By Audrey Smith

December graduates will have an opportunity to finalize their last minute graduation needs in one place Tuesday and Wednesday at the 2011 Alumni Association Grad Salute.

Meg Phillips, the program coordinator for the UK Alumni Association, said any graduate of August or December 2011 is invited to attend.

At Grad Salute, students can visit different vendors to wrap up all their graduation details with minimal time and effort.

“We make it a one-stop shop for anyone that’s graduating in December,” Phillips said.

Some of the services at Grad Salute include making sure there are no stops or holds on graduation records, purchasing graduation regalia (cap, gown and tassel), obtaining career advice, ordering the class ring, having their portrait taken for the yearbook and getting information on student loans and exit counseling. A full list of all the services offered at the Grad Salute can be found online.

Grad Salute has shown to be a success the last several years in the spring. While last year marked the first December graduation ceremony, this will be the first Grad Salute for December graduates.

Brittany Johnson, a merchandising apparel and textiles senior, is graduating in December and said she is excited to have a chance to walk in the December ceremony.

“It makes a lot of sense to have the same things in December as they do in May,” Johnson said. “Graduation wouldn’t feel as special and exciting without the ceremony. Graduating from college is an accomplishment you want to enjoy and share with your family.”

The UK Bookstore will have a booth selling the official graduation regalia for both undergraduate and graduate students, said Andrea Bailey, general merchandise manager at the UK Bookstore.

Students can pay with cash, check or credit card. The regalia will be in stock at the Grad Salute, except for those obtaining a doctoral degree, who have to pick up their items at a later date, Bailey said.

Grad Salute will be the kickoff for the regalia-selling period and regalia will be available in the student center bookstore for purchase starting Oct. 7, she said.

Phillips hopes Grad Salute will help take some of the pressure off graduates who can get all their graduation needs out of the way and not worry until they’re actually ready to walk across the stage at graduation.

Phillips said she is not sure what to expect at the first fall Grad Salute, but hopes students will use the opportunity to not only take care of graduation details, but also become familiar with the Alumni Association, which all UK graduates can join.

Membership for the association is $25 per year the first five years out of school. The association allows graduates to stay connected to UK with over 60 alumni clubs around the country that host a variety of events, Phillips said. Members also receive e-newsletters and quarterly magazines.

Students will also have the opportunity to leave their mark while giving back to the university at Grad Salute through the Graduating Class Challenge.

The Graduating Class Challenge, which has been going on for almost 20 years, will have a booth at Grad Salute, said Elizabeth Shemo, Graduating Class Challenge chair.

The challenge, put on by the Student Development Council, encourages students to contribute to raising a historical marker in the graduating class’s honor. Graduates get to choose what historical marker is donated for their class, and they vote on the marker at Grad Salute.

As this is the first Grad Salute for December graduates, it’s the first time they have had the chance to be a large part of the process, Shemo said.

Donations raised at this fall’s Grad Salute will go towards the class of 2011 marker. Students who don’t attend but still wish to donate can do so online.

Grad Salute will be on Tuesday Oct. 4 and Wednesday Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the basement of Helen King Alumni Building.