Cornell celebrates 141st Commencement Weekend

Cornell will celebrate its 141st Commencement Weekend, May 23-24, with about 6,000 graduates receiving their degrees. Highlights include the Senior Convocation address to be given by Barack Obama's campaign strategist David Plouffe Saturday, May 23, at noon. Cornell President David J. Skorton will deliver the Commencement Address Sunday, May 24, at 11 a.m. Both events will be at Schoellkopf Stadium.

Plouffe (pronounced pluff), a partner in the campaign consulting firm AKPD Message and Media, is credited with Obama's success in the presidential election. The Convocation ceremony also will feature an address by Cornell Senior Class President Caroline Newton and the presentation of a gift to the university from the senior class.

Other Commencement Weekend events include:

May 23:

  • ROTC Commissioning ceremonies for the Air Force, Army, Navy/Marine Corps. Reception will be 8-8:30 a.m., with commissioning 8:30-10 a.m., all at Statler Hall, Beck Center Auditorium.
  • Johnson School: Executive MBA Recognition Ceremony: 9:30 a.m. at Bailey Hall.
  • Senior Convocation: In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved into Barton Hall and tickets will be required for entry.
  • President's Family Gathering and Ice Cream Social: Skorton and the Cornell Board of Trustees will host the social for students, their families and guests 2-3:30 p.m. on the Arts Quad.
  • DVM Hooding Ceremony: New doctors of veterinary medicine will take the Veterinarian's Oath and receive their hoods at 2 p.m. in Bailey Hall.
  • Johnson School ceremony: The new graduates of the Johnson School will be honored at Newman Arena in Bartels Hall 2:30-4 p.m.
  • Cornell Wind Ensemble Concert: Cornell's premiere instrumental student ensemble performs international and American music, as well as Cornell songs, on the Arts Quad 2:45-3:45 p.m.
  • Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony: This event for Ph.D. and D.M.A. candidates will be held at 5 p.m. in Barton Hall. A reception will follow. Families, friends and faculty members are invited to attend.
  • Senior Week Concert: The Cornell Glee Club and the Cornell Chorus will present their annual concert at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall. Tickets will be sold at 101 Lincoln Hall or by e-mail at concerts@gleeclub.cornell.edu until May 22.

Sunday, May 24:

  • Academic procession: The procession assembles on the Arts Quad at 9 a.m. and will arrive at Schoellkopf Stadium at 10 a.m.
  • Commencement ceremony: The ceremony will be held from 11 a.m. to noon.
  • College and school ceremonies: The ceremonies and receptions for individual Cornell colleges and schools will be held at various locations from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. A listing will be available in the Commencement program or at http://www.commencement.cornell.edu/May/colrecep.html.

How to see and hear the ceremonies:

Both Saturday's Convocation and Sunday's Commencement will be broadcast live on Ithaca's Time Warner Cable Channel 16 and streamed live on the Cornell Web site at http://www.cornell.edu/.

Commencement also will be broadcast on WHCU radio (870 AM), starting at 11 a.m. The Commencement procession and ceremony can be viewed afterward on CornellCast at http://www.cornell.edu/video).

For general information about the Cornell Commencement: See http://www.commencement.cornell.edu/.