Red towels are waiving in Diddle Arena, but basketball season is still months away.

New alumni of WKU celebrated their graduation by waiving their towels instead of throwing their caps at the 171st Commencement for undergraduate students at 9:30 a.m. The first ceremony honored students graduating from University College and the College of Health and Human Services.

WKU is awarding certificates to 2,130 spring graduates, according to a press release.

At the first commencement, WKU President Gary Ransdell welcomed some special guests to the ceremony — graduates of the Class of 1962.

Ransdell asked the audience to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of those graduates before offering an invitation to the new Class of 2012.

“You’ll have the same opportunity to come back to this institution in 2062,” Ransdell said.

Ransdell concluded convocation by telling the graduates about a t-shirt he found in the WKU Store.

“This one is for you,” he said holding up a red shirt that said “Hire Me.”

Kritie Moesner, a graduate from Dale, Ind., doesn’t have a need for that shirt.

Moesner will start working at Dillard’s department store in Evansville, which she said made sense because she was a fashion major.

Moesner said she’s excited about her career path.

“I loved my major, I loved my professors, I got to go on a lot of trips and everything so I really enjoyed it,” Moesner said.

Moesner’s mother, Bonnie Moesner was there to watch her daughter graduate.

“She got to graduate in three years so I’m very proud of her determination, you know, for getting done that quickly,” Bonnie said. “She’s got a great future ahead of her.”

Bonnie said she had a lot of different feelings about having a daughter that is old enough to graduate from college.

“It makes me feel old,” she said with a laugh. “But it’s a mixture of sadness and great joy so, we’re proud of her.”