Dallas Morning News Columnist Steve Blow Addresses Eastfield Students, Parents
For immediate release — May 10, 2011
(DALLAS) — The strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” stir memories of graduation that include the swish of silk robes and the toss of tasseled mortarboards. This spring, students graduating from the Dallas County Community College District are trading silk or polyester for recycled water bottles when they don their caps and gowns of recycled materials to receive degrees and certificates.
And among the featured commencement speakers will be Steve Blow, columnist for the Dallas Morning News, who will address graduates at
Eastfield College on Thursday evening.
North Lake College kicked off a weeklong list of graduation ceremonies on Saturday, May 7, and they were the first to wear the recycled robes (made from Renew Fabric) created and distributed by Herff Jones and sold to DCCCD students through campus bookstores run by Follett.
“All of our students will wear recycled caps and gowns, created from a process that changes water bottles into plastic flakes used to make the ‘new’ fabric,” said Steve Ledford, district director of auxiliary services for DCCCD. “David Browning, vice president of business service administration at El Centro College, discovered this option and suggested that our college district pursue it. Using caps and gowns made from recycled materials is one way that we can fulfill our commitment to sustainability.”
Five colleges will conduct commencement ceremonies on Thursday, May 12:
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Brookhaven College — 7 p.m., Loos Field House, 3850 Spring Valley Road in Addison, with commencement speaker Christie Carter, faculty member in radiologic sciences and the college’s Minnie Stevens Piper Professor nominee.
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Cedar Valley College — 7 p.m., Inspiring Body of Christ Church, 7701 S. Westmoreland Road, Dallas, with commencement speaker D'Andra Simmons, CEO of Hard Night Good Morning.
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Eastfield College — 7:30 p.m., Mesquite Convention Center and Exhibit Hall, 1700 Rodeo Drive, Mesquite, with speaker Blow.
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Mountain View College — 7 p.m., Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, 9191 S. Polk St. in Dallas, with commencement speaker Carol Betz, the college’s first graduate.
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Richland College — 7:30 p.m., Special Events Center, 4999 Naaman Forest Road in Garland, with commencement speaker Joe Cortina, faculty member in the college’s department of human and academic development.
El Centro College will hold its commencement exercises on Sunday, May 15, at 3 p.m., Ellis Field House, Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, 9191 S. Polk St. in Dallas.
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Press contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819; ahatch@dcccd.edu