Neither the depressed job market nor the threat of the H1N1 virus could dampen the spirits of some 1,500 University of Hawaiçi at Mänoa undergraduates who celebrated commencement today with hoots, hugs and lots of fearless handshakes.

An overflow crowd packed the Stan Sheriff Center for what university officials called one of the largest commencement exercises in recent memory.
The university had initially banned handshakes at the ceremony out of concern for spreading the H1N1 virus, but officials later amended the precaution to allow graduates to shake hands at their own discretion.
While a few opted to receive their diploma folder sans contact, most stuck with tradition, accepting the folder with one hand and receiving a congratulatory shake with the other.
The university provided Germ-X antibacterial wipes for each graduate.
"They were being cautious and that's a good thing," said 21-year-old Steven Doo, who earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. "But I think the whole thing was kind of blown up. They make it like everyone's going to die or something."
Hank Wuh, founder and chief executive officer of Cellular Bioengineering Inc., gave the commencement address.
Wuh, who attended UH for two years before transferring to Johns Hopkins University, recounting his experiences as an immigrant from China who used education to become an orthopedic surgeon, inventor and entrepreneur.
He encouraged the new alumni to adopt his company's motto of "Invent. Disrupt. Inspire."
"So now it's your turn," Wuh said. "It's your turn to dream, to create, to be bold and daring, to seize the opportunity to shape and define the future. Human creativity is extraordinary in that it is boundless and it is limitless. If something can be imagined, it can be achieved."