The Marshall University Countdown to Commencement event ended Wednesday but started the countdown for spring graduation day.

Registrar Roberta Ferguson said the ninth annual spring Countdown to Commencement had more participation than any other.

“It’s been a tremendous success,” Ferguson said. “We had 411 tentative graduates. That’s the largest single-day crowd that we have ever had. I think all of the graduates that have attended have felt that it was very beneficial, and it gives them an opportunity to take care of a lot of things in a central location.”

Marshall senior Danna Dickman said she thinks the event is a great idea.

“I know people who go to other colleges,” Dickman said. “They don’t have this, and they had no idea they weren’t actually graduating.”

Attendees said it made graduation seem more real.

“Someone just told me congratulations, and it was really weird,” Dickman said. “That was first time someone has told me congrats.”

Spring commencement is 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 9 at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.

The early ceremony is for associate and bachelor degrees and the later ceremony is for masters and doctoral degrees.

Sara Ryan can be contacted at [email protected].