VANCOUVER, Wash. — Washington State University Vancouver’s fifteenth commencement ceremony will be held at the Amphitheater at Clark County at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 15. Some 4,000 people are expected to attend as 650 students receive diplomas.
“We are very pleased to hold commencement at the amphitheater this year,” said WSU Vancouver Chancellor Hal Dengerink. “To me, this proves that having the amphitheater as part of our community infrastructure is a real benefit, whether you go to a concert or not. For our graduating students and their families, this is the first year they won’t have to bring umbrellas. That’s a good thing for all,” he added.
The Amphitheater at Clark County seats 18,000 guests, with covered seating for 7,500. Located on the Clark County Fairgrounds one mile north of where I-5 and I-205 converge, the amphitheater opened last summer with an eight-concert season.
Amphitheater marketing director Tammi Bryant noted that the facility was always intended to serve as a venue for more than concerts. “We were interested in hosting WSU Vancouver’s commencement prior to building the amphitheater,” Bryant said. “Eventually, we see a wide range of community activities taking place here, as long as they do not conflict with our core concert business.”
Past WSU Vancouver commencement ceremonies have been held at the campus without shelter for graduates, families and spectators. “The weather has not always been kind to us,” Dengerink said. “At the amphitheater, everyone will be dry and able to see and hear everything. It should be a dramatically better experience for all.”
WSU Vancouver Commencement is free and open to the public.
