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SU ANNOUNCES LOCATION FOR 2020 COMMENCEMENT SU Announces New Location for 2020 Commencement

SU announced that the 2020 commencement will be held on the Quad

By Courtney Rau

(Reporter): Syracuse University announced today that the 2020 commencement ceremony will be held on the Quad.

Because the Carrier Dome is under construction until fall of 2020, the University was forced to move the ceremony outside, for the first time since 1972.

Now, Syracuse University has done their commencement ceremony in the Carrier Dome every single year since 1981. This is the first year that it will be held elsewhere, here on the Quad. Today on the Quad, students have a lot of different opinions. Some are very excited and happy about the change, while some are not so happy that they don’t get to continue the tradition.

(Jared Sills): “I think it’s pretty interesting. Usually, since previous years everyone’s been in the Dome. It’s kind of cool that our class gets to be outside this year on the Quad,” Sills said. “I think it’s going to be really fun.”

(Alex Maher): “I think it’s a little ridiculous. I spent four years here and they use our year as the test group for all the new stuff coming in for new classes and basically, we keep getting screwed out of all the good things. So, I’m kind of upset by it.”

(Reporter): Many students are concerned about the location change due to Syracuse’s unpredictable spring weather and a lack of space for families.

(Alex Maher): “If they have it on the Quad here they’re not going to be able to fit all the people and all the parents. There’s not going to be any tickets, enough to go around. I don’t know, there’s got to be somewhere better than just in the middle of this quad.”

(Reporter): However, the University says that the Quad will have no problem accommodating all families, and additional seating will be provided inside with a live feed of the ceremony as well.

The University also plans to release a detailed weather plan in the coming weeks.

Courtney Rau, NCC News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse University announced Thursday that the 2020 commencement ceremony will be held on the Quad.

Every year since its opening in 1981, the ceremony has been held in the Carrier Dome; however, due to renovations, the Dome will be closed until next fall, forcing the university to move the ceremony to a new location.

This year will mark the first outdoor graduation the school has seen since 1972, when it was held in Archbold Stadium. In 1973, the ceremony was moved into Manley Field House and once the Dome was opened in 1980, it’s been held there ever since.

In the official email sent to students Thursday, Provost Michele Wheatly and Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience, called the outside ceremony location a “milestone one-of-a-kind ceremony.”

However, the location changed has sparked controversy among students and parents.

Alex Maher, a senior at Syracuse University, is upset that his class won’t get to experience the tradition of graduating in the Carrier Dome.

“I think it’s a little ridiculous. I spent four years here and they use our year as the test group for all the new stuff coming in for new classes and basically, we keep getting screwed out of all the good things. So, I’m kind of upset by it,” Maher said.

On the other hand, some students are excited about the location change. Jared Sills, a senior, says he’s excited that his class gets to experience a unique and special ceremony.

“I think it’s pretty interesting. Usually, since previous years everyone’s been in the Dome. It’s kind of cool that our class gets to be outside this year on the Quad,” Sills said. “I think it’s going to be really fun.”

The University says that they will not be issuing tickets this year, and assures families that the Quad will have no problem accommodating all guests with unlimited seating. Indoor seating with a live feed of the ceremony will be available for those who want to be inside.

The University also plans to release a detailed weather plan in the coming weeks.

Commencement 2020 to Be Held on the Shaw Quadrangle

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