(01-15-2014 05:17 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  Opinion from The Thresher:
http://www.ricethresher.org/commencement...tcB7_RDvkI

f/u comment...

my commencement in 1978 was on a Saturday Night. As sunset approached, heat was not a significant issue.

When did commencement move from Saturday evening to Saturday morning?

(01-15-2014 07:15 PM)Memphis Owl Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 05:17 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  Opinion from The Thresher:
http://www.ricethresher.org/commencement...tcB7_RDvkI

f/u comment...

my commencement in 1978 was on a Saturday Night. As sunset approached, heat was not a significant issue.

When did commencement move from Saturday evening to Saturday morning?

That switch was made from 1985 (last evening commencement) to 1986 (first morning commencement). At least one very good reason is that it is better to have the students hungover than drunk.

President Hackerman spoke in 1975 to a Saturday evening graduation on the east side of Lovett Hall.

(01-14-2014 09:37 PM)Memphis Owl Wrote:  

(01-14-2014 11:46 AM)Owlbert Patrick Wrote:  I like the idea of making commencement more "personal and meaningful" and spreading it over Friday and Saturday. I don't like the way they are planning to do it. Commencement doesn't need more ceremonies.

My proposal would be to keep the Saturday morning ceremony about the same. If the goal is to shorten that ceremony, there are ways to do that without removing the awarding of the degrees. Let's get rid of or shorten some of the talks instead. After all, what do people really remember about commencement? I think most remember walking across the stage much more than the speeches.

The Friday events should be more about celebrations than ceremonies. It could be an opportunity for the schools and other campus units to have open houses and/or receptions. A campus-wide party afterward would be a great way to welcome our new alumni and their families.

I know I don't remember the speaker at my Rice Graduation.... there wasn't one.

We thought it was a great tradition that there was no Speaker unlike a Enormous State U. The focus was on the graduates.

When did invited speakers become part Rice a Graduation?

I also remember the speaker at my UTMB commencement... it was Lady Bird.

(01-15-2014 09:04 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 07:15 PM)Memphis Owl Wrote:  

(01-15-2014 05:17 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  Opinion from The Thresher:
http://www.ricethresher.org/commencement...tcB7_RDvkI

f/u comment...

my commencement in 1978 was on a Saturday Night. As sunset approached, heat was not a significant issue.

When did commencement move from Saturday evening to Saturday morning?

That switch was made from 1985 (last evening commencement) to 1986 (first morning commencement). At least one very good reason is that it is better to have the students hungover than drunk.

In other words, it was not the heat, it was the stupidity

List of commencement speakers at Rice University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co...University Wrote:1963: John Connally, Governor, Texas

Interesting... that's about six months before he was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald.