesters and the recent events on campus,” King said.

Despite commencement breaking the tradition of being held in the Redwood Bowl, some graduates didn’t mind the change in venue.

“I feel okay about it. It ended up being a pretty nice venue and it was still exciting. And the staff and faculty were so welcoming,” Liz Easterbrook, a psychology graduate said. “I do wish it was on campus, but I don’t mind it being here.”

Despite a challenging end of the semester, over 1,400 pulled through to complete their degrees.

“Congratulations and never forget your alma mater, Cal Poly Humboldt,” Dean of the College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Eric Riggs, said.

Redwood News would like to congratulate all graduates.