The Tri-Lite

Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: News

This year, Holy Family will hold its first commencement ceremony in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, located in downtown Philadelphia. The ceremony will take place on Friday, May 23, and will celebrate the achievements of both the undergraduate and graduate students. The graduate degree ceremony will take place at 9:30 am and the baccalaureate degree ceremony will be held at 12:30 pm. On May 22, 'A Mass of Thanksgiving,' honoring both undergraduate and graduate degree recipients, will be held in the CC, beginning at 7 pm. A reception will follow. All graduating student's families and friends are invited to attend.

Undergraduate degree candidates will be given four tickets for the afternoon ceremony, and graduate degree candidates will be given five tickets for the morning ceremony. Students will have until April 18 to return ticket order forms requesting guest tickets for the ceremony. To accommodate guests who cannot attend the ceremonies at the Kimmel Center, both commencements will be broadcast in real-time to the auditorium of the ETC; however, eating is limited and tickets are required, as well.

According to Sister Maureen McGarrity, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Holy Family's commencements have been conducted in a gym for the institution's entire history. Lack of proper and available seating in the gym became an issue in recent years because enrollment numbers have gradually increased. In addition, two ceremonies a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, became unnecessary. The decision to move commencement from the gym, which only seats 1,800 people, to the Kimmel Center, which seats 2,500 people, was certainly not a quick one to be made; the change resulted from much debate and consideration.

Because the ceremony's purpose is to honor the students for their academic achievements, their opinions, along with the faculty's, were requested by Sister Francesca, and other senior administration, to aid them in the decision-making process.

Last Spring, online surveys concerning the feasibility of moving the ceremony to the Kimmel Center was conducted with the current seniors, deans, and full-time faculty. The results were overwhelmingly in favor of moving to the spacious Kimmel Center; despite some opposition to the move and extinction of the February commencement, the ceremony will, in deed, be held at the Kimmel Center this May.

All graduating students will be receiving information concerning the ordering of their academic attire and the reserving of guest tickets this month from the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. A mandatory rehearsal meeting for undergraduates will be held on Thursday, May 1 at 11 am in the gym. A luncheon hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Student Services will follow. A commencement rehearsal meeting for graduate degree candidates will also be held on Thursday, May 1 starting at 7 pm in the gym.

As a member of the class of 2008, I am absolutely delighted to know that my graduation ceremony will be held at such a beautiful venue. The decision to move commencement, in my opinion, was a wonderful one; I hope Holy Family's first commencement ceremony at the Kimmel Center will be something to remember for all in attendance.

Students with questions concerning commencements should contact their respective school dean or the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs in HFH, Rm. 217, or call 267-341-3207.

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