MEDIA ADVISORY: KU's traditional graduation 'walk down the Hill' is Sunday, May 19

LAWRENCE -- More than 4,000 members of the University of Kansas class of 2002 are expected to participate in KU's 130th commencement exercises Sunday, May 19. The graduates will make the long-awaited march down Mount Oread and into Memorial Stadium, a tradition at KU since 1907, at 2:30 p.m.

KU's class of 2002 includes 3,745 spring graduates, 1,326 who completed coursework in December 2001 and 838 who finished in August 2001.

Full text of news release: online at www.ur.ku.edu/News/02N/MayNews/May13/commencement.html

For a complete schedule of events, including individual school ceremonies, visit the KU Commencement Web site at http://www.commencement.ku.edu.

 • Commencement coverage tips

Expected stadium attendance: 30,000 to 35,000.

Sound: Media may patch into live audio feed at base of the stadium bowl (the north side). XLR output.

Parking: Limited reserved parking for media will be available behind Strong and Bailey halls on Jayhawk Boulevard. Please be prepared to show media IDs. Media also are encouraged to park in the parking garage north of the Kansas Union, just east of the stadium, or the surface lots just east and south of the stadium. All are accessible via Mississippi Street.

Credentials: No special passes are needed. Please be prepared to show your media ID to gain full access to the stadium field. No other restrictions.

Suggestions: Visit Memorial Drive before the 2:30 procession for a "behind the scenes" look at commencement. Graduates will be lining up according to their school or college. It is a festive atmosphere. Graduates will walk through the Campanile -- usually lots of screaming and shouting -- on their way down Mount Oread and into Memorial Stadium. Crowd at stadium can view procession on stadium videoboard.

Speaker: Chancellor Robert Hemenway.

Contact: KU University Relations: On Sunday, call (785) 760-3105 or (785) 766-8616.

Questions today: Call (785) 864-8858.