The 2020 Commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 16, will be held in Yulman Stadium for the first time in Tulane history. Tulane commencements are among the country’s most memorable celebrations of academic achievement, featuring renowned speakers and honorary degree recipients such as the Dalai Lama, Tim Cook and Helen Mirren. The university plans to bring many of the beloved commencement traditions to the ceremony at Yulman. This year’s speaker has not been announced yet.

The Décou-Labat Residences, formerly Willow Residences, were dedicated on Nov. 16 on the uptown campus. The residences are named in honor of Deidre Dumas Labat (NC ’66, G ’69) and Reynold T. Décou (A&S ’67, A&S ’79), the first African American undergraduates to earn degrees from Newcomb and Tulane, respectively. (See “Pioneers on Campus,” Tulanian, September 2019.) The naming of the residences is part of the Tulane Trailblazers initiative.

Students August Janow (left) and Rohan Goswami (right) present a flag to President Fitts with his likeness on it. Janow and Goswami asked Fitts to sign the flag. The flag was designed by another student, Yara Hantash.