This week is full of festivities at Simon Fraser University as the school celebrates its graduating students at convocation.
Former longtime Burnaby MP Svend Robinson was awarded an honorary doctorate at SFU’s convocation ceremony for applied legal studies, criminology and psychology graduates.
Robinson, who was the first openly gay member of Parliament, gave the convocation address to students, with a theme inspired by the late Tina Turner on the importance of love.
Elder Syexwaliya from Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) welcomed the attendees, and the world-famous SFU pipe band and claymore bearer led the procession of graduands to SFU’s Convocation Mall.
(The claymore is a “great sword,” which was given to SFU by the Fraser Clan. The sword was used at the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, according to claymore bearer Heather Gawenda.)
Josh Mulingbayan gave the graduand address, speaking to the importance of embracing failure as a means to gain new opportunities.
See the photos above for a look into SFU convocation.
