Grammy-winner John Legend to be featured speaker at UT Arlington’s Graduation Celebration 2011
ARLINGTON - University of Texas at Arlington faculty, staff, students and friends will toast the University's successes and honor the Class of 2011 with a spectacular Graduation Celebration Friday, May 13.
The annual event will be held at the Levitt Pavilion in Founder’s Square, 100 W. Abram St., in Arlington. Festivities begin at 8:00 p.m.
Everyone is invited to the end-of-year bash, which will feature a keynote address from Grammy Award-winning superstar John Legend.
President James Spaniolo and Kate Aoki, an architecture graduate student representing the Class of 2011, will also speak.
A Texas-sized fireworks show, free food and a special surprise gift for graduating students are also on the menu.
Tickets are not required to attend Graduation Celebration, but reserve seating is available for graduates and their families at www.utagraduationtickets.com. Dress is casual.
MORE ABOUT JOHN LEGEND
The Ohio-native broke onto the national music scene with his 2004 album Get Lifted, which sold three million copies and included two Top 30 hits: "Used to Love U," and "Ordinary People," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
He describes his style as "very soulful, rooted in gospel but with hip-hop beats and unique, witty lyrics, more 'major' than 'minor,' more of a feel-good, upbeat sound."
This style of music has earned Legend nine Grammy Awards (including three earlier this year), and in 2007 he received the Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Legend returned in 2009 to give the commencement speech at his alma mater. His message: Finding Your Truth: Living a Soulful Life.
In case of inclement weather, Graduation Celebration will move to Texas Hall on the UT Arlington campus.
The University of Texas at Arlington is a comprehensive research institution of 33,800 students in the heart of North Texas. Visit http://www.uta.edu to learn more.
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Media contact: Bridget Lewis, Blewis@uta.edu, 817-272-3317
The University of Texas at Arlington, www.uta.edu
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