UH-Manoa will hold graduations Sunday

Nearly 1,600 undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on Sunday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

The keynote speaker is Albert Wendt, who holds the Citizens' Chair in the UH-Manoa English Department, and a distinguished Pacific writer in residence.

Wendt has written five novels, three collections of short stories, and four volumes of poetry. His play, "The Songmaker's Chair," was staged at Kumu Kahua Theatre earlier this year.

The student speaker is Ruthchelle Melchor, who is graduating with a double major in political science and speech.

Doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will open at 8 a.m. for the combined undergraduate and advanced-degree ceremony, which begins at 9 a.m. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Balloons and strollers are not allowed inside the arena.

Free parking will be available in the lower campus parking structure. Friends and family members may greet graduates following the ceremony at Les Murakami Stadium. For those who can't make the ceremony, there will be a live Webcast.