For anyone who has attended a Vanderbilt commencement, what time do we need to get there to get seats for the 9:00 a.m. ceremony outside? Also, if the program is moved into the gym for rain, what time do we need to get there for that? Thanks.
When my d graduated in 2009, commencement was moved to the gym. We were at the gym just before 7:30 AM (and weren’t among the first to arrive) and were able to get actual seats, not bleacher seats. If you’re with seniors or anyone with back issues, I’d say that’s key.
D was in same class with frazzled1’s D and I want to provide a hearty endorsement of that advice. I was on the other side of the gym with no seat backs for that event and it was awful. The gym will be hot and humid if commencement is moved inside and you can’t do anything about that, but having a seat back can ease the discomfort. You can always stake out a new position after the graduate/professional school students leave in the middle, but not all those students have family members in attendance for the “big” ceremony if it’s in the gym. We just waited at the law school tent when S received that degree so we didn’t have to hike across campus in bad weather.
My best VU commencement was the first and only time one of my kids graduated from the lawn. It was cool and many of the seats were wet from rain the day before, but it really was a wonderful event. Take plastic bags to sit on if you are outside since the chairs will have been up for weeks and may be dirty, even if not wet. I would go by 8:00 if you are on the lawn.
We will have one more VU commencement next spring and I’m hoping that we’ll get another clear day so I can enjoy the ceremony outside. As someone who works in higher education, I always get a lump in my throat during the processional. Wishing everyone with a '15 graduate a wonderful commencement week:)
Thanks for the advice! It’s just what I was looking for. We have one graduating from Vandy and our youngest graduating from high school the next week, so it’s going to be a very emotional time for us!
@2VU0609, I envy you one more Vandy commencement! Vanderbilt handles it so well. The only place I felt overwhelmed by the crowds was at the strawberries and champagne reception after the ceremony. But how many schools do strawberries and champagne? Of course everyone wants to be there.
Best of all at the ceremony, for me, was hearing about the amazing young people awarded the Founders Medal from each school. They are spectacular.
We didn’t arrive all that early and took seats upstairs in '09 when rained indoors. The views were good up there but not recommended for the elderly or anyone who would view climbing as a negative. Seats do all have backs, tho! Agree with frazzled that the Founders Medal moments will make you proud for each college within Vandy.
Okay… no rain in forecast… soooooooo??? I will have 2 sets of grandparents, plus all my kids, and boyfriend (I think 10 total? Sounds like 8:00 is the time to get there. That will be horrible with morning traffic, but oh well!! Having a HUGE party here the night of graduation. I think all the families of her out of town friends have elected to come here! But it will be so much fun! We even have found a golden cocktail to serve : )
With a party of 10, if you don’t arrive very early (definitely by 8 AM if outdoors), you’ll probably find better seats if you split into smaller groups and declare a meeting place afterwards. I say that because of the chaos we noted indoors when big groups tried to find seats together. The commencement instructions asked that seats not be saved, and we (party of 6) abided. It was easier to arrive together than to have 1 or 2 people try to save an entire row (or more).
The family next to us sent 2 members to save 14 seats. A young woman with a small baby flopped down in the middle about 10 minutes before start time and simply refused to move, and I didn’t blame her - I admired her! When the seat savers fussed, she just ignored them. She’d been looking a long time for a real seat, not a bleacher, and the latecomers were really running late at that point.
@frazzled1, not only do I get another VU commencement in May '16, D is getting married the next month. 2016 is looking to be an exciting year for our family. D became engaged in February, but didn’t want to get married until she finished the masters degree. I’ll be over in the Cafe looking for dresses soon:)
@2VU0609 For 2016 commencement, is it time to book hotel rooms yet?
I generally stay at Marriott properties and I believe they open May of the next year towards the end of this May/beginning of June. If you like Marriotts, there are two new properties on West End Avenue, a Spring Hill Suites and a Residence Inn back to back. I stayed at the Spring Hill Suites in March when D was moving to a new apartment and I didn’t want to intrude on her transition and I thought it was nice.
The real luxury would be to stay at the Marriott adjoining campus, but I believe they require 3 consecutive nights and the rate is pretty steep during Commencement. I never needed to stay that many nights as I live only 2 hours away, but it would certainly be nice to stay there and not need to worry about parking. I stayed at the Courtyard on West End once and at the Courtyard downtown the other two times.
@frazzled1 …or anyone else… What do people wear to graduation? Looks like it will be upper 70’s and sunny?
Thanks for the info and tips, @2VU0609 (We are amazed at how many hotels there seem to be in Nashville especially near Vandy and were wondering why. It is not a huge city. But good to know there are even more now!)
@2VU0609, you’ve got a busy spring next year! Many, many congrats - wonderful news. I’ll look in on your MOB dress thread when you post it. 
Regarding where to stay, I think the best combination of convenience, cost, and comfort is this place: http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/tennessee/hampton-inn-and-suites-nashville-vanderbilt-elliston-place-BNAUVHX/index.html Outdoor parking which was free the last time we stayed (don’t know if that might have changed), free breakfast, Vandy just across the street.
I’ve stayed in several of the hotels near campus (Embassy Suites, Marrriott near the stadium, the Loews, the Courtyard, and the Hampton). All had very good service and nice accommodations, but the prices differ greatly. I loved the Loew’s, though it’s by far the priciest and I only stayed there twice. I will say they take great care of you there!
@moonpie, you made my day by asking what people wear to graduation since no one ever asks me about clothing - take from that what you will. I wondered about it myself and remember checking out photos online to get some ideas. Sandals or flats make sense so you won’t be sinking into the lawn with every step.
Most women seemed to wear summery skirts or dresses, linen-type pants, or dressy capri outfits. Lots of hats, which also make sense outdoors. I think you’d call it dressy casual, which Cathy Guisewhite used to say was “the nightmare category.” The grads seemed to be a step up from that.
Flat shoes for lawn walking, “dressy casual” is a good way to describe. There is walking and milling about and you don’t want to be feeling stiff and overdressed. It was a bit overcast in '09 with some drizzle and women had things to cover their shoulders on that day. Men were in various versions of “separates” with blazers and without…and seemed happy to ditch or carry blazers. Very few suits. But this is a photo opp day! I favored the Hilton Garden Inn on the backside of campus closer to the law school although it has parking fees and no breakfast included in price. It has rooms with two Queens which can be nice and a shuttle service that stays busy. We also favored Hampton Elliston Place with no parking fees and breakfast included and easy walk-on access to the West End side of campus. I do believe it is worth it to pay up on graduation weekend for the ability to walk to campus if you have elders with you. The hotel situation in Nashville is at Capacity on so many weekends it will make your head (wallet) spin. So call the desks of your top two hotels and get the date they will allow bookings. They do keep wait lists as some bookings get cancelled.
Commencing parents, I hope you are having a wonderful few days on campus celebrating the accomplishments of your students. I have just finished reading the profiles of the Founders Medal recipients and, as usual, I feel a sense of awe at what these young people have accomplished during their time as Commodores. They illustrate in the best way how this generation will make our world a better place.
D told me that the gowns have been redesigned with the “V” logo on them and I got to see some of those in the VU instagram feed this morning. She is excited to hopefully get to wear one of those next year. When S graduated, the graduate school PhDs got similar gowns, but somehow that phased out over the last few years. Excited to see these back in the rotation, but can’t tell if those are just for graduate students or for everyone. Do any of you know? D is a Peabody grad student, so hoping she gets to wear one of these.
The undergraduates wore the black robes with the two Vanderbilt logos.
In case anyone is looking for info next year, if commencement is outside as it was this year, be sure to get there no later than 8:00. Many seats are in the shade of trees, but some are in full sun. Many seats had been taken by 8:00. Also, everyone was saving seats and no one seemed to care.
Highlights of graduation day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUx26lAr-oo …so special.