For a rousing rendition of what the University of Chicago can give you (and also what it may not give you), I refer accepted or prospective students - and us old alums as well - to David Brooks’ address to the Class of 2017. It contains some fine impressions from his days as a student at the University - and some funny lines as well - but the point whose truth especially struck me was that you don’t really quite possess the specialness of your Chicago education until you are no longer in the middle of it. It is when you have left Chicago, Brooks asserts - and I confirm - that what you learned, read and thought there as a student could keep you sane and save your soul for the rest of your life. Amen, brother.
What do they do for that commencement ceremony if it happens to be raining? I’m just used to good ole’ Rockefeller Chapel for Convocation but the graduating class of the College might be too big for that now. Or have they always had their commencement outside?
They handed out plastic ponchos so I assume you sit through it. The commencement (convocation) after the Spring quarter has been outside for some time.
Several things were different this spring. The University instituted “Class Day” which was held outside on Friday on the main quad. Class Day replaces the Baccalaureate which was held in Rockefeller. David Brooks was the main speaker at Class Day. Another big change is that diplomas for undergraduates were handed out at House / Dorm ceremonies. Finally, as I understand it, the University is consolidating the Fall / Winter convocation into the Spring beginning with this (530th) convocation.
What did they do about kids who had no affiliation with a house/dorm for 2-3 years? I suppose anything is somewhat better than sitting there for three hours (if your kid’s name starts with a letter near the back of the alphabet, and their major is in the alphabetically last Social Science Division . . . like, say, Sociology). But getting their diplomas with their original houses would have meant little or nothing to my kids. By the time they graduated, they each had only one or two friends from their original house . . . and plenty of people they didn’t care to see again. When my son graduated, his original dorm was no longer owned by the university, and his house had vanished with it (although I suppose they could have pretended it still existed for purposes of convocation).
Between child #1 and child #2, they instituted a lunch break between the general ceremony and the college diplomas. The lunches were divided by Division, so the faculty from your child’s major were hanging out in the area holding court. That was actually very nice.
It rained, and hard, for both convocations I attended, although at the second the rain stopped definitively pretty early. At the first, it didn’t ever really stop. Notwithstanding the ponchos that were handed out, people got very wet, and no one stuck around longer than they had to. Sociology majors named Zuckerman received their diplomas in a soaked, empty courtyard.
“Finally, as I understand it, the University is consolidating the Fall / Winter convocation into the Spring beginning with this (530th) convocation.”
For the entire university or just the College? and if you spend an extra quarter or two to get your Bachelor’s does that mean you would have to wait till the following spring to march? Or could you still march in the Fall (or winter) during their convocations (assuming those still exist)?
JBStillflying - Yes, that is my understanding. Only one convocation per year and that will be at the end of the Spring quarter.
JHS - Your questions are very similar to questions posed by current students. We will see how it works out. In general I was extremely impressed with the organization of the whole two days.
I have many good memories from class day and the convocation that will stay with me a long time. Here are some that stick out.
–I’m convinced my son received as good an undergraduate education as there is in the world.
–I’m so impressed with the character and quality of the typical UChicago undergraduate.
–I shouted and waved at Dean Boyer as he was processing into the convocation. He looked over almost diffidently and gave a slight wave and smile. I thought: “He’s the perfect man in the world for the College at UChicago”
–At the reception following the diploma ceremony, we found our way to a table where (almost fatefully) were sitting with the parents of my son’s neighbor in his dorm his first year. We remembered them fondly from the first move in and we spent some good time together then and at the reception. Their son and I believe our son had succeeded splendidly in their 4 years at UChicago. Now their son and our son are moving on. The dad was particularly wistful as was I, and it was hard to part without shedding a tear or two. I hope our paths will cross again.
–I like David Brooks. He’s an effective speaker and a thoughtful writer. But I thought his speech could have used just a smidgeon more editing. Still overall a good speech. We will have to see if he ends up being, “a gateway drug to Steven Colbert”.
–The student speeches were good–moving and funny and varied.
I was there too last weekend. It was sunny (about 80s in the morning and high in 90s). They handed out the ponchos anyway. They should have recycled them for the next year. LOL.
Only one university-wide convocation per year. Undergraduates sat on the left section while graduates sat on the right section. It began at 9AM with student procession to the stage and ended at 11ish. Most of the people stayed for those two hours. Then lunch break at students’ house dinning area. Between 1PM and 3PM it was the diploma ceremony at students’ house (might not be inside the buildings). My daughter’s ended before 3PM. After that there was a light reception with champagne. Then most people left (moved on). At 5PM the campus was much deserted and it was a great time to walk around the campus once again.
For my daughter the house affiliation was the first-year house since she left housing after that. I saw some familiar faces even those students left housing too.
Overall the event was well organized though the lunch could be better. I still remember those funny dinners and lunches during orientation four years ago. Maybe they care more about incoming students than outgoing graduates? LOL