UW Graduation Has Pomp And Wackiness

There were dinosaurs, pink G.I. Joes and a cup of Coke - all carefully balanced atop the University of Washington Class of 1993.

Using their mortarboards as billboards, the graduates told their moms and dads, "thank you," asked prospective employers to "hire me," and paid their respects to the Pacific Northwest by wearing a pine cone or two.

Both wacky and serious, members of the Class of 1993 demonstrated they can use their heads to make a point and show off their artistic talents at yesterday's 118th UW commencement.

Meanwhile, in Bellingham, Western Washington University graduated 900 undergraduates and 100 master's degree candidates at Carver Gym.

In UW's Hec Edmundson Pavilion, families and friends cheered as graduates strolled into the basketball court, where about 8,000 degrees were awarded in two ceremonies.

David Leveille, a 22-year-old arts and science major, donned a $4.99 Jurassic Park special for the occasion.

"My father told me not to embarrass him during graduation," Leveille said, as he pointed to the crouching velociraptor on his head. "Well, this should do it."

Paige Bennett 24, put her Romance linguistics major to use by writing in Italian, "Venni, Vinsi, Vado Via" on her cap.

"I came, I conquered and I'm outta here," she translated.

Anthropology major Michelle Johnson wore a Western African ritual necklace made of stone and straw as she marched down the aisle. Later, her parents hugged their oldest daughter, the first in the family to graduate from college.

Myrtle Moton, 62, who majored in American ethnic studies, said, "I have seven children and 18 grandchildren. I have to set an example for them."

NIGHTMARES OVER LOGIC

Moton, who hopes to teach, said she couldn't wait to get her diploma. She was so worried about not graduating, she had nightmares about failing her logic class.

"Imagine failing logic?" Moton asked. "That would be embarrassing."

It was a decidedly laid-back graduation, with students battled the long wait before walking to the stage by bouncing a beach ball and trying to start a wave. Many came prepared to wait. They wore Birkenstocks sandals, carried Walkmans and brought bags of junk food to munch on during the two-hour ceremony, in which the university's wind ensemble band played "Fanfare for the Common Man."

One of the last graduates to make it to the stage was Heidi Hendrickson, 22, who sat in the very last row.

"Hey, I took psychology. I'm prepared for stress," Hendrickson said.

Stress, after all, is what most of the graduates expect after the pomp ends and the job hunting begins.

Michael Shannon wore a neon orange "Help Wanted" sign on his cap.

"I'm using every means I can to convince people I want a job," Shannon said. "If I don't get a job, I have a safety net. I'm a graduate school candidate."

DREAMS OF SPACE

Commencement speaker was astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, who received her bachelor's degree in 1971 and a master's degree in 1975 from the UW. She told the graduating seniors how she dreamed of space when the Russians launched Sputnik in 1957 and she was a youngster growing up in Sunnyside in Eastern Washington. Dunbar went on to log more than 760 hours in space.

"Don't be afraid to fail and never lose sight of your dreams," Dunbar said.