Lindsay France/University Photography

From left, seniors James Leung, Kelsey DeBriyn and Carrie Whitcomb check their mortarboards in the mirror at Teagle Hall Thursday afternoon, May 24, in anticipation of Sunday's Commencement.

Cornell will celebrate its 139th Commencement Weekend, May 26-27, with about 6,000 graduates getting their diplomas. Cornell President David J. Skorton will give his first Commencement address, and the Convocation speaker will be CNN television journalist Soledad O'Brien.

O'Brien will give the Senior Convocation Address, May 26, at noon in Schoellkopf Stadium; Skorton will preside over the Commencement ceremony May 27, at 11 a.m., also in the stadium. Both events are open to graduates, their families and the public.

O'Brien is a former anchor and now a special correspondent for CNN's Special Investigations Unit, reporting for documentaries and series on important stories for all major CNN programs.

The May 26 convocation ceremony also will feature an address by Cornell Senior Class President Edvard Gumbs, as well as the presentation of a gift to the university from the senior class.

Other Commencement Weekend events include:

May 26:

• ROTC Commissioning: Air Force commissioning will be at 8 a.m. in the Beck Center Auditorium of Statler Hall; Army commissioning, 9 a.m. in the Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room; and Navy commissioning, 10 a.m. in the Beck Center Auditorium.
• Phi Beta Kappa Induction will be at 10 a.m. in G-1 Uris Hall.
• Senior Convocation: In the event of severe weather, the noon ceremony will be moved into Barton Hall, and tickets will be required for entry.
• 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.
• President/Trustees Parent Reception: Skorton and the Cornell Board of Trustees will host a reception for students, their families and guests from 2:30 to 4 p.m. on the university's Arts Quad.
• Cornell Wind Ensemble Concert: Cornell's premiere instrumental student ensemble will perform international and American music, as well as Cornell songs, on the Arts Quad from 3 to 4 p.m.
• Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony: This recognition 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 25.

Sunday, May 27:

• 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 across campus from noon to 3 p.m. A listing is available in the commencement program or at http://www.commencement.cornell.edu/May/colrecep.html.

How to see and hear the ceremonies:

Saturday's Convocation ceremony will be live-streamed on the Web at http://www.cornell.edu.

Sunday's Commencement ceremony can be seen live on Tompkins County Time Warner Cable Channel 16 and Cornell University Television Channel 100, and it will be live-streamed on the Web at http://www.cornell.edu. WHCU-AM (870) radio also will broadcast the ceremony live.

For general information about Cornell Commencement:

See http://www.commencement.cornell.edu.