Commencement Day Advice

In this Issue:

• My annual advice for Commencement
• Important info for ’23s with student loans
• Weekly Update for New Families

While this is explicitly for parents and families of graduating seniors (P’23s), our younger families might want to read as well for future reference.

I think this will be my 21st Commencement, so I have been to this rodeo a time or two. Here are some tried and true suggestions that I hope will make your family’s experience more enjoyable:

For Commencement Day

Weather:  

Commencement will be held on Hearn Plaza rain or shine. In the event of hazardous weather, the commencement ceremony would be held at Joel Coliseum. Pay close attention to the weather forecast and pack accordingly. That could include rain wear, umbrellas, light jackets, or your coolest, lightest clothing. A note on umbrellas: due to security, you cannot have golf umbrellas, only the small collapsible umbrellas that fit into a tote. Note: if hazardous weather looks likely, there would be information and instructions on the Commencement website about the plan to move to the Joel.

What to wear:

You will see everything from suits and ties and dressy spring suits for women, to sundresses and golf shirts and slacks. People tend to err on the more dressy side – think of things you might wear to a worship service or a nice dinner out.

Layering is critical. It could be cool in the morning, and much of where you sit is full sun – so nice to have the option of adding or subtracting a sweater or jacket as needed. Men, give yourself permission to take off your jacket and loosen your tie (or not wear a tie) if it gets warm. No one needs to be overheated.

Sunscreen is a must. If you are sun sensitive, also consider a hat. Commencement is 3ish hours outdoors, and while there are some trees, there is not enough to bring huge areas of shade. Also remember that Wait Chapel will be open for viewing via livestream for those who want to be indoors.

Shoes:

Please do not wear your best/most expensive/fanciest shoes. Repeat: do not wear your best shoes. The Quad grass will be wet with dew in the morning. If you wear your most impressive/expensive shoes, it is almost certain they will get wet, grassy, muddy – and likely ruined. Save the fancy shoes for Baccalaureate (if you go), as it is an indoor event.

Older relatives:

Please think carefully about bringing elderly relatives and consider their comfort as you make that decision. It might be better for all for some family members not to attend. My own grandmother very much wanted to see me graduate, but she was very sensitive to heat and sun, and was not able to walk a long ways, nor stand up for a long time to wait in lines for the bathrooms. While we do our best to make everyone comfortable, if you have relatives for whom the weekend’s exertions would not be good for them, consider that before you all come. Each family needs to make the decision that is best for them.

Note that there is a live feed of Commencement into Wait Chapel, which is indoors, air conditioned, and is close to some restrooms. When families tell me that they are bringing elderly relatives, I usually encourage them to consider having them view from Wait Chapel (with another family member to assist them), rather than having them out in the sun the whole time.

Another caveat: because there are a lot of people on the Quad for Commencement, and going in and out of Wait Chapel for Baccalaureate, a lot of times people can’t see the ground in front of them (only the person in front of them). I have seen elderly guests miss a step up or down to get into a building or onto/off a curb, and they fall. Please be sure to keep an arm out for anyone who might need some steadying in navigating unfamiliar walkways.

Seating on the Quad:

Bring some paper towels or a washcloth from your hotel (please return them!) to wipe off your chairs at Commencement. While the staff tries to go through and wipe the dew off the chairs, they are not always able to get to all 13,000 chairs before guests arrive.

Parking

On-campus parking will be limited. Commencement guests are encouraged to park at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial (LJVM) Coliseum (no parking pass is needed at the Coliseum and shuttles run continuously to and from campus beginning at 6 a.m. Either a Commencement ticket or a Wake Forest ID is required to ride the shuttle). Pro tip: our shuttles are air-conditioned and might be a much more pleasant experience than walking from far away in your good clothes and getting sweaty.

Every vehicle must have a Commencement parking pass to enter campus on Monday morning. University Police will direct guests to available parking. You may want to take a photo of the lot you are in, or drop a pin on a map on your phone so you can find your car after the ceremony.

When to arrive Commencement Day:

Everyone asks this, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. My P’92 dad was a Super Type A guy and wanted to be on campus at 6 am when the lines opened because he wanted to be certain to get seats of choice. They then had a 3 hour wait, so my parents read the paper, took a stroll, etc. Other families may want to arrive later.  Ask yourself how important it is to you to get there early and have lots of options about seating vs. how much you want to avoid having to wait once you arrive.

General seating is first come, first served, and you cannot save seats with signs. If you put signs on the seats, they will be removed. Know that there will be traffic, and there will be lines as you check in, bag checks, etc.

Bathrooms:

There are many bathrooms, but there can also be lines. Bathrooms in Reynolda Hall are open, also Benson Center or ZSR Library (both a short walk), but there will be lines.

Please, please, please consider using the Executive port-a-johns that will be available in designated parking lots. Those will be faster and I promise you they are very nice, clean, have real sinks (and if we have the same ones as last time, have A/C). That should be your first option honestly.

Because we read every student’s name, you will be able to look at your program (which lists graduates’ names) and see how quickly the pace is moving so you can plan your restroom break(s) accordingly.

Misc:

• The livestream is available on your phones or devices (as well as by computer). This could be a help in case of inclement weather, for guests who cannot come to Winston-Salem, or for guests who are waiting in line for the restrooms during the ceremony and want to make sure they know how soon their grad’s name will be called. 
• As all bags will be checked, please consider not bringing one if you can avoid it.
• Sales of food and drink on the Quad for Commencement are cash only (no credit/debit cards).
• The Camino Bakery in ZSR Library will be open.
• Official service animals will be allowed onto the Quad. Please do not bring pets.

For Baccalaureate

Seating:  

Seating inside Wait Chapel is limited and on a first-come basis. Tickets do not guarantee admission. Doors open around 10:00 a.m., but guests can expect to wait in line on Hearn Plaza before entering the Chapel. Graduates who process do not need tickets.

When to get in line:

There will be people who begin lining up at 9 am (you’ll see a sign at Wait Chapel on the sidewalk near Efird hall), if not before. If this year works like all past years have, they will let parents in in 2 waves: the first one to fill the balcony and part of the lower level of Wait Chapel. Then they shut the door and ticketholders continue waiting in the line until we have seated all students and faculty who attend.

Once the students and faculty process into the chapel, they reopen the line and begin seating the remaining ticketholders until the chapel is full. In some years, everyone who wants to get in gets in, in other years, some are not. There is no way to predict.

Other options to view it:

Weather permitting, we stream the ceremony out onto the Quad – and to be perfectly honest, my preference is to sit on the Quad chairs and observe the ceremony there (you can get up and walk around, etc.)  There is no individual recognition of graduates (and they don’t get to sit with their families) so you aren’t really missing anything if you choose to view from outside.

Good thoughts encouraged

And as I do every year, I want to ask a favor. Please begin saying whatever prayers/invocations/supplications/casting of positive thoughts into the universe. The theme for this energy is wishing for good weather. We’re trying to invoke sunny with a light breeze, maybe 75 degrees 🙂

Important info for ’23s with student loans

Our Student Financial Services office asked me to share this info with our P’23s:

“Congratulations to our May degree candidates! To prepare for Commencement, your students will need to have student clearance; please be sure your students are checking their student accounts for any outstanding charges or holds on their accounts. Students with Federal Perkins Loans and/or Institutional Loans need to have an online exit interview to be cleared to graduate.”

Weekly Update for New Families

Today we sent out a message to new families as part of our Weekly Update process. You can read it here.