Outdoor venue

ceremony in Jack Trice Stadium

Despite an 11th-hour challenge from Mother Nature, Iowa State held its first-ever commencement ceremony in Jack Trice Stadium on May 7. About 2,360 students -- roughly 60 percent of undergraduates completing degrees sping semester -- participated in the outdoor event. The stage was erected on the playing field; graduates and guests shared the west side bleachers. Graduates, who gathered by college in the Bergstrom Indoor Training Facility, entered the stadium via the players' tunnel. Photo by Christopher Gannon.