The College Ceremony, which has traditionally occurred inside the Meeting House of the First Baptist Church in America on the Sunday of Commencement Weekend, will this year take place on the grounds in front of the building due to the large size of the class of 2006.
Following discussion among students, administrators and Brown Corporation members that included a WebCT poll in which 48 percent of the senior class participated, Russell Carey '91, vice president and secretary of the University, reported the decision to seniors in an April 4 e-mail.
After proceeding through the Van Wickle Gates and down College Hill, seniors will gather facing a small stage in front of the church, Carey wrote in the e-mail. During the ceremony a group of students will move the Manning Chair, the ceremonial seat used by the president, from the Meeting House onto the stage.
The events that traditionally occur at the College Ceremony - including the singing of the national anthem, the invocation by the chaplain and the conferral of the baccalaureate degrees - will proceed as usual, with one exception, Carey said. The senior orations will be given when the class returns to the Main Green rather than at the Meeting House. Carey told The Herald this change was made to allow all students, family, parents and faculty to hear the speeches in person. He estimated the entire ceremony at the Meeting House will last 10 minutes.
Because of time constraints, the senior class will not proceed through the building before returning to the Main Green, Carey said.
"We had to balance the logistical aspect of things including the timing of the ceremony, and we felt that this solution offered a more meaningful connection to the tradition than walking through the Meeting House," Carey said.
The University's decision differs from the two solutions initially proposed before spring break. One proposal called for seniors to proceed through the Meeting House and return to the Main Green to perform the College Ceremony, while another involved the use of an overflow tent outside the church.
The initial deadline for a decision was tentatively set for the end of March, but the final decision was announced April 4. Carey said he did not view this as a substantial delay.
"We felt that it was very important to take our time to proceed thoughtfully because there were no obvious perfect choices," Carey said.
The ultimate solution "came from the input of seniors and other community members who felt very strongly about the importance of staying together and maintaining the tradition," Carey said.
The WebCT poll asked seniors to rate the importance of the Meeting House tradition versus the preservation of class unity. Seniors were also asked if they preferred the use of a walk-through procession or an overflow tent and whether they would volunteer to sit in the tent if one were used.
Senior class Co-President Ari Savitzky '06 said he knew students who felt very strongly about both options.
"I think that the symbolism of a tent would have been awful, but I also know people who would have been crushed if we eliminated the church," Savitzky said.
The importance of the issue among seniors was evidenced by the high response rate to the poll. Nearly half the class - 48 percent in total - participated. 61 percent of respondents indicated they believe it is very important to keep the class together. But an equally large majority, 63 percent, opposed the use of an overflow tent. Only 10 percent of respondents said they would volunteer to sit in an overflow tent.
At the same time, 44 percent of seniors expressed a strong desire to maintain the traditional role of the Meeting House in the College Ceremony, which made the prospect of abandoning the church undesirable, Carey said in his e-mail.
As of Wednesday morning, Carey said he had not received responses from a large number of students regarding the final solution, but the few he had received were positive.
Michael Klufas '06 said he is satisfied with the ultimate decision, adding that he was initially concerned that the Meeting House tradition would be abandoned.
"I think this is much better than just walking through the Meeting House, and, in retrospect, I think that a tent probably would have created a lot of discontent," Klufas said. "I think this is a good middle ground for people who felt adamant about both aspects of togetherness and tradition."
Savitzky said he is happy with the changes.
"I think that good things can come from this. I really like the symbolism of being outside of the church, in view of the entire city and the public - I think there is a real meaning in that," Savitzky said. "Commencement used to be a very important public celebration, and I think in a different way this is almost a return to that tradition."
One logistical issue that remains to be solved is how to accommodate faculty and Corporation members who would traditionally stand in a tent in the area where the senior class will now be gathered, Carey said.
In the event of rain, the procession will be cancelled and the College Ceremony will be held in the Pizzitola Center. In past years, when the entire senior class fit in the Meeting House, there was no need for an alternate rain site.
Students who attend the baccalaureate ceremony on Saturday will be able to sit in the Meeting House due to the historically lower rate of attendance for that event, Carey said.
