I hope that the news of our upcoming in-person graduation brought some relief to all of you after such a challenging year. For me, it is a symbol not only of your transition to life after Georgetown, but for our whole country as we see a sign of hope for the future. I only wish that we can soon extend that hope to members of our community in countries like India, Brazil and elsewhere in the world that are still suffering so terribly from the pandemic.
I write now to give you more information about our in-person Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2021 at Nationals Park next month. The University moved fast to take advantage of the expanded DC guidelines for commencement exercises, but there is much we still have to do to plan all details of the event. We appreciate your patience as those details come together. Here’s what we know so far which I hope can help you and your friends and family plan for this special event.
There will be one ceremony for all four undergraduate schools at 10:00 am EDT on Monday, May 24, 2021 at Nationals Park here in Washington, DC. Each undergraduate can invite two guests to the stadium. The ceremony is expected to last two hours. The ceremony will be simulcast live (and projected on the stadium’s jumbotron screen!) and we hope all graduates and their friends and families can participate in the celebration wherever they are. A recording will be available for those who want to watch at other times.
While the ceremony will include many of the traditional elements of a formal academic ceremony, stadium rules and the timing within the baseball season do not allow for a traditional commencement stage or a procession of faculty and graduates. So we will have to modify to make it all happen. But one tradition we are committed to keeping is that all graduates will be individually recognized by name wherever they may be! Instead of the usual “walk and wave” across the stage, each graduating senior (from their seat in the stadium or watching from the comfort of home) will have their name read aloud during the ceremony accompanied by their name and photo displayed on the jumbotron and other screens throughout the Park.
For those attending the in-person ceremony, there will also be numerous photo opportunities throughout the Park. I will be there along with faculty and leaders from the school distributing SFS swag and eager to take socially distanced photos in our academic robes (let’s hope it’s not too hot) for those who are so inclined.
We are planning a virtual undergraduate Tropaia on Saturday, May 22, at 1:00 PM ET. The event will be live on Zoom and recorded for later viewing. An RSVP link will be sent to all seniors in early May.
PLEASE READ THE IMPORTANT DETAILS BELOW as they are critical to making this all happen:
- Submit your photo: It is critical that you submit your photo and personal message for recognition on the jumbotron screen by this Friday, April 30. If you have not already done so, you can submit this information at georgetown.marchingorder.com. All graduating students should already have received instructions via email. If you have questions about the photo submission process, contact sfsevents@georgetown.edu.
- Academic regalia: While we hope it will be possible for those at the stadium to wear academic regalia to the ceremony (making for much better photos), it is not required to participate. If you still wish to purchase regalia or any other commemorative items, the Georgetown University Bookstore is still taking orders for shipment.
- Ticketing: University staff continues to develop the process for ticketing for Commencement with the Nationals organization, so please look for upcoming communications with additional details around ticket registration. Each graduate attending in-person is invited to bring two guests. All guests will be required to follow DC Travel Guidance. (Please note that DC may adjust its travel guidance at any time before May 24.)
- Accommodations: Accommodation requests should be submitted using this form as soon as possible. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests made by May 10, 2021.
Please continue to follow the Commencement website and Frequently Asked Questions page, which will be updated as additional information becomes available.
This will be a graduation like no other in a year like no other. Let’s make the most of what we can. I look forward to seeing you at Nats Park or on the jumbotron screen!
All best,
Dean Hellman
