2017 UIUC Commencement

Colleges & Universities University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
1

I attended the the 2017 UIUC Commencement this weekend. Event was in football stadium with probably 7500 students in attendance. It was a lovely day, sunny,but not too hot, with a gentle breeze. Ceremony contained the usual elements: a processional, band playing, choirs singing, honorary degrees awarded, inspiring – and fun to listen to – speaker. Time from start to finish was maybe two and a half hours.

PhD candidates walked across stage for a hooding ceremony. All other students were graduated by each college standing up together and being acknowledged.

But, but… most of the students left soon after listening to the speaker. It started with a few students walking away, then a few more, and by the time ceremony was over maybe only a third of the students remained. Many of those who left just hung out nearby taking selfies and chatting with friends.Is this normal for a big university graduation? Because I thought it rather disrespectful to the speakers, to families that traveled to see their son or daughter graduate, to the students who wanted to be acknowledged from graduating from their college.

I realize lots of students would later participate in convocation ceremonies in their individual colleges. Maybe the big university ceremony was not relevant to them… but still, walking out before ceremony was over? Just don’t think it a fitting way to celebrate degrees won and moving on to next chapter in life.

2

Interesting. I have been to multiple graduation ceremonies at UF, and people did not leave early. It might have helped that the ceremonies took place in the basketball arena, and it was packed with a limit on the number of guests. If it was held in a quarter-full football stadium, people might be tempted to exit early.

3

That does sound unusual, to have the graduates drift away. The only comparison we have is UW graduation, also this weekend, also in the football stadium. The difference is, this was only 90 minutes long because the doctoral candidates were in a separate celebration the day before. Another hour would have definitely felt too much, as the poor grads on the field, in black gowns, would have melted. Once the speakers concluded, the actual “proffer” of the students as graduates by the Deans of the respective Colleges, and acceptance by the Chancellor, moved very quickly.

4

LU had about 50,000 at their graduation (Trump speaker). They had separate degree ceremonies either day before or after the big event. Also lasted about 1.5 hours.
http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/trump-address-liberty-university-graduation-draw-to-campus/article_52d226d2-37c1-11e7-8b39-f7e9c4394fc4.html

5

@marlene

I don’t know where you were seated, but we were positively melting in the sun at the UIUC Commencement. Our section was getting lots of sun, but getting very little of that wonderful breeze. When we did feel the breeze? It was such a relief!

Our family was there early, seated about 8:30 (start time 9:30). About halfway into Nick Offerman’s speech, my husband said he had to get some water and get out of the sun. He ended up milling around the much cooler concession area, watching the speech on the TV monitors.

I was intending to stick it out, but honestly, with each passing minute I was getting increasingly uncomfortable. I went to the bathroom, and it was obvious I was dehyrdated. H and I met up, I told him I wasn’t feeling so good. He got me something to drink, and we sat on the outside steps of the Stadium in the cool shade with the breeze & I began to feel much better.

When we met up with our daughter on the Main Quad later, she told us she felt bad, but she left with other students right after Offerman was done speaking. She had been sitting there in the sun since 8:30, just roasting in her cap and gown, even though she had a light sundress underneath. She had finished her water, needed to get to the bathroom, and out of the heat. She said there was at least one student receiving medical attention for the heat.

I was VERY surprised by how hot it got in the sun. Right? It seemed like a perfect day, didn’t it?

In hindsight, I wish we had skipped the big ceremony in the stadium & opted to watch it in the comfort of a coffee shop on livestream. This was our first big university graduation and we were not sure what to expect.

The afternoon departmental convocation was lovely! There was lots of mingling and picture taking afterwards in front of the auditorium, and we were able to meet our D’s favorite professors & classmates.

Apologies! No offense intended!

6

We’re in the car right now…no worries, I’m not driving …but yes most people left. The weather sounded like it would be perfect…start off cool (in the 60s) and maybe reach 75 around noon (the expected end time).

Unfortunately the cloudless sky made it physically very uncomfortable. The graduates and audience were facing due east. The gates had opened at 8am, with a 9:30 start time. As soon as people started to sit down, you could hear people saying they should have brought sunglasses. I had brought mine, but the sun was so bright. Also the white plastic flooring they had put down to protect the field reflected the light unmercifully, I had to look down and cover my eyes. People were wearing their program on their head, because it was so bright. The air temperature was fine but it felt much, much hotter.

When some people started leaving after Nick Offerman’s speech, we too thought it was rude. But then they started reading the names of all the PhDs…and there were a lot…maybe 200 or more. People began to feel distressed all around us…so more and more started to leave. Everyone seemed to feel bad, but it was physically painful…there were A LOT of sunburns. They should have called an audible and modified the program. Perhaps they were unaware, because those on the stage were in the shade. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable the graduates were in their cap and gowns.

As for the departmental convocation, it was great…inside and air conditioned! There were a lot of names read, but being comfortable made a huge difference. 2 hrs is pretty long, but it was well executed.

P.S. I hope the administration understands and can make some kind of adjustment. It was still a fun and memorable weekend.

7

That does seem unusual for people to get up and leave, but it seems like it must have been weather and comfort dictated, those poly robes would be brutal in the sun. Being an original Midwesterner, I totally get the heat, added to the fact that many don’t have time to eat or eat well before the ceremony (plus some that have been drinking late and/or early morning). Dehydration city. I would have had to get up in those conditions I would guess. So maybe not so much rude as not the best planning.

I was at USC’s this weekend and it was 2 hours of bliss. Sorry if this sounds boastful, but frankly I dread these things and ended up loving every minute of this one, so I am still shocked I enjoyed it so much. Maybe I had set the bar really low going in that it could only be better than I thought. Sun wasn’t even out during the ceremony, a fantastic 68-70 degrees. No one left their seat, but there was great anticipation for Will Ferrell who gave the best commencement speech I have heard in years. (I much prefer a light hearted, comedic yet sincere speech without a bunch of puffery.) His had a great balance of hilarity with wisdom, the Washington Post has a good write up on it for those that enjoy browsing these things like I do.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/05/13/will-ferrell-singing-whitney-houston-at-usc-graduation-is-exactly-what-we-need-right-now/?utm_term=.fb81dfed49f2

The main ceremony was 2 hours, and the separate schools handled the undergrad diplomas - so once the main one broke up, you went to the individual school where the kid walked that stage - another two hours. Sun broke in the middle of that one so it soared up to 74. So thankful for good CA weather, especially for the grandparents in the audience.

8

@marlene I don’t believe leaving during the ceremony is usual behavior.

In my opinion the strength of the sun was unusually strong. I had sunscreen on my face and neck, but should have done my arms, legs and feet. I got sunburned on my shoulders and arms…and my feet have stripes because of the sandals I was wearing.

We asked some friends who were at last year’s commencement and they said there were clouds which made it better. We had arrived a little after the gates opened at 8 and stayed until noon…and they were still reading PhD names. In general, I believe the bulk of people started leaving when it became apparent that they were going to read all those names.

My suggestion: since the individual departments have their own ceremonies, use the university commencement as a fun, unifying celebration. Individual recognition by name could be reserved for the smaller more intimate ceremonies.

@CADREAMIN I envy the weather you had at your commencement. I think the discomfort was also more pronounced since it’s been very cool and rainy, and then all of a sudden we get a sunny, warm day. It was an abrupt change of weather for a lot of us.

Like WF, Nick Offerman was very good. Having a Fine Arts grad was a nice change of pace since UIUC tends to focus on STEM and business.

9

I would call it warm, but not terribly uncomfortable. I did have sunglasses and a bottle of water. My husband made sure to wear a hat.

Perhaps better plan – if heat was the issue – was to have all students rise as one to acknowledge graduation.

Will say I attended a football game in fall on warmer day, and folks managed to stay to the end. :wink:

10

Thankfully, we were in the last 5 rows of the upper deck (in the shade). It was extremely hot for those sitting in the sun, and once they began reading the names of the Ph.Ds it became very clear that it was going to take another 40 minutes before it was over since you could tell there were, maybe, 300+ names to be read and the person reading them was having pronunciation difficulties. When we saw our daughter (not a Ph.D) get up with her group of friends, we headed out to meet her on the lawn at Downer’s Grove. I asked her why she didn’t stay and she told me (i) they were really hot; (ii) everyone else was leaving; and (iii) the only real reason to stay was to throw your mortarboard in the air at the end. Was sort of wondering whether that happened - did anyone stay until the end? The funny thing is that at her college ceremony the next day (College of Business) there was not a well-defined end point and so no one did the toss.