Graduation events set for weekend
Sandra Day O'Connor
BY DAWN LEVY
Stanford's 113th Commencement Weekend takes place June 12-13. An audience of about 23,000 is expected for Sunday's graduation speech by alumna Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. About 4,400 students and 250 faculty members, administrative officials and other dignitaries are expected to participate in the ceremony, which will be held in Stanford Stadium. Tickets are not required for this and most other Commencement events, unless otherwise indicated.
Stanford will be awarding 1,788 bachelor's degrees, 2,055 master's degrees and 890 doctoral degrees. In addition, 369 seniors will graduate with departmental honors, 281 with university distinction, 117 with multiple majors, 437 with completed minors, 63 with dual bachelor's degrees and 151 with combined bachelor's and master's degrees.
Saturday events
Saturday at 9 a.m. the bells of Hoover Tower will set a celebratory tone with a carillon performance by Timothy Zerlang, who will perform again Sunday at 11:45 a.m.
A Multifaith Baccalaureate Celebration officially begins the weekend's events with an address by the Rev. Jim Wallis at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the North Portal of the Inner Quad. Wallis founded Sojourners -- a Christian organization for peace and justice -- more than 30 years ago and is editor-in-chief of Sojourners magazine.
Tarek Ghani, a senior in symbolic systems with honors in international security, will deliver the baccalaureate student address. Interested in economic development, aid coordination and state-building, he spent a year volunteering in Afghanistan with the transitional government.
At 10:30 a.m., the Senior Class will dedicate a plaque in the southwest corner of the Inner Quad.
Tickets are required for Saturday's Class Day Luncheon for seniors and their families. They cost $15 but are free for members of the Stanford Alumni Association. Tickets can be purchased the day of the event at the luncheon or in advance through June 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center. The Stanford Alumni Association and the Class of 2004 are sponsoring the event, which takes place at 11:30 a.m. in Ford Plaza.
Political science Professor Terry Karl will deliver the Class Day speech. Karl, the William and Gretchen Kimball University Fellow in Undergraduate Education and a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for International Studies, specializes in the politics of oil-exporting countries, comparative new democracies and the global politics of human rights. She is author of the 1997 book The Paradox of Plenty: Oil Booms and Petro-States.
In the afternoon, President John Hennessy and his wife, Andrea, will host a reception for graduates and their families in the gardens of Hoover House.
Other midday and afternoon activities include the Undergraduate Research Programs Medals Ceremony, presentations of art and mechanical engineering master's projects, and Nuestra Graduación Celebration Mass.
Graduation celebrations are scheduled for Chicano/Latino, Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender, Asian American, American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian, Catholic and black communities and centers. For details see http://commencement.stanford.edu/schedule/index.html.
Sunday events
The Commencement ceremony will be held Sunday morning in Stanford Stadium. Gates open at 8 a.m. Those who want to park close to the stadium would do well to arrive when gates open, as traffic congestion is expected, says Elaine Enos, director of public events.
All bags may be subject to search at the gates. Prohibited items include alcohol; large items, such as banners and umbrellas; and amplification equipment, such as bullhorns.
Due to safety regulations and limited wheelchair seating, no strollers will be allowed into the seated areas of the stadium. A stroller check area will be provided across from the entrance to Tunnel 38B near Gate 4.
Although the main ceremony begins early, the stadium can get hot. There's no escaping the sun in this open facility. "Dress for the heat," Enos advises, suggesting hats or visors, sunblock and light clothing.
The morning kicks off with the students' "Wacky Walk" at 9:30 a.m. and the formal ceremony at 10 a.m., with Justice O'Connor's speech and remarks from President Hennessy and awards presented by Provost John Etchemendy.
After the main ceremony, some roads will be closed for pedestrian use as students and their guests make their way to 56 individual award ceremonies held throughout campus. Schools and departments will confer diplomas at these ceremonies beginning at 12:30 p.m. Most are expected to conclude by 2:30 p.m. For locations, see http://commencement.stanford.edu/diploma_ceremonies/index.html.
Commencement website, hotline
Other Commencement weekend events include Friday's Phi Beta Kappa initiation, featuring a speech by physicist Sidney Drell, as well as an organ recital in Memorial Church and tours of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (reservations required, photo ID required for adults), the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (by appointment only) and the Cantor Arts Center.
For more information, go to the Commencement website: http://commencement.stanford.edu/. The site provides a schedule, weather forecast, rain plan, maps and information about parking, transportation, lodging, tours, services for the disabled and more. The Commencement Hotline is 725-1957.
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