<p>5 of us are traveling for Spring Convocation including one guest in a wheelchair. We already have plane, hotel, and car reservations. Any recommendations for the actual Convocation?</p>
<p>Sunscreen, raingear, reading material, patience. A wheelchair shouldn’t be a big problem, because everything is very sprawly and first-come-first served, and no one is actually anywhere near the stage anyway.</p>
<p>Last year, they had the big speech in the morning, then lunch elsewhere, then the actual conferral of degrees. From queuing up for “good” seats to actually leaving with diploma in hand, it was more than an 8-hour process, and included several changes of weather.</p>
<p>Parking is likely to be a ginormous issue. (I have never parked in Hyde Park during convocation – I either stayed there, or took public transportation in.) I would count on dropping everyone off near the quads, then going up to 55th St. (lots) or further north (street parking) to find parking.</p>
<p>Agreed on all counts. There will be auxiliary parking lots (mainly the parking lots of churches in the area) with shuttles to accommodate parking in alternate locations. Reading material is a must-- while it is a lovely occasion for all they really do read the names of all students graduating and pause for a photo, which takes quite a long time. Heartily recommend preparing for both rain and sun-- last year earlier in the Convocation week it was in the high 80s and very balmy while Convocation itself was preceded (but thankfully not interrupted by) a rainstorm and had weather in the 40s. Weather can change quickly in Chicago, especially in May :)</p>
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<p>That is written from the point of view of someone who had a reserved seat, and didn’t have to come in until the last minute (i.e., a graduating student). From a guest point of view, it started raining when we had been sitting in our seats almost an hour, but stopped before anything formal happened. It didn’t get cold until later – as I remember things started out quite warm. (I also note that Convocation occurs in mid-June, not May, thanks to Chicago’s academic calendar.)</p>
<p>For my first child’s graduation, it rained pretty steadily for about three hours, sometimes so hard you couldn’t see through it. It was really so miserable it was funny – Everyone was soaked to the bone, but in reasonably good spirits.</p>
<p>If you are planning, take into account your child’s major and alphabetical position. Unless he or she is a student marshall, degrees are awarded by division in alphabetical order – Biological Science, Humanities, New College, Physical Science, Social Science – and within the division by primary major department in alphabetical order – English comes before French, and Chemistry before Mathematics – and then by surname. If your child is a Biology major whose last name is Abelson, she will be done several hours before her friend Zuritsky who majored in Sociology. And while it’s good form to stick around until everyone’s degree has been awarded, that rule is honored much more in the breach than in the observance. The crowd is thin for the Social Science Division majors, especially those that begin with a letter that follows “E”. (If your child IS a Sociology major, you will be able to move up to the front to see her walk across the stage.)</p>
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I’m guessing the crowd isn’t that large for Environmental Studies, either. ;)</p>
<p>My friend will be happy to know that he is welcomed to use our private parking spot in Hyde Park…:)</p>
<p>Huh, would have expected the Social Sciences crowd to be thick because of Economics (255 in 2010!).</p>
<p>When newmassdaughter graduated a few years ago, their was no crowd thinning. Everyone stayed in place to see the final processional. Good thing. D was a student marshall, so we had a long time to contemplate the quad before she marched up.</p>
<p>One other thing to consider if it’s a sunny day - the movement of the sun. Shade in the morning will be full sun in the afternoon. </p>
<p>the line does form early, so keep that in mind if you want good seats.</p>
<p>Last year we were given rain ponchos and fans with our programs.</p>
<p>…and I just understood what JHS originally meant <em>head slap</em>. Is the ceremony mandatory for students? I’ve heard of universities where attending the ceremony is not mandatory.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the information. How’s the bathroom situation and what happens to students with more than one major?</p>
<p>bathrooms no problem. Adjacent buildings are open. Double major means kid picks one as primary for convocation. You don’t get two diplomas!</p>
<p>BTW, it may be a long wait, but the processional out is a great thing to watch, especially the happy expressions on the grads. I encourage you to stick it out. your kind will anyway. They can’t break ranks and leave early.</p>
<p>I should add that the entire day was such a wonderful experience, I wish we could repeat it. D will finish grad school at Oxford in the next year or so, but they don’t have graduation ceremonies like US universities do, so the best we’ll be able to do is go there, have dinner somewhere and help her move back to the US. It is sad in a way.</p>
<p>Definitely plan to stick it out, 90 year old grandma included. In any case we’ll have a fast retreat planned (for her) in case of extremely inclement weather.</p>
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<p>I’m sure this is true in some moral sense, but I am certain far fewer than half of the graduates participated in the recessional march at both of the convocations I have attended (one of which involved steady, pouring rain, and the other mere frigid temperatures after a brief rain). </p>
<p>But, yes, if, as with newmassdad, your child is a student marshal, by all means plan on staying until the bitter end. I will also say for the record that I stayed until the end both times, notwithstanding that at the first my graduate went early in the process and snuck out herself to find someplace dry.</p>
<p>Can someone clarify what occurs during the Convocation Ceremony and what occurs during the Diploma Ceremony for those graduating from The College. I’m afraid both grandmas may not make it through an 8 hour day of possibly bad weather, and they may have to choose to attend one of the events at the expense of the other.</p>
<p>The split between the Convocation Ceremony and the Diploma Ceremony is of relatively recent vintage. Convocation, in the morning, has the formal speakers, songs, lots of ceremony. Faculty marching in their colorful robes. Students from different schools and programs. I think there is a formal conferral of degrees on each category of graduates, en masse (not sure I am remembering that correctly).</p>
<p>The Diploma Ceremony follows lunch, and is held in different places for different groups. The College is the largest one, of course (and I think it includes people getting master’s or doctoral degrees from one of the College Divisions). At that very little happens other than marching in with pipers and drummers, having every present graduate’s name read – correctly one hopes, only sometimes in vain – by some official or other, and the named person crosses the stage, shakes hands with the dean of his or her division, gets a diploma (and a hood, if there is an advanced degree), and shakes a few more hands before sitting down. Operating at peak efficiency, this takes hours and hours. Cheers erupt intermittently from frat brothers, large extended families, fan clubs, but the whole thing is best faced with Zen detachment, or statistical analysis of the program.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is that folks come and go throughout the diploma ceremony, since they don’t have the place locked down…</p>
<p>You need not sit there motionless for several hours, although amazingly some folks do. Lots of attendees are up and about, going into the surrounding buildings, getting refreshments from whatever is open nearby (don’t remember at this point) and such. So the time can go by a bit more quickly, although I agree that heavy rain can make a difference. Had a total deluge at my D’s HS graduation, and it certainly sped things up a bit, especially since the presenters were not under cover. </p>
<p>At the risk of repetition, please go with the idea that this will be fun and a great experience. It certainly should be. </p>
<p>Long before my D went to college, living in Boston, I always enjoyed watching the difference between fall, when parents delivered their offspring to start college (body language, whether at BU or Harvard: parents: we’re paying 50K for this? kid, walking ten feet behind parents: I don’t know these folks…) and the spring when families came for graduations. The latter were almost magical days, watching the happiness among the grads and their families. You saw no one complaining about weather, waits or anything else, even the year Harvard provided crimson gowns that bled in the rain - lots of pink dress shirts on the guys…</p>
<p>Don’t miss your chance to have the same great experience, or spoil it with negative expectations.</p>
<p>Thanks for the explanation JHS - exactly the type of info I was looking for. And very helpful to know newmassdad that the grandparents can get up during the afternoon ceremony without disturbing the event if it just becomes too exhausting for them towards the end of the day.</p>
<p>For me - I wouldn’t miss a moment - rain, shine, or snow! I remember the amazing joy of all the families at my graduation (though it couldn’t compare to my personal joy at being done).
Can’t wait till next week!</p>
<p>Also, if you have a person in your party using a wheelchair, definitely make arrangements for those needing special consideration. Last year we did make those arrangements (details were on the Convocation website) and we had reserved seating in a special area, with our graduate’s name on placards attached to the appropriate number of seats. There was a registration tent for this seating and we were escorted to our places. This seating area was very close to bathrooms and indoor space where one could escape the elements,which, as noted earlier, included rain, wind and 40 degree temperatures - in June!</p>
<p>We are set with the Special arrangements through the Office of the Secretary and are just hoping for good weather (Weatherunderground predicts partly cloudy, 0% chance of rain with temperatures in the 70s for 6/8 and 6/9). I don’t know if they will have a “Kleenex Brigade” like they did at Orientation. In any case I’m taking my own family size box. Congratulations everyone!</p>
<p>They did mention that your wheelchair spot (plus one companion) is reserved for the day. The open seating area ranks thin out after lunch when the graduate students leave for their respective schools so people can move closer to the stage for the actual diploma ceremony.</p>