Before the first new graduate strolls across the stage to receive that long-anticipated Hamilton diploma, months of preparation goes into making Commencement a ceremony worth remembering.
Preparation for graduation starts about two years in advance when the trustee committee meets to consider nominations for honorary degree recipients. Event planning begins in earnest in the fall when the first mailing goes out to students and families with information about lodging and a schedule of events.
"Each year, the event runs seamlessly because of all the terrific people who know their part," said Meredith Harper Bonham, executive assistant to the president. "The Physical Plant staff knows how many chairs to set-up, Chris Johnson makes sure we have ushers…"
"There are so many people behind the scenes making sure, at least to the outside world, nothing goes wrong," added Sue Campanie, president's office assistant, hefting her five-inch thick planning binder.
|
Commencement by the Numbers
|
"Thank goodness everyone else knows what needs to be done because we sure didn't when we took over the management of Commencement four years ago," Bonham quipped.
They can laugh about it now, but Campanie and Bonham both grew a few gray hairs the year a photographer they had contracted to take photos of each graduate crossing the stage got lost and showed up minutes before the ceremony without an assistant. Bonham grabbed a student to help him keep track of names/faces and photo numbers before breathing a sigh of relief that she didn't have to add "photographer" to her duties for the day.
"Although we had a behind-the-scenes panic, as we do with many of the issues we obsess over, as far as the graduates were concerned, nothing happened. That's the important thing," Bonham noted.
Another wildcard every year is the weather. Who do you blame if it rains? The weather forecaster, of course! One year after a beautiful outdoor baccalaureate ceremony on Saturday, the local news predicted a wet day for Commencement. Bonham called WKTV meteorologist Amanda Gabeler that night.
"She was very sweet, but told me she was very sorry, it was going to rain on graduation," Bonham recalled. Nonetheless, 5 a.m. on Sunday morning found Bonham, President Gene Tobin, College Marshall John O'Neil and Director of Physical Plant Steve Bellona clustered around a computer watching the weather map trying to make a final decision. They ended up choosing wisely — the chairs set up outside came down with the rain — but the sun did peek through in time for the afternoon picnic.
Past graduations have also had their touching moments like the story Bonham tells of a wheelchair-bound student who had developed such a close relationship with the Physical Plant staff that they insisted on building the stage out so she would be more comfortable. The student said she was fine with the stage the way it was, but the Physical Plant workers built it anyway because they really wanted to. They wanted to make sure her graduation went as well as everyone else's — with dignity.
And then there are potential problems avoided by quick thinking. Hamilton occasionally shares graduation day with nearby Colgate University. One year the ceremony went on longer than anticipated, nearing Colgate's afternoon start time. The bagpipers of the Mohawk Valley Frasers determined they had to leave before leading Hamilton graduates for the recessional. Fate (in the form of Chris Johnson) intervened, and they were firmly told they could leave when she told them they could and not a second before. Hamilton's ceremony ended with all due pomp and circumstance — then the Frasers bolted, kilts and bagpipes flying. "We didn't hear any complaints from Colgate so assume all went well," Bonham recalled.
Here's a look at just of few of the behind-the-scenes members of our community who make Commencements memorable:
THE REGISTRAR
Preparation for Commencement begins in August when Registrar's Office personnel begin reviewing the following year's potential graduates to make sure all requirements are complete, transfer credits are applied, etc. — basically that each is on track to fulfill all degree requirements.
Attention to detail is key. When graduates are handed their diplomas that Sunday morning, it is the actual diploma — personalized with each student's name and academic honors. And each diploma is carefully rolled and tied with a ribbon by Registrar's Office staff.
"Unlike most colleges and universities, 100 percent of the students who walk across the stage at Commencement have met all of their requirements for a Hamilton degree," said Kristin Friedel, registrar. "Our approach to Commencement is very personal compared to many institutions."
A personal touch also goes into preparing the reading of names. Students fill out a diploma card which asks them for a phonetic spelling of their name (is "stein" stine or steen, for example). Friedel and Dean David Paris review all of the names and practice the pronunciations in advance. In some cases, Friedel even records an unusual name for extra clarification.
Come Commencement morning after the crowd of well-wishers has taken their seats, Friedel walks along the lines of graduates immediately before the processional, making sure each is accounted for and standing in the proper alphabetical order. This is key to each graduate receiving the right diploma as his or her name is called. Details make the difference.
PHI BETA KAPPA
Dating back to 1870, Hamilton's chapter of the national liberal arts honor society is one of the oldest in the country. Each year approximately 10 percent of the class receives Phi Beta Kappa honors.
The nominating committee, made up of Hamilton faculty members who themselves hold PBK honors, meets three times a year to review student transcripts and elect members. Their last meeting comes the Thursday morning prior to Commencement, after which Frank Lorenz, former College archivist and editor emeritus, rushes the final names to the Publications Office for last-second inclusion into the program.
"In addition to reviewing each candidate's academic achievement, we make sure each has obtained a true liberal arts education and upheld ethical standards," said Lorenz, who for 14 years served as secretary of Hamilton's Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
THE COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM
Phyllis Jackson checks names, again and again and again.
Although work on the program begins more than a month before the event, deadline pressure hits the Wednesday before Commencement when the "final rollback" of names comes from the Registrar's Office around 6 p.m. The finished book goes to the printer the next morning, the blueline proof is checked at the printer around 3 that afternoon, and the program delivers the next day.
"What makes the program so stressful is the attention to detail required and the deadline pressure," said Phyllis Jackson, publications associate. "Names can't be spell-checked by the computer, and because we have information coming from sources throughout campus, we need to be especially careful to check not only for accuracy, but for consistency."
In fact, Jackson gets a preliminary printout of graduates a month before Commencement and reviews it almost daily to familiarize herself with the names — especially in instances where graduates have the same last (and sometimes first and last!) name.
PHYSICAL PLANT
As soon as the last snowflake of the season melts away, Physical Plant workers disperse throughout campus to groom the grounds for Commencement. And getting that early start is essential considering the seemingly endless details that happen Commencement week.
The Physical Plant staff takes care of everything from setting up chairs -- 3,200 inside and 5,000 outdoors, providing the weather cooperates. An additional 2,000 chairs are needed for the post-Commencement luncheon, which also requires 200 round tables and 80 banquet tables. Then there is the large awning in front of the library, stage areas set up both inside and outside, podiums shuffled at the last minute, banners, making sure the honorary degree robes get to the dressing area in the Field House, coordinating golf carts and shuttle buses, making sure the canes distributed to graduates are ready and dusted -- the list goes on and on.
A team of 18 workers and summer students takes care of the grounds and 30 handle custodial duties (imagine removing 5,000 empty water bottles that fill the quad after the guests leave!). Plus four carpenters, two painters and six from plumbing and electrical chip in where needed.
"We all know our job because we've done it so many times," said Tony Poccia, manager of building structural trades. "Everyone wants it to go smoothly for the kids that day." (Even if it means grounds manager Fred Blunt racing back to his office for a spare camera battery for a desperate parent!)
Due to security reasons, Physical Plant staffers break down every chair immediately following the ceremony for an outdoor event, making for an extremely long day that begins before 6 a.m. So do they prefer indoors when the work can wait until Monday?
"No," Poccia quickly noted. "Everyone likes the outdoors, so we make it happen."
COLLEGE STORE
On the day of graduation, Jennifer Hackett, manager of the College Store, and her staff are on the quad selling bouquets of flowers and handing out any other items the graduates need at the last minute.
"We provide extra tassels, bobby pins and everything else they forget," said Hackett, adding that the real rush comes a month before graduation when the College Store distributes caps and gowns, sells class rings, graduation annnoucements and diploma frames.
The College Store is open the entire weekend so new alumni can buy Hamilton memoribilia, and their families and guests can purchase gifts and cards.
CAMPUS SAFETY
The arrival of parents, grandparents, siblings and other loved ones for Commencement brings with it the arrival of hundreds of vehicles. That's where Campus Safety comes in.
"We have many elderly guests and must make special arrangements for them," said Director of Campus Safety Pat Ingalls. Unlike Great Names lectures, which draw an equally high number of people to campus, Commencement visitors do not park off-campus and take a shuttle; they're all on campus with their vehicles.
Ingalls said Campus Safety works closely with the President's Office on parking and crowd control, trying to park as many cars as possible by the Field House, then "assuming 50 percent of our students are not here, we fill our lots first, then the roadways."
After the Commencement ceremony, campus roads are clogged with parents loading up their graduate's belongings. "We play it by ear," Ingalls said. "It's a lot of coordination with local police agencies." Campus Safety is also responsible for providing security around various Commencement set-ups, such as the audio-visual tent and other rented equipment.
AV SERVICES
It might not be "lights, camera, action" for the AV staffers, but it doesn't get much busier than the 70 hours they put in during Commencement week. A crew of 10 makes sure that sound systems and videotaping equipment support each event from the relatively small honorary degree dinner to Commencement itself.
Because weather is so unpredictable, sound systems must be set up simultaneously in the Field House and outdoors. Tim Hicks, director of AV classroom services, and his crew set up one of the systems, while an outside company handles the other. And of course everything needs to be removed the day of the ceremony considering there's more than $50,000 worth of Hamilton equipment alone.
The AV department is one of the few whose work with Commencement continues into the weeks after the event. Roughly 200 copies of videos of the ceremony, available this year on both VHS and DVD format, are made and distributed.
THE USHERS
Christine Johnson, director of Opportunity Programs, adds a new title for the day --"ceremonial usher." For years Hamilton students have benefited from her military training that becomes evident in the efficient and timely management of the event. Johnson said, "It's my job to make sure the students, families and faculty are in the right place at the right time."
She draws the 55 ushers from faculty who aren't processing, staff and students. She said, "The staff knows the students and can put a name with a face. "
BON APPETIT
"Commencement is the biggest single event we do," said Pat Raynard, general manager of Bon Appetit, the College's food service provider. While the family picnic buffet held immediately after the Commencement ceremony is the single largest event, Raynard said his staff is busy the entire week preceding Commencement preparing for simple cookies and punch receptions to formal multiple-course, sit-down dinners.
Work for Bon Appetit staff begins with Senior Week activities, then it kicks into high gear with a Friday night international buffet for graduates' families in the Annex, an honorary degree recipient dinner and a reception after the baccalaureate ceremony on Saturday. Add to that the continental breakfast and Phi Beta Kappa breakfast on Sunday before Commencement and finally an all-campus picnic on Sunday evening, sandwiched around the main event buffet.
Executive chef Reuben Haag said this year's Commencement menu will feature a new hot meal with grilled chicken, hotdogs, salt potatoes, corn and Portobello mushrooms. He said it will take six to eight people up to four days to prepare the chicken and the baker estimates he'll spend 90-100 hours during Commencement week cranking out cookies and scrumptous desserts. This year some staff will begin reporting at 4 a.m. on the day of Commencement to begin barbecuing, and eventually Bon Appetit's 200 staff members will report for work. In addition, Raynard said, the company pulls in people from its other nearby locations to help out.
"It's a great event for us — it's different than what we do all year-round," Haag said. "All of our staff knows that it all builds up to this; they all know the expectations. We want to send the graduates off the best way that we can."
