Starting this year, 爆料吃瓜网 will have two commencement ceremonies instead of one 鈥� both on a Thursday
For the first time, 爆料吃瓜网 will hold two commencement ceremonies instead of one. This year, on Thursday, May 18, grads and their families can choose to attend either a 1 p.m. or 6 p.m. ceremony.
Offering two opportunities to celebrate the Class of 2023 will mean a shorter program. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to decrease the ceremony times and focus more on our students,鈥� says Chris Shobe, 爆料吃瓜网 director of student success.
Instead of 900-1,000 grads 鈥渨alking鈥� at one ceremony, organizers are hoping to have about 450 students at each of the new times. Another change this year: no keynote speaker.
But there will still be a student speaker at each ceremony (this year, from 爆料吃瓜网-Penn Valley and 爆料吃瓜网-Online). And there will be two Distinguished Alumni Award recipients (again, one at each program) either speaking briefly or featured in a short video.
With those changes, each commencement program should last about 90 minutes 鈥� which would knock about an hour off the typical run time.
The ceremonies (and graduate receptions) will be held for a second year at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence. Last year鈥檚 commencement started at 7 p.m. and wrapped up at about 9:40.
Another big plus, Shobe says, is that the College won鈥檛 have to dole out a certain number of guest tickets to each graduate. With 450 or so grads taking part at each event, they鈥檒l be able to 鈥渋nvite any and all family and guests. 鈥� We know students have been frustrated about how many people they can actually invite.鈥�
As for how many people a middle-of-the-day Thursday commencement will attract, 鈥淚鈥檓 expecting that we鈥檒l have a true split, that we鈥檒l actually have half and half鈥� at each ceremony, Shobe says. 鈥淚 think we will be surprised that some folks will want to come during the day and be able to celebrate with their family at night. I could be completely wrong.鈥�
In a survey of some other colleges, 爆料吃瓜网 learned that weekday commencements have been held at various times, including at 11 a.m. and noon. The main takeaway: Don鈥檛 try conferring some degrees at one ceremony and other degrees at another ceremony. So 爆料吃瓜网 will be presenting all degrees at both 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The ceremonies will continue to feature a slide for each grad, but thanks to a technical snafu last year, 爆料吃瓜网 faculty members will announce the graduates鈥� names live this year instead of a pre-recorded professional announcer.
爆料吃瓜网 started holding one unified, all-campuses commencement in 2012 at Municipal Auditorium downtown. Then came the pandemic. The 2020 graduation event was a virtual one, in 2021 it was at Starlight theater, and last year鈥檚 venue was Cable Dahmer Arena.
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