Final exams are being taken, bags are being packed, farewells are being said – the end of the semester has arrived for ISU students.

The ISU fall commencement is set to take place Saturday for undergraduate students and Friday for graduate students.

For some, this marks the end of yet another semester before they complete their respective four- year plans. For others, this marks the end of one chapter of their life, and the beginning of another.

This semester’s commencement falls during the ISU sesquicentennial celebration. As a result, graduates and their guests will be treated to a commemorative program in which 150 years of ISU history will be showcased with a slideshow and decorations.

There are 1330 undergraduates expected to walk across the stage on Saturday and 348 graduate students are expected to walk on Friday. However, Laura Doering, associate registrar, said these numbers are not entirely accurate.

“Final numbers may shift slightly based on final grades,” she said.

Gov. Chet Culver will be speaking during the undergraduate ceremony.

An invitation to Culver to speak during the ceremony was extended by the Office of the President a few months ago.

Doering said staff members try to bring in “leaders of the business industry or government” during special occasions such as these. However, the topic of the speech is left up to the speaker.

For family and friends who prefer a more quiet setting to recognize their graduating student, departmental receptions will be held throughout Friday evening and Saturday morning before the commencement ceremonies. These receptions first took place a little more than 10 years ago, providing a chance for the intimate attention to take place.

“The whole purpose of the receptions is to do something separate from the university ceremony, because during the time of the university ceremony students are not recognized individually,” said Ann Coppernoll, program coordinator for the business undergraduate program and coordinator for the College of Business reception.

In addition to these ceremonies, there will also be an international student recognition ceremony Friday.

This recognition ceremony, which has been held for the past three years, will feature a welcoming address from Tom Hill, vice president for student affairs, and a speech by Choy Leow, ISU alumnus. It is sponsored by the International Students and Scholars, the Alumni Association and the International Student Council.

The 200-plus international students that day will be receiving a certificate of academic achievement from the ISS Office and will also have a chance to take pictures with Cy.

Dilok Phanchantraurai, adviser and event planner for ISS, said the purpose of this event is to “congratulate our students and wish them success in the future.”

“We also want to build a strong relationship with the students and keep them in the loop as the alumni of Iowa State,” Phanchantraurai said.