“Become a star”: DIT graduation ceremony – an event of superlatives
Farewell to over 650 former students on June 15, 2024 at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology
Last Saturday, over 650 recent graduates came back to their alma mater, Deggendorf Institute of Technology (THD), to celebrate their successful graduation together with their family and friends.
“We were overwhelmed by the number of registrations this year,” says Stefanie Lex, Head of the DIT Alumni Office, who was in charge of organizing the graduation ceremony. “Compared to last year, around 150 more graduates accepted our invitation.” The event was completely sold out. “The great demand shows the importance of this event,” says Ulrike Sauckel, Head of International, Alumni Affairs and Event Coordination, happily, adding: “We did our utmost again this year to give our alumni an unforgettable evening.”
Under the motto “Become a star”, the 2,400 guests found a ‘galactic’ backdrop on campus, designed by the Media Technology master class at DIT. A gateway to the universe covered by a giant doctoral student hat caught the eye as soon as they entered the campus. Every graduate was allowed to walk through this gate in the evening in preparation for the grand finale: Shift the Tassle and hat toss.
However, the program began with the graduates being dressed in gowns and doctoral caps, followed by the presentation of certificates within the faculty. This year, the awards for outstanding achievements during the course of study were again presented in the form of company prizes: the representatives of the companies Ferchau GmbH, K+B E-Tech GmbH, Max Streicher GmbH, Mediengruppe Attenkofer, Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH, Rohde & Schwarz GmbH, Rotary Club Deggendorf and Zollner Elektronik AG honored the award winners with a short laudatory speech.
After the certificates were presented, the graduates toasted their successful graduation at the subsequent champagne reception and listened to the THD Big Band before the evening’s presenter, Petra Stikel, invited them to the highlight at 8:30 pm, the aforementioned crossing of the gate.
“This ‘walk of fame’ is also a very emotional and beautiful moment for us in the alumni team every year,” says Ulrike Sauckel, “the look in their eyes when they walk through the gate, as a symbol of the new phase of life that now lies ahead of them, but also the pride in the past successful graduation, is very touching, not only for the parents present.”
Sven Kufner, former Chairman of the Student Convention and himself a graduate, spoke on behalf of all graduates and looked back on his time as a student. “We are now professionals in group work, but also in procrastination and last-minute submissions,” Kufner reported to the approving laughter of his former fellow students.
This was followed by a new item on the program of the graduation ceremony: the awarding of the silver diplomas. Graduates from the 1999 graduation year were ceremoniously presented with their certificates during the stage program by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dorner, Vice President Research and Transfer of the THD and Lord Mayor, Dr. Christian Moser, who also welcomed the guests on behalf of the city of Deggendorf. In short interviews, Petra Stikel tickled out of the jubilarians how gladly they had returned to the campus after 25 years and that they remembered their time as students as the best and most relaxed time of their lives.
Then finally came the “Shift the Tassel”, the symbolic laying of the tassel from right to left, as a sign of the end of the study period and the beginning of the time as an academic. Under a bright blue sky and the onset of dusk, Vice President Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Dorner finally released the countdown, which was designed by the media technicians with an appealing animation and sound installation: after 10 seconds, 654 hats flew high into the air to loud cheers. “It was an unforgettable moment and a spectacular image when our hats all flew up together,” said an enthusiastic graduate afterwards.
The official part of the graduation ceremony came to an end with the traditional hat toss and the guests ended the evening together at the subsequent After Hour at the Danube Campus. The media technicians had come up with an impressive light installation, which was projected onto the facades of the university buildings.”After such a long and intensive preparation for this day, I am delighted that everything went so smoothly,” says Stefanie Lex, adding: “We already received a lot of positive feedback from guests that evening, so we achieved our goal: to give the graduates an unforgettable farewell from the university.” After this event, the alumni team will continue seamlessly, for example preparing the graduation ceremonies for the Pfarrkirchen and Cham campuses in October.