<p>Knock wood, my daughter will be graduating in just about 6 weeks. We have had hotel reservations since last July, but I was curious about other things as well.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do you have any restaurant recommendations for, say, Lincoln Park and northwards?</p></li>
<li><p>Has anyone gone to a McCormick Convocation (I don't know if it is always at 8:30 a.m., but that's pretty bruising for the seniors, who will certainly have celebrated the night before)? If so, how long does it last? Where do people park for this (it's at the Welsh-Ryan Arena)? We were hoping to take my son to O'Hare at around noon, but he may need to make it there on his own.</p></li>
<li><p>Do you have any suggestions about graduation in general?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks, everyone! I can't believe that I've been seeking and giving advice here for 4 years already.</p>
<p>We have been through 1 Graduation in 2009. It rained right after they shortened the Friday Night convocation., which included all graduates. …</p>
<p>Saturday am actual get the diploma graduation, was in the am at Welsh Ryan for McCormick. We were in/out @ 2 hours -because it was ONLY McCormick. You do NOT want to sit through the other schools too!</p>
<p>BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY - HUGE IMPROVEMENT OVER MY SON’S Graduation at another school - where it was everyone - 4 hours estimated… </p>
<p>Re: Food - We went to Celtic Knot in Evanston after, but now we would go to Found… you can Google both and get an idea of menu & prices - and there are an absolute TON of great restaurants in Lincoln Park / Chicago area.</p>
<p>To get an even better idea, go to CheckPlease - a PBS show about Chicago area restaurants, with a search by area (including Evanston) / type of food available. 3 ordinary people recommend their favorite restaurants, and they revue their own and the other 2 choices. You can view the restaurants you think looks good…<a href=“http://checkplease.wttw.com/”>http://checkplease.wttw.com/</a></p>
<p>“BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY - HUGE IMPROVEMENT OVER MY SON’S Graduation at another school - where it was everyone - 4 hours estimated…”</p>
<p>Yes, we experienced something similar with my son’s graduation. We were at the gates of the yard at 6:15 a.m., were let in at 6:30, sat there until something started to happen at around 9ish (?), and it was all over at noon, almost 6 hours later. That did not include the receiving of the diploma, which was back at his residence after a luncheon. My back was screaming, “Get me out of this plastic folding chair!!!” Still, the weather was beautiful, and I often get nostalgic. Both my kids live far away from us now, and I get very weepy when I think about that graduation.</p>
<p>EnoughAlready-Congrats! We will be at that same University graduation. We have the opposite “problem.”
9:30 a.m. on Friday for Ryan Field all school graduation, but his school does not graduate until 5 p.m. Saturday!!
Extra night of hotel, etc. Ugh. My S has very basic tastes (would be happy going to the Cosi in Evanston) but I asked him to think of “real” restaurants so I made reservations in Evanston months ago at the Celtic Knot for one evening and Pete Miller’s steak house the next night. Wouldn’t be my top two choices, but I am really the only house “foodie.” :)</p>
<p>Loved my son’s graduation in 2013. We went to everything!</p>
<p>We had heard parking next to the arena was tight and we are not super-early birds, so we took one of the many NU graduation shuttle buses. We caught a shuttle in downtown Evanston after breakfast and got right on. But we saw long lines for the shuttles on the north end of campus. I think we arrived about an hour early. </p>
<p>My son was in the Weinberg ceremony the day after the general graduation (he got his diploma at Weinberg). Weinberg is about half the students, so the same shuttle drill applied. The seniors entered lined up by major (with a flag for each major), so we easily spotted our son (double major, so he walked with his smaller major) but we also spotted his GF in her huge major. </p>
<p>Names for diplomas were called individually as they crossed the stage (shaking department chairman’s hand), and close-up pictures were taken by an NU photographer after they left the stage. You could order different backgrounds for pics – we got the famous archway. Lots of opportunities for your own pics outside the arena right after graduation. Besides family pics, the seniors in my son’s frat organized a picture (about a dozen guys) which he loved. </p>
<p>We also enjoyed a (free) luncheon thrown by his larger major and a reception for his smaller major. We loved the fact that at both of these events, professors seemed to know my son (knew where he was going to law school, etc.) </p>
<p>We stayed with relatives so can’t help you with hotels. For meals, we drove away from the crowds in downtown Evanston – went down Dempster Ave till we spotted something that looked good and uncrowded. </p>
<p>A few other tips: at both ceremonies, we sat on metal benches, so you may want to bring a seat cushion or blanket (especially if it might rain). And bring hats/sunscreen. The NU tips online/mailed were very helpful. Enjoy! </p>
<p>Last year we had a similar situation to momof4sons - general, whole university graduation was at 9:30AM one day and her school’s graduation was 5:00PM the next afternoon. We did throw a small party a room at the Orrington in the late afternoon the first day but the second day was very long and tiresome waiting for her graduation. The big graduation ceremony was excellent though - Baryshnekev (sp?) was wonderful as a speaker, funny, thought provoking, etc. I do agree with Midwest mom that sunscreen, hats, umbrellas are all needed. We took a cab to the graduation because it was easier from our hotel but getting back we took the shuttle bus which was pretty chaotic and quite crowded. Everyone was in good spirits but there were thousands waiting for far too few buses and patience was tested.</p>
<p>The speaker at her small graduation was mediocre at best but it was fun to see all her friends get their diplomas. As an added bonus for the kids Tom Hanks was wonderful, he was sitting on an aisle seat and was high fiving or fist bumping, or whatever kind of contact with each kid who walk past him on their exit. Probably the highlight of the day for my daughter - who was friends with his son for four years but never met the dad.</p>
<p>Because NUs graduation was so late last year due to their late fall start and given my daughter’s last name (it was done alphabetically) at the last individual department graduation I figured she was one of the last 20 students in the whole country to graduate in 2013!</p>
<p>We live approx. 1 1/2 hours from campus and didn’t get a hotel room due to family circumstance at home. Now we are looking at 3 trips to Evanston in 3 days. An awards thing Thursday evening (S would like us to come) , Friday 9:30am ceremony and 2:30 awards thing, a trip to union station at 10pm, and Saturday 10:0am school ceremony. S’s second major is in a different school so don’t know if he could attend that too but don’t think he is planning to.</p>
<p>I am wondering how early we need to be in Evanston to find parking, hop a shuttle, and get to the venues? Luckily those attending can walk and will dress comfortably, including me in flats.</p>
We have the opposite “problem.”