Worth the Tassel : Cal State Fullerton Graduates 5,900 in Ceremonies This Weekend

When Darlene Woody spotted her son, Roscoe, in the crowd of students walking onto the field at Cal State Fullerton on Friday for the graduation ceremony, she stood up, waved and cheered loudly.

Roscoe C. Woody III of Fountain Valley is the first in his family to graduate from college,his mother said. And although the 28-year-old biochemistry major delayed going to collegeafter high school to fish and play in a band, he diligently pursued his studies and plans to attend medical school this fall.

“He’s worked really hard,” Darlene Woody said. “And he’s definitely excited and ready to move on.”

This weekend, 5,900 Cal State Fullerton students will graduate in six separate ceremonies at the school’s Titan Sports Complex. Engineering, computer science, natural science and math students graduated early Friday evening, while arts students held their ceremony later that night.

Today, students in the communications, human development and community service and business administration and economics departments will receive their diplomas, while humanities and social science students will graduate Sunday evening.

“I hope you will use your knowledge for the betterment not only of yourselves, but for others as well,” Cal State Fullerton President Milton A. Gordon told the science, math and engineering graduates. “. . . The future is yours, so take hold.”

During his speech to his classmates, biology major John Anderson said he chose Cal State Fullerton over other colleges because he was impressed with its natural sciences program.

After graduating with a 3.96 grade-point average and gaining acceptance to several medical schools, Anderson said he knows he made the right decision. Along with having top professors, Anderson said, he “found camaraderie” among his classmates at a university that is often described as a commuter school.

Cal State Fullerton faculty members initially planned to wear purple ribbons during the graduation ceremonies to call attention to the university’s dwindling financial resources. But members of the California Faculty Assn.’s branch on campus voted Wednesday to drop the plan, fearing it would appear self-serving at an event celebrating the students’ achievements, said Trudy Barnes, a spokeswoman for the association.

Faculty members at 20 other Cal State campuses are participating in the campaign during this year’s graduation exercises, Barnes said. It is intended to encourage parents and students to urge legislators to pledge more financial support.