more formally connect the camp us with com m u n i ty agencies such as the YMCA and the Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County.
Graduation will move to Tacoma Dome to allow greater attendance al low fo r a much larger audi encc at the grand spring com mencement ceremony, PLU will move grad u ation [ 0 the Tacoma Dome starting in M ay 2006. The traditions of this i m ponant m i les[One in the lives of PLU graduates and t he university will co n tinue in the new ven lle. "\'(/c're working very hard to preserve thc elemcnt s of the ceremony that make PLU com mencement so special [0 our grad ua tes and their fa rn il ies," Registrar Kristin Plaehn said. "This move will make commcnccment much more accessible and comfortable for everyone who looks forward to rhis important d ay. " The move means tickets will nor be required, and gradua tes can in vire as many fam i ly and fricnds as they want [0 celebrate their accomplishmt'ms in perso n. I n the past, each grad uate received a smal l nu mber of tickets. The dome will acco mmodate an audi ence of 6,000, more than twice what Olson AuditOrium can sear. I t is easily accessi ble to people with disabil i ties. With more tban 600 students ea rning graduate and undergraduate degrees in the past few May ceremon ies and evcr growing classes, gradu ation has sim ply ou tgrown Olson Aud itorium. POI' many years, Olson h as been filled to capacity well befo re the ceremony starts, sen d i n g many famil ies a n d friends t o twO over flow locations airing the ceremony on closed circu it TV. Eve n those have ru n out of seats. o
Having more space also will allow August graduates [0 choose to partici pate in either the trad itional May cere mony or December commencement, which will continue [0 be held on cam pus. There will no longer be a need for a separate su mmer ceremony. Com mencement will continue [0 include trad i tions such as vocal per formances, the facu lty process ion, Univers i ty banners and the Universi ty Mace. Also, the universi ty will expand the opport u n i ties fo r grad uares and their famil ies to enjoy campus on com mencement wee kend, including the worship service and brunch before the ceremony.
Challenge Program gets
$40,000
grant to help
students succeed grant frol11 the Ed ucation Assistance Foundation will help fu nd PLU's Challenge Program, which gives students who show academic $40,000
promise a chance to attend college. T h e C hallenge Program serves up to 30 stu dents per year who are condi tional ly admi tted to the u n iversity and who show poten tial fo r academic s uc cess b u t are not cu rrenrl), qual ified. Students are granted admission to che university on cond ition of their suc cessful completion of both the summer and fall components of the program. The Su mmer Challenge is an i n cense, six-week, live-in program with a heavy academic load, suppOrt and anivieies designed to develop a sense of commu nity and participation i n the life of the u niversity. Chal lenge students com plete seven or n i ne credits offered by fac ulty experienced in working with students of concern. Supplemen tal instruction, individ u al tutori ng, and mentoring are provided by peer coach es who live in the residence h all with rhe Challenge s tudents. The Fall Challenge is an intermediate step between the h ighly structured sum l11l:r com ponent and the regular work load stu del1ts wil l experience beginning i n the spring of their freshman year.
www.plu.edu/scene
ce e
o LINE
R EA D M O R E a bout PLU's relation ship with the S a l i s h a n n e i g hbor hood, H o m e c o m i n g 2005 a n d other sto r i e s from this issue at S c e n e O n l i n e . Yo u'll f i n d l i n ks to m o re d etails a bout the p rint version, a s well a s u p d ates o n c a m p u s e v e nts. S c e n e O n l i n e a l s o takes you to other g reat featu res, wh i c h have been chosen " B e st of S c e n e . " C h e c k i t o ut a t www.p/u.e du/scene.
O n l i n e news easy to fi n d .
HERE & NOW > PLU SCENE WINTER 2005
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