Balkanization on campus continues

Lavender graduations grow in popularity.

Echoing a tradition already established on many campuses for minority students and other groups, a small but growing number of schools are holding "lavender graduations" to honor gay and lesbian students.

"We're finally ... getting our names and faces out there," says Alex Ferrando, 22, who helped organize the inaugural lavender graduation last month at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Commencement was Sunday.

This year, lavender graduations are being or were held on more than 50 campuses, up from just a handful a decade ago. Among those launching ceremonies this year: the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Hawaii in Manoa and Kutztown University in Pennsylvania.

Someday, maybe each student will have his own little graduation ceremony.